Plebs
Encyclopedia
The plebs was the general body of free land-owning
Roman citizens (as distinguished from slaves and the capite censi
) in Ancient Rome
. They were distinct from the higher order of the patricians. A member of the plebs was known as a plebeian (icon; ). This term is used today to refer to one who is or appears to be of the middle or lower order; however, in Rome plebeians could become quite wealthy and influential. In fact, Nero, an Emperor of Rome, was born a "pleb". His success was not uncommon and approximately 30% of Roman Emperors were "plebs".
In Latin the word plebs is a singular
collective noun, and its genitive is plebis.
The origin of the separation into orders is unclear, and it is disputed whether the Romans were divided under the early kings into patricians and plebeians, or whether the clientes (or dependents) of the patricians formed a third group. The nineteenth century historian Barthold Georg Niebuhr
held that plebeians began to appear at Rome during the reign of Ancus Marcius
, possibly foreigners settling in Rome as naturalized citizens. In any case, at the outset of the Roman Republic
, plebeians were excluded from magistracies and religious colleges. Later on, after a general strike by the plebeians, the law of the Twelve Tables
was promulgated, and Tabula XI explicitly forbade intermarriage (which was eventually reversed by the Lex Canuleia
). However, before the Twelve Tablets plebeians were forbidden to know any laws, but were still punished for breaking them. Despite these inequalities, plebeians still belonged to gentes
, served in the army, but very rarely became military leaders.
Even so, the "Conflict of the Orders
" over the political status of the plebeians went on for the first two centuries of the Republic, ending with the formal equality of plebeians and patricians in 287 BC
. The plebeians achieved this by developing their own organizations (the concilium plebis), leaders (the tribune
s and plebeian aedile
s). When the plebeians felt the situation had become dire, they would instigate a secessio plebis, a sort of general strike where plebeians would literally leave Rome, leaving the patricians to themselves.
, in Dutch it is plebs; a derogatory term for someone thought of as inferior, common or ignorant. The term is somewhat, though not always, synonymous with prole
.
Plebes may refer to freshmen
at the U.S. Military Academy
, U.S. Naval Academy
, Valley Forge Military Academy, the Marine Military Academy
, the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy
, Georgia Military College
, California Maritime Academy
and the Philippine Military Academy.
Land tenure
Land tenure is the name given, particularly in common law systems, to the legal regime in which land is owned by an individual, who is said to "hold" the land . The sovereign monarch, known as The Crown, held land in its own right. All private owners are either its tenants or sub-tenants...
Roman citizens (as distinguished from slaves and the capite censi
Capite censi
Capite censi were literally, in Latin, "those counted by head" in the ancient Roman census. Also known as "the head count", the term was used to refer to the lowest class of citizens, people not of the nobility or middle classes, owning little or no property...
) in Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
. They were distinct from the higher order of the patricians. A member of the plebs was known as a plebeian (icon; ). This term is used today to refer to one who is or appears to be of the middle or lower order; however, in Rome plebeians could become quite wealthy and influential. In fact, Nero, an Emperor of Rome, was born a "pleb". His success was not uncommon and approximately 30% of Roman Emperors were "plebs".
In Latin the word plebs is a singular
Grammatical number
In linguistics, grammatical number is a grammatical category of nouns, pronouns, and adjective and verb agreement that expresses count distinctions ....
collective noun, and its genitive is plebis.
The origin of the separation into orders is unclear, and it is disputed whether the Romans were divided under the early kings into patricians and plebeians, or whether the clientes (or dependents) of the patricians formed a third group. The nineteenth century historian Barthold Georg Niebuhr
Barthold Georg Niebuhr
Barthold Georg Niebuhr was a Danish-German statesman and historian who became Germany's leading historian of Ancient Rome and a founding father of modern scholarly historiography. Classical Rome caught the admiration of German thinkers...
held that plebeians began to appear at Rome during the reign of Ancus Marcius
Ancus Marcius
Ancus Marcius was the legendary fourth of the Kings of Rome.He was the son of Marcius and Pompilia...
, possibly foreigners settling in Rome as naturalized citizens. In any case, at the outset of the Roman Republic
Roman Republic
The Roman Republic was the period of the ancient Roman civilization where the government operated as a republic. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, traditionally dated around 508 BC, and its replacement by a government headed by two consuls, elected annually by the citizens and...
, plebeians were excluded from magistracies and religious colleges. Later on, after a general strike by the plebeians, the law of the Twelve Tables
Twelve Tables
The Law of the Twelve Tables was the ancient legislation that stood at the foundation of Roman law. The Law of the Twelve Tables formed the centrepiece of the constitution of the Roman Republic and the core of the mos maiorum...
was promulgated, and Tabula XI explicitly forbade intermarriage (which was eventually reversed by the Lex Canuleia
Lex Canuleia
The Lex Canuleia is a law of the Roman Republic passed in the year 445 BC. Named after the tribune Gaius Canuleius, who proposed it, it abolished a corresponding prohibition in the Twelve Tables and allowed marriage between patricians and plebeians, with children inheriting the father's social status...
). However, before the Twelve Tablets plebeians were forbidden to know any laws, but were still punished for breaking them. Despite these inequalities, plebeians still belonged to gentes
Gens
In ancient Rome, a gens , plural gentes, referred to a family, consisting of all those individuals who shared the same nomen and claimed descent from a common ancestor. A branch of a gens was called a stirps . The gens was an important social structure at Rome and throughout Italy during the...
, served in the army, but very rarely became military leaders.
Even so, the "Conflict of the Orders
Conflict of the Orders
The Conflict of the Orders, also referred to as the Struggle of the Orders, was a political struggle between the Plebeians and Patricians of the ancient Roman Republic, in which the Plebeians sought political equality with the Patricians. It played a major role in the development of the...
" over the political status of the plebeians went on for the first two centuries of the Republic, ending with the formal equality of plebeians and patricians in 287 BC
287 BC
Year 287 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Marcellus and Rutilus...
. The plebeians achieved this by developing their own organizations (the concilium plebis), leaders (the tribune
Tribune
Tribune was a title shared by elected officials in the Roman Republic. Tribunes had the power to convene the Plebeian Council and to act as its president, which also gave them the right to propose legislation before it. They were sacrosanct, in the sense that any assault on their person was...
s and plebeian aedile
Aedile
Aedile was an office of the Roman Republic. Based in Rome, the aediles were responsible for maintenance of public buildings and regulation of public festivals. They also had powers to enforce public order. There were two pairs of aediles. Two aediles were from the ranks of plebeians and the other...
s). When the plebeians felt the situation had become dire, they would instigate a secessio plebis, a sort of general strike where plebeians would literally leave Rome, leaving the patricians to themselves.
Modern usage
In Great Britain, Canada, France, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South African English pleb is a back-formationBack-formation
In etymology, back-formation is the process of creating a new lexeme, usually by removing actual or supposed affixes. The resulting neologism is called a back-formation, a term coined by James Murray in 1889...
, in Dutch it is plebs; a derogatory term for someone thought of as inferior, common or ignorant. The term is somewhat, though not always, synonymous with prole
Proletariat
The proletariat is a term used to identify a lower social class, usually the working class; a member of such a class is proletarian...
.
Use in education
Early public schools in the United Kingdom would enrol pupils as "plebians" as opposed to sons of gentry and aristocrats.Plebes may refer to freshmen
Freshman
A freshman or fresher is a first-year student in secondary school, high school, or college. The term first year can also be used as a noun, to describe the students themselves A freshman (US) or fresher (UK, India) (or sometimes fish, freshie, fresher; slang plural frosh or freshmeat) is a...
at the U.S. Military Academy
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
, U.S. Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
, Valley Forge Military Academy, the Marine Military Academy
Marine Military Academy
The Marine Military Academy is a private college preparatory academy located in Harlingen, Texas, offering a college preparatory curriculum for boys in grades 8–12 plus one-year of post-graduate study. The school was founded in 1965...
, the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy
United States Merchant Marine Academy
The United States Merchant Marine Academy is one of the five United States Service academies...
, Georgia Military College
Georgia Military College
Georgia Military College is a United States Military Junior College, high school, and middle school in Milledgeville, Georgia. GMC is one of five military junior colleges that participates in the Army's Early Commissioning Program. Cadets who graduate from GMC's two-year, military science-oriented...
, California Maritime Academy
California Maritime Academy
The California Maritime Academy is one of 23 campuses in the California State University system and is one of only seven degree-granting maritime academies in the United States...
and the Philippine Military Academy.
See also
- Bread and circusesBread and circuses"Bread and Circuses" is a metaphor for a superficial means of appeasement...
- Patrician
- Roman RepublicRoman RepublicThe Roman Republic was the period of the ancient Roman civilization where the government operated as a republic. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, traditionally dated around 508 BC, and its replacement by a government headed by two consuls, elected annually by the citizens and...
- Plebeian CouncilPlebeian CouncilThe Concilium Plebis — known in English as the Plebeian Council or People's Assembly — was the principal popular assembly of the ancient Roman Republic. It functioned as a legislative assembly, through which the plebeians could pass laws, elect magistrates, and try judicial cases. The Plebeian...
- Plebe SummerPlebe summerPlebe Summer is the summer training program which is required of all incoming freshmen to the United States Naval Academy. The program lasts approximately 6 weeks and consists of rigorous physical and mental training...
- Capite censiCapite censiCapite censi were literally, in Latin, "those counted by head" in the ancient Roman census. Also known as "the head count", the term was used to refer to the lowest class of citizens, people not of the nobility or middle classes, owning little or no property...