CLA231H1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Roman Senate, Cursus Honorum, Freedman
Document Summary
Today"s topics: (1) patricians and plebs (2) senators and equites (3) rural and urban poor (4) patronage: patrons and clients (5) slavery. As rome became larger, it became more socially complex. A more hierarchical and patric0ianal distinction began (1) patricians and plebs (plebeians) Not rich/poor, some plebeians became as wealthy as patricians. Plebs contained a full range of socio-economic classes (2) senators and equites (equestrians, knights) Originally romans classified their citizens based on wealth for the army. Top groups wealthy enough to supply armor, weaponry and horses. Military units also used to form voting units in the centuriate century. Early on, therefore, equites referred to all the people at the top of the military and political food chain. In the late republic, however (2nd+1st c bce) distinction came to be drawn between equites and senators. Senators defined as anyone who had been elected as a magistrate. Wealthy people from the top centuries who didn"t hold high political office.
