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Patricians
In ancient Rome the Patricians were the members of the privileged class. They
were great land-owners and of a noble Latin birth. Once the Etruscans were
driven out, the patricians declared Rome a republic (a community by which people
elect their leaders). At the beginning of the republic only the patricians held
public office, whether civil or religious, and they served in the Senate. From the fourth century BC the plebeians fought for political equality
until, by the third century BC, the only offices reserved to the patricians were a
civil office and some priestly offices.
The History of Rome - Part One 743 - 136 B.C. © Bible History Online (http://www.bible-history.com) |