Rome’s Rebellion

Lesson XXII part III

• There was a serious trouble between the common people (Plebeians) and the nobles (patricians). A great many of the people earned their living by farming.

• Although the citizens elected their own representatives, the Roman Republic was not a democracy because not every citizen had equal power. Citizens were divided into two classes, patricians and plebeians. A Roman was born into their class.

• Adult male citizens had certain rights, such as the right to vote and to own property.

• But women citizens could not vote or take part in the government although they were protected by Roman laws.  

• As citizens, both patricians and plebeians had the right to vote.

• However, only patricians had the right to hold any political, military or religious offices. 

• All power was in the hands of the patricians.

• Some plebeians were quite wealthy.  They believed that they should have the same rights as the patricians.

• Slaves which were war captives, were owned by citizens and had no rights.

• When there was a war the strong men had to become soldiers, and as Rome was almost constantly at war the men were nearly always away from their farms.

• Very often, therefore, the Plebeians had to borrow money to support their families while they themselves were away fighting, for at this time Roman soldiers got no regular pay.

• Now it was the rich patricians who loaned the money, and if it was not paid back at the time agreed upon they could put the Plebeians who owed it in jail, or they could sell their wives and children as slaves.

• This system was known as "debt bondage".

A man in debt bondage became a servant of the man to whom he owed the money. He became a slave, and, without getting paid, he could never get the money he needed to buy his freedom. But the patrician government did nothing to end this cruel practice.

• In this way the plebeians often suffered much hardship. At last a great number of them resolved to leave Rome and make a settlement for themselves somewhere else in Italy. The patricians did not like this very much, for if the common people went away there would be a scarcity of soldiers for the army.

•  A Roman historian named Livy wrote about a terrible time in the city of Rome in 494 B.C.

• “There was great panic in the city, and everyone was afraid. The common people were  leaving the city and those left behind feared what the senators might do to them. The senators were afraid of the people remaining in the city, and could not decide whether to leave or stay. After all,  how long would the crowds who stayed in Rome remain peaceful? And what would happen if an army was needed to fight foreign invaders?"

• When the Plebeians left Rome they formed their own assembly, this became known as the Tribal Assembly.

• The Tribal Assembly were allowed to make laws for the common people and to elect tribunes.

• Tribunes were plebian elected officials who had power to veto laws they did not like, that is, prevent them from being passed.

• Tribunes were able to protect Plebeian rights.

• The patricians had no choice but to let the plebeians keep their tribunes.

• The plebeians could vote against any unjust law passed by the Senate.

• The word veto, which is Latin for I forbid, is used in the same way in our own country. The President of the United States and the governors of some states have, within certain limits, power to prevent the passing of laws they do not approve. This is called the veto power.

• Next, the plebeians demanded that the laws be changed . Rome’s laws had never been written down. The plebeians believed that patrician judges took advantage of this fact to rule unfairly against plebeians.