2. Introduction
• When Rome was facing several enemies from outside, within it
had its own set problems.
• Class divisions affected the way politics were handled.
• This led to several changes in the Roman government system.
4. Plebeians
• The plebeians were the common people.
– Shopkeepers, crafts people, and skilled or unskilled
workers might be plebeian
• Being a “pleb”:
– Plebeians were excluded from magistracies and religious
colleges, and they were not permitted to know the laws by
which they were governed.
– Plebeians served in the army, but rarely became military
leaders.
• They called for changes in government and wanted
more of a say in how the city was run.
5. Patricians
• The patricians were a powerful ruling class.
– The first 100 men appointed as senators by Romulus were
referred to as "fathers" (patres), and the descendants of those
men became the Patrician class.
– The distinction between patricians and plebeians in Ancient
Rome was based purely on birth.
• They were the only people who could be elected to
hold government offices.
– Therefore, they held all political power.
6.
7. Changing Government
• Even though plebeians
outnumbered the
patricians, they were not
allowed to participate in
government.
• In 494 BC, they formed a
council to elect their own
officials.
• To the patricians, these
events represented a change
that could bring a total
collapse of their society.
• They feared that the Republic
would fall apart.
• Then the patricians decided
to cooperate and change the
government, before major
revolutions could tear Rome
apart.
8. Class Struggle
• Even though these events
happened almost 2500 years
ago, in the last two centuries
they are still contemporary.
• In the 1800s, German born,
Karl Marx discussed these
class disputes, which later
became the basis for his
theories: MARXISM
• According to Marx:
– a class is formed when its
members achieve class
consciousness and solidarity.
– This largely happens when the
members of a class become
aware of their exploitation and
the conflict with another class.
– A class will then realize their
shared interests and a common
identity. According to Marx, a
class will then take action
against those that are exploiting
the lower classes.
9. Ask Yourself
• Contrast:
– What are the main differences between the plebeians and the patricians?
• Infer:
– Why do you think the word patrician comes from “patre”?
– What reasons did the plebeians use to revolt?
• Recall:
– What determined who was a patrician or a plebeian?
• Compare:
– Is our society today in any way like the Roman Republic’s?
– Does the “Revolución Ciudadana” use Marxist theories in their
propaganda?
10. Bibliography
• Burstein, S. M., & Shek, R. (2012). World History (Teacher´s
Edition) (1st Edition ed.). (H. McDougal, Ed.) Orlando, Florida,
US.: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
• Images taken from Google.
