Rome began with a Tyrannical king who was not liked by the populace. Patricians as well as Plebeians agreed to put aside their differences and rebel against the ruling class. They were left to determine who would be the leader of their newly liberated people, as well as what laws should be put into place to prevent them from being ruled like this again. As there were no rulers, the only way to ensure that they remained free was for the citizens to come forward and claim their rights. It also meant that lower-class Plebeians were depleted, and would need assistance.
Problem: Rich aristocratic Romans, the patricians had all of Rome’s rights and privileges. They reaped their benefits, taking all public and privately owned land, while plebeians fought. This put them in a poorer, more disadvantaged state. However, the Plebeian Class was not allowed to live in peace with them. They were kept in debt by their management of Rome. The Plebeians became a debtors class because they had to borrow money, land and their own property to support their families. The public should be able to enjoy some of the fruits from wars like land that was won through battles or retaken territory. They took it all for themselves instead of allowing the class that fought for it to enjoy it.
The Revolt: It was to be expected that the plebeian rebel would occur, as they just won their freedom from unjust and tyrannical kings. They were then put back in their old position. They rebelled because they didn’t “do their duties” in a sense. The upper class was vulnerable because they left the army. They then proposed that their own cities be built beyond Mons Saucer. All their debts were canceled, and they became part of society and not slaves. The Patricians were not able to pass laws against the Plebeians because they were given tribunes. The people were also allowed to speak freely, without interruption or dispersion by magistrates. The Patricians, despite their unity to achieve freedom led to the enslavement of their own citizens because of their poverty. After being united to win freedom, the Patricians’ lording mindset and greed led them to enslave their own people simply because they were poor. This resulted in greater equality between classes, and a stronger unity at a time when it was most needed.
