Transcript Elsewhere on the Boot

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.