What is a plebeian and how are they significant to greek culture

Roman citizens were divided up into two distinct classes: the plebeians and the patricians. The patricians were the wealthy upper class people. Everyone else was considered a plebeian.

Patricians

The patricians were the ruling class of the early Roman Empire. Only certain families were part of the patrician class and you had to be born a patrician. The patricians were only a small percentage of the Roman population, but they held all the power.

Plebeians

All the other citizens of Rome were Plebeians. Plebeians were the farmers, craftsmen, laborers, and soldiers of Rome.

In Early Rome

In the early stages of Rome, the plebeians had few rights. All of the government and religious positions were held by patricians. The patricians made the laws, owned the lands, and were the generals over the army. Plebeians couldn't hold public office and were not even allowed to marry patricians.

The Plebeians Revolt

Starting around 494 BC, the plebeians began to fight against the rule of the patricians. This struggle is called the "Conflict of the Orders." Over the course of around 200 years the plebeians gained more rights. They protested by going on strike. They would leave the city for a while, refuse to work, or even refuse to fight in the army. Eventually, the plebeians gained a number of rights including the right to run for office and marry patricians.

The Law of the Twelve Tables

One of the first concessions that the plebeians got from the patricians was the Law of the Twelve Tables. The Twelve Tables were laws that were posted in the public for all to see. They protected some basic rights of all Roman citizens regardless of their social class.

Plebeian Officers

Eventually the plebeians were allowed to elect their own government officials. They elected "tribunes" who represented the plebeians and fought for their rights. They had the power to veto new laws from the Roman senate.

Plebeian Nobles

As time went on, there became few legal differences between the plebeians and the patricians. The plebeians could be elected to the senate and even be consuls. Plebeians and patricians could also get married. Wealthy plebeians became part of the Roman nobility. However, despite changes in the laws, the patricians always held a majority of the wealth and power in Ancient Rome.

Interesting Facts About Plebeians and Patricians

A third social class in Roman society was the slaves. Around one third of the people living in Rome were slaves.

One of Rome's most famous senators, Cicero, was a plebeian. Because he was the first of his family to be elected to the senate, he was called a "New Man."

In general, plebeians and patricians did not mix socially.

Julius Caesar was a patrician, but he was sometimes considered a champion of the common people.

The Plebeian Council was led by the elected tribunes. Many new laws were passed by the Plebeian Council because the procedures were simpler than in the senate. The Plebeian Council lost its power with the fall of the Roman Republic.

Freshmen students in the United States military academies are nicknamed "plebs."

Some of the most famous patrician families include Julia (Julius Caesar), Cornelia, Claudia, Fabia, and Valeria.

the articles of confederation only set up the continental congress at the federal level. there were no executive or judicial branches except within the states. the states were allowed to keep every right that was not specifically given to congress. the bonding of the states was through a 'firm league of friendship' that best served as a defense agreement against invasion. states were not allowed to use taxes as a way to discourage treaties, and states were extremely limited in their dealings with foreign nations.

not many historians today talk about the strengths of the articles of confederation, likely because of how unpopular the document quickly became. the articles did set the legislative body, congress, as the highest power in the nation because of the fear of monarchy. congress had the sole power to declare war, assign treaties, entertain foreign relations, and operate post offices. disputes between states and territorial issues were to be brought to congress. the document also stipulated that canada was allowed to enter the union if they desired.

there were more weaknesses than strengths under the articles of confederation. the lack of power given to the continental congress strangled the federal government. the articles gave congress the power to pass laws but no power to enforce those laws. if a state did not support a federal law, that state could simply ignore it. congress had no power to levy taxes or regulate trade. without a federal court system or executive leader, there would be no way to enforce these laws, either. amending the articles of confederation would also require a unanimous decision, which would be extremely difficult.

world war i began in 1914, after the assassination of archduke franz ferdinand, and lasted until 1918. during the conflict, germany, austria-hungary, bulgaria and the ottoman empire (the central powers) fought against great britain, france, russia, italy, romania, japan and the united states (the allied powers). to new military technologies and the horrors of trench warfare, world war i saw unprecedented levels of carnage and destruction. by the time the war was over and the allied powers claimed victory, more than 16 million people—soldiers and civilians alike—were dead.

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