“In the fifth and early fourth centuries, Rome also faced severe internal conflicts that accompanied its foreign wars.” Roman historians noted famine, and conflicts over land and debt. The competition for power among Roman leaders potentially could have caused violence and disorder. “This strife, however, was worsened by deeper conflicts, reflecting aspects of the basic organization of the Republic and of the Roman society in general. Modern scholars call this conflict the “Struggle of the orders.”
Roman historians suggest a lengthy conflict between two opposing groups, the patricians and plebeians, depicted the first centuries of the Republic. To be a patrician, a Roman needed to be from one of the exclusive families by birthright. The origins of the patriciate are unknown. The control of the city and eventually high offices in the Republic were held by the patricians.
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“The Roman plebs was not a homogenous group, since it contained individuals with a range of statuses and roles in the city. Some were not even poor, although most probably were.” As a result, this may have caused a discrepancy amongst the plebeians. Topics such as land distribution and debt would be a concern of the poorer plebeians. “Secession” is a type of strike or main weapon used by the Plebeians suspected by historians when debt, high food prices, and poverty were difficult. “In a “secession,” plebeian members of an army would withdraw to a hill outside of Rome, choose their own leaders, and refuse to cooperate with the magistrates of the city until their grievances had been