The Plebeians Revolt

The Plebeians Revolt

University of the People

Hist 1421, Roman and Greek Civilization

Written Assignment

Instructor Wes Auberry

The Plebeians Revolt

From the reading, discuss how the economic and political differences between the patricians and

the plebeian classes ultimately led to a plebeian revolt. Include in your discussion the results of

the first revolt or secession

They say Rome wasn't built in a day (Anonymus) this doesn't just include the beautiful

architectural structures. It is inclusive of all the economic and political aspects that make up

Rome. It has been tested and proven that peace doesn't exist without war and Rome at not one

particular time but on several occasions was at war with its neighbors and with itself.

Rome was made up of classes and to be specific, two classes. Patricians and the Plebeians. The

Patricians were the wealthy class that made the government. They knew the law, they decided

how the law was to be implemented. They loaned the Plebeians money and when they failed to

pay, they enslaved them. Their intention was to keep the poor poorer so that the wealthy could

stay wealthy. In short, they ensured that the rift between the two classes was wide

enough. Plebeians were the poor and the debtors to the Patricians. They didn't know the law

neither were they preview to the law. They were the ones who made up the army fighting for the

Patricians while remaining poor. At some point, when they were tired of injustice they demanded

due diligence with the law and this led to the first revolt.  

The first revolt by the Plebeians happened when "The patricians and plebeians had united in their

efforts to drive out the kings; but when the struggle against the kingship was ended, the chief

fruits of the victory fell to the patricians" (Morey, 1901) Although they could vote, they could

not have a sit in the senate, neither could they hold any offices thus they could only be under the

patricians mercy. “The plebeians might perhaps have submitted to the government of the
The Plebeians Revolt

patricians, if it had not been exercised in a selfish and oppressive manner” (Morey, 1901) Second

reason that made plebeians revolt was due to debt burden. This was actually due to poverty

caused by the wars Rome had been part of leaving most cities destroyed and mostly the plebeians

felt the burden. Now, to get sustain themselves they had to borrow from the wealthy and

obviously, they couldn’t repay. “If he could not pay his debt, he was liable to be arrested, thrown

into a dungeon, and made the slave of his creditor. His lot was chains, stripes, and slavery”

(Morey, 1901) this kept the wealthy more wealthy and the poor, poorer. Lastly, the poor division

of public land led to the revolt. It’s like the land belonged to the people but the rich few decided

what happens to it. Most of the vast land was used and owned by the rich and they needed slaves

to work on the farms.

This secession resulted into new rules or at least there were changes proposed by the plebeians.

According to Morey, the most “important result of the first secession was the creation of a new

office, that of tribune of the people” (1901) where the plebeians were to appoint two tribunes to

protect them from further oppressions. They also formed an assembly where the tribunes could

address the interests of the people and no magistrate could interrupt. To solve the issue of land

the Law of the Agrarian was put in place by SP. Cassius. He proposed an equal distribution of

public land though he was charged with treason after the Patricians rejected the law.

Due to patricians not following the agreed proposals from the plebeians it led to a second revolt

and this time the plebeians refused to fight for the rich thus quitting the army. This was a threat

to the patricians because it was a period when Rome was in constant wars with her enemies.
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References

Morey, W. C. (1901). Outlines of Roman history; The Struggle for Economic Rights. Forum

Romanum. Retrieved 28, September 2021, from

http://www.forumromanum.org/history/index.html