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Conflict of the Orders
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Conflict of the Orders
The Conflict of the Orders or the Struggle of the Orders was a political struggle between the plebeians (commoners) and patricians (aristocrats) of the ancient Roman Republic lasting from 500 BC to 287 BC in which the plebeians sought political equality with the patricians. It played a major role in the development of the Constitution of the Roman Republic. Shortly after the founding of the Republic, this conflict led to a secession from Rome by the Plebeians to the Sacred Mount at a time of war. The result of this first secession was the creation of the office of plebeian tribune, and with it the first acquisition of real power by the plebeians.
At first, only patricians were allowed to stand for election to political office, but over time these laws were revoked, and eventually all offices were opened to the plebeians. Since most individuals who were elected to political office were given membership in the Roman Senate, this development helped to transform the Senate from a body of patricians into a body of both patrician and plebeian aristocrats. This development occurred at the same time that the plebeian legislative assembly, the Plebeian council, was acquiring additional power. At first, its acts ("plebiscites") applied only to plebeians, although after 339 BC, with the institution of laws by the second plebeian dictator Quintus Publilius Philo, these acts began to apply to both plebeians and patricians. The most fundamental change, however, was the granting of tribunicia potestas (tribunician power) in which tribunes of the plebs could veto unfavorable legislation.
The Conflict of the Orders began less than 20 years after the Republic was founded. Under the existing system, the poorer plebeians made up the bulk of the Roman army. During their military service, the farms on which their livelihood depended were left abandoned. Unable to earn a sufficient income, many turned to the patricians for aid, which left them open to abuse and even enslavement. As the patricians controlled Roman politics, the plebeians found no help from within the existing political system. Their solution was to go on strike. In 494 BC Rome was at war with three Italic tribes (the Aequi, Sabine and Volsci), but the plebeian soldiers, advised by Lucius Sicinius Vellutus, refused to march against the enemy and instead seceded to the Mons Sacer outside Rome. A settlement was negotiated and the patricians agreed that the plebs be given the right to meet in their own assembly, the Plebeian Council (Concilium Plebis), and to elect their own officials to protect their rights, the plebeian tribune (tribunus plebis).
During the 5th century BC, there were a number of unsuccessful attempts to reform Roman agrarian laws to distribute newly conquered territories amongst the plebs. In a number of instances, these reforms were advocated by the plebeian tribunes.
In 471 BC, the Lex Publilia was passed, marking an important reform shifting practical power from the patricians to the plebeians. The law transferred the election of the tribunes of the plebs to the Tribal assembly (comitia populi tributa), thereby freeing their election from the influence of the patrician clients.
During the early years of the republic, the plebeians were not allowed to hold magisterial office. While the plebeian tribunes regularly attempted to block legislation unfavorable to their order, the patricians frequently tried to thwart them by gaining the support of another tribune. One example of this occurred in 448 BC when only five tribunes were elected to fill ten positions; following tradition and pressured by the patricians, they co-opted five colleagues, two of whom were patricians. Concerns that the patricians would attempt to influence future elections in this manner, or by obtaining the office themselves to prevent the plebeian tribunes from exercising their powers, led to the passage of the Lex Trebonia, forbidding the plebeian tribunes from co-opting their colleagues in the future.
In 445 BC, the plebeians demanded the right to stand for election as consul (the chief-magistrate of the Roman Republic), but the Roman Senate refused to grant them this right. Ultimately, a compromise was reached, and while the consulship remained closed to the plebeians, consular command authority (imperium) was granted to a select number of military tribunes. These individuals, the so-called consular tribunes ("military tribunes with consular powers" or tribuni militum consulari potestate) were elected by the Centuriate Assembly, and the Senate had the power to veto any such election. This was the first of many attempts by the plebeians to achieve political equality with the Patricians.
Starting around the year 400 BC, a series of wars were fought against several neighboring tribes (in particular the Aequi, the Volsci, the Latins, and the Veii). The disenfranchised plebeians, who made up significant portion of the army, grew restless from bloodshed while the patrician aristocracy enjoyed the fruits of the resulting conquests. The plebeians, by now exhausted and bitter, demanded real concessions, so the tribunes Gaius Licinius Stolo and Lucius Sextius Lateranus passed a law in 367 BC (the Lex Licinia Sextia) which dealt with the economic plight of the plebeians. However, the law also required the election of at least one plebeian consul each year. The opening of the consulship to the plebeians was probably the cause behind the concession of 366 BC, in which the praetorship and curule aedile were both created, but opened only to patricians.
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Conflict of the Orders
The Conflict of the Orders or the Struggle of the Orders was a political struggle between the plebeians (commoners) and patricians (aristocrats) of the ancient Roman Republic lasting from 500 BC to 287 BC in which the plebeians sought political equality with the patricians. It played a major role in the development of the Constitution of the Roman Republic. Shortly after the founding of the Republic, this conflict led to a secession from Rome by the Plebeians to the Sacred Mount at a time of war. The result of this first secession was the creation of the office of plebeian tribune, and with it the first acquisition of real power by the plebeians.
At first, only patricians were allowed to stand for election to political office, but over time these laws were revoked, and eventually all offices were opened to the plebeians. Since most individuals who were elected to political office were given membership in the Roman Senate, this development helped to transform the Senate from a body of patricians into a body of both patrician and plebeian aristocrats. This development occurred at the same time that the plebeian legislative assembly, the Plebeian council, was acquiring additional power. At first, its acts ("plebiscites") applied only to plebeians, although after 339 BC, with the institution of laws by the second plebeian dictator Quintus Publilius Philo, these acts began to apply to both plebeians and patricians. The most fundamental change, however, was the granting of tribunicia potestas (tribunician power) in which tribunes of the plebs could veto unfavorable legislation.
The Conflict of the Orders began less than 20 years after the Republic was founded. Under the existing system, the poorer plebeians made up the bulk of the Roman army. During their military service, the farms on which their livelihood depended were left abandoned. Unable to earn a sufficient income, many turned to the patricians for aid, which left them open to abuse and even enslavement. As the patricians controlled Roman politics, the plebeians found no help from within the existing political system. Their solution was to go on strike. In 494 BC Rome was at war with three Italic tribes (the Aequi, Sabine and Volsci), but the plebeian soldiers, advised by Lucius Sicinius Vellutus, refused to march against the enemy and instead seceded to the Mons Sacer outside Rome. A settlement was negotiated and the patricians agreed that the plebs be given the right to meet in their own assembly, the Plebeian Council (Concilium Plebis), and to elect their own officials to protect their rights, the plebeian tribune (tribunus plebis).
During the 5th century BC, there were a number of unsuccessful attempts to reform Roman agrarian laws to distribute newly conquered territories amongst the plebs. In a number of instances, these reforms were advocated by the plebeian tribunes.
In 471 BC, the Lex Publilia was passed, marking an important reform shifting practical power from the patricians to the plebeians. The law transferred the election of the tribunes of the plebs to the Tribal assembly (comitia populi tributa), thereby freeing their election from the influence of the patrician clients.
During the early years of the republic, the plebeians were not allowed to hold magisterial office. While the plebeian tribunes regularly attempted to block legislation unfavorable to their order, the patricians frequently tried to thwart them by gaining the support of another tribune. One example of this occurred in 448 BC when only five tribunes were elected to fill ten positions; following tradition and pressured by the patricians, they co-opted five colleagues, two of whom were patricians. Concerns that the patricians would attempt to influence future elections in this manner, or by obtaining the office themselves to prevent the plebeian tribunes from exercising their powers, led to the passage of the Lex Trebonia, forbidding the plebeian tribunes from co-opting their colleagues in the future.
In 445 BC, the plebeians demanded the right to stand for election as consul (the chief-magistrate of the Roman Republic), but the Roman Senate refused to grant them this right. Ultimately, a compromise was reached, and while the consulship remained closed to the plebeians, consular command authority (imperium) was granted to a select number of military tribunes. These individuals, the so-called consular tribunes ("military tribunes with consular powers" or tribuni militum consulari potestate) were elected by the Centuriate Assembly, and the Senate had the power to veto any such election. This was the first of many attempts by the plebeians to achieve political equality with the Patricians.
Starting around the year 400 BC, a series of wars were fought against several neighboring tribes (in particular the Aequi, the Volsci, the Latins, and the Veii). The disenfranchised plebeians, who made up significant portion of the army, grew restless from bloodshed while the patrician aristocracy enjoyed the fruits of the resulting conquests. The plebeians, by now exhausted and bitter, demanded real concessions, so the tribunes Gaius Licinius Stolo and Lucius Sextius Lateranus passed a law in 367 BC (the Lex Licinia Sextia) which dealt with the economic plight of the plebeians. However, the law also required the election of at least one plebeian consul each year. The opening of the consulship to the plebeians was probably the cause behind the concession of 366 BC, in which the praetorship and curule aedile were both created, but opened only to patricians.
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