Patricians vs Plebians: The Domestic Struggle for Power Civilization; as it evolves and grows increasingly sophisticated, there will always be those that impose their will on those deemed lesser. Influence and power are reserved for the select few who’s greed knows no bounds, bending the will of the people to meet their own selfish desires. Mother Rome was no exception to this pattern. The divide between the rich patricians and poor plebians caused great discontent among the plebian class. As so often happens, when the people grow weary of inequality revolution is inevitable. In times of crisis such as living under the tyranny of a kingship, it is not uncommon for the people as a whole to band together to repel and even overthrow the forces …show more content…
The obstruction or violation of a tribune was a crime punishable by death (Morey, 1901). Initially, the plebian class were poor, mistreated and all together oppressed by the patrician class. There were several instances of conspiracies enacted by the patricians in order to ensure that wealth and power remained with the upper class. Our readings revealed that the plebian class revolted and left the patrician class to fight its own battles. This caused the patrician class to scramble to appease the will of the larger plebian class. Before this, plebians had no part in government save voting rights. After their secession, they were granted two offices that would keep the patrician class from enacting unfair practices on any citizen of Rome. The plebians had made great progress and were given a power and freedom that they had not experienced before this time. However, we shall soon discover that the domestic power struggle between the patricians and plebians was not yet over. Reference: Morey, W. C. (1901). Outlines of Roman History. New York, Cincinnati, Chicago: American Book Company. Retrieved from