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Patricians
Status
of the Patricians
Patricians were bestowed
special status as Roman citizens. At the beginning of the
Roman Republic all priesthoods were closed to non-patricians
which was based on the belief that patricians communicated
better with the Roman gods, so they alone could perform the
sacred rites and rituals and take the auspices.
History
of the Patricians and Clients
Following the founding of
Rome by Romulus the Roman people consisted only of
Patricians and their Clients. The Patricians formed the Populus Romanus, or sovereign people,
the elite Romans. They alone had
political rights; the Clients were entirely dependent upon
them. A Patrician had a certain number of Clients attached
to him personally. To these he acted as a Patronus or
Patron. He was bound to protect the interests of the Client
both in public and private, while the Client had to render
many services to his patron. A client had property of their
own and freedom. As the number of clients increased this
early group were absorbed into the class called the
Plebieans.
The Tribes of the Patricians
The Patricians were divided
by Romulus into three Tribes; the Ramnes, or Romans of Romulus; the Tities, or
Sabines of Titus Tatius; and the Luceres, or Etruscans of
Caeles, a Lucumo or Etruscan noble, who assisted Romulus in
the war against the Sabines. Each tribe was divided into 10
curiae (political subdivision), and each curiae into 10 gentes
(gentes was a family clan). The 30 curiae formed
the Comitia Curiata, a sovereign assembly of the Patricians.
This assembly elected the king, made the laws, and decided
in all cases affecting the life of a citizen. Each of the
three tribes was bound to furnish 1000 men for the infantry
and 100 men for the cavalry. Thus 3000 foot-soldiers and 300
horse-soldiers formed the original army of the Roman state,
and were called a Legion. The number of tribes was
afterwards increased to thirty-five.
Patricians and the
founding of the Senate
To assist him in the government Romulus selected a number of
aged men, forming a Senate, or Council of Elders, who were
called Patres, or Senators. It consisted at first of 100
members, which number was increased to 200 when the Sabines
were incorporated in the state.
Patricians and the Right
of Images
Patricians whose ancestors
or themselves had been a Consul, Praetor, Censor or Curule
Edile, were called nobiles (nobles)and had the right of
making images of themselves, which were kept with great care
for their posterity, and carried before them at funerals.
These images were merely the busts of persons down to the
shoulders, made of wax, and painted, which they used to
place in the courts of their houses, enclosed in wooden
cases, and seem not to have brought out, except on solemn
occasions. There were titles or inscriptions written below
them, pointing out the honors they had enjoyed, and the
exploits they had performed. Originally this right of images
was peculiar to the Patricians; but afterwards, the
Plebeians also acquired it, when admitted to the office of a
high ranking magistrate.
The Patricians and the
Plebeians
The people of Rome were at first only separated into two
ranks; the Patricians and Plebeians. The Plebeian order was
composed of the lowest class of freemen. Those who resided
in the city, were called “Plebs urbana;” those who lived in
the country, “Plebs rustica.” But the distinction did not
consist in name only, the latter were the most respectable.
The Plebs urbana consisted not only of the poorer mechanics
and laborers, but of a multitude of idlers who chiefly
subsisted on the public bounty, and whose turbulence was a
constant source of problems to the government. There were
leading men among the Plebeians who were kept in pay by the
corrupt magistrates in order to influence the 'mob'.
The Patricians, Plebeians,
Knights and Slaves
The Patricians and Plebeians were originally the only two
classes of
Romans but afterwards the Equites
or Knights were added; and at a later period, slavery was
introduced, making in all, four classes:
Patricians
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Knights or Equites
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Plebeians
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Slaves
Patricians
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