Roman Hierarchy

PATRICIANS Original aristocracy of Rome Had been distinguished citizens who advised Latin kings Played leading role in overthrowing Etruscans Control strengthened by institution of clientage Client was a free man who pledged himself to a patrician (called patron)‏ Honor-bound to serve interests and obey wishes of patron  In return the client received favors Originally used to create political bases for patricians Wealth based primarily on ownership of farmland and/or urban real estate Originally possessed monopoly on membership in Senate and various elected offices

PLEBEIANS Free men who could not trace their ancestry back to advisors of Latin kings Did not become clients Number swollen by immigrants who moved to Rome during Etruscan period Many were well-off and served in the army under Etruscans Etruscans had promoted their interests and protected their civil status With overthrow of Etruscans they lost protector Patricians would not let them share in government

POLITICAL AND SOCIAL EVOLUTION Result was long-term power struggle within Rome as patricians attempted to preserve their exalted status and monopoly of political power and plebeians tried to gain a share of power that corresponded to the contribution they made to Rome’s success and prosperity Result was a blurring and mixing of original social distinctions and gradual emergence of a new hierarchy based on wealth Parallel political evolution in which the patrician monopoly on government gave way to the domination of the wealthy (whether patrician or plebeian)‏

ROMAN CITIZENSHIP Entitled a man to vote in elections Could not be flogged as punishment Entitled to the Roman trial process and had right of appeal Originally, both parents had to be citizens for that person to be considered a citizen Later, only a person’s father had to be a citizen to qualify his offspring as citizens

A NEW SYSTEM By the late Republic, citizens divided into five classes and a large group known as the capite censi (Head Count)‏ Membership in a class was based on wealth determined by a “means test” given every five years First Class was wealthiest, then Second Class, etc. Political power determined by class membership Only members of First Class could become senators and highest officials in Rome By 100 BC, only 12 patrician families had means to be in First Class Patricians still possessed certain social distinctions but their automatic and unquestioned domination of society and politics was a thing of the past Historians don’t know precise economic criteria for membership in each class But even the 5 th class was wealthy enough to at least arm and equip itself and serve in army

THE HEAD COUNT Too poor to arm and equip themselves for military service Even after they became eligible for military service with the reforms of Gaius Marius, they were still considered as a group too poor to be included in the five classes Most clients drawn from this group Freed slaves with citizenship belonged to this group Below them came non- citizen resident foreigners and slaves