Lecture 4

When the Roman Republic was first formed (~509 BC) after the overthrow of Tarquinius the Arrogant (Superbus), it was predominantly governed by patricians - effectively aristocrats.

Over time, the working-class plebians (regular citizens) demanded more rights from the patricians. This wasn't done easily - but primarily through general strikes known as the Conflict of the Orders.

1. 494 BC, established tribunes of the plebs

• Many plebians experiencing financial hardship and indebted to patricians
• Consul Appius Claudius I decreed debtors may be imprisoned by creditors
• Plebians organize, depart Rome to neighboring Sacred Mount
• Patricians can't staff armies, nobody really in Rome.
• Patricians form tribune of the plebeians from plebeians
  • Meant to safeguard plebeians from patrician abuses
  • Plebeians collectively swear to kill anyone who harms a tribune, making them sacrosanct (despite not having a ton of power)
  • Tribunes can stop patrician magistrates by just physically standing in their way

The tribunician power was initially only negative (veto rather than enact laws themselves), citizens also have the right to appeal to the people in the event of a magistrate sentencing someone to death or greivous punishment.

2. 449 BC, ended Decemvirate

In the early republic, Roman law was initially strictly oral, passed down by the patricians. Athens did the same (before Draco).

• In 450, laws written down in the Twelve Tables. Ten patricians selected and given total authority while in office.
  • Only wrote ten tables initially.
• These patricians were called the Decemviri (or Decemvirate).
• All magistraceries (and tribunate) suspended, as well as the right to appeal the decemvirate's decisions (suspended)
• Surprisingly, the first ten wrote their tables, stepped down and all was alright.

In 449, a new decemvirate was elected to write two more tables.

• Appius Claudius II was said (by Livy) to have rigged the election in favor of himself and his cronies.
• Killed, imprisoned and fined without trial anyone who opposed them, permitting no appeals.
• After the one-year office term ended, didn't hold new elections and killed anyone who disagreed with their rule.

Enter: Verginia, daughter of Lucius Verginius, centurion in the Roman army. Appius Claudius was romantically interested in her, but V. rejected his advances, so he declared her his slave and required her return to him.

Claudius declares Verginius was the only one able to legally defend her, but was away with the army. Claudius attempted to prevent Verginius's return, but Verginius regardless manages to return. Claudius declares himself the judge of this case, refused to hear out Verginius, and demands Verginia to be delivered to him regardless.

Verginius kills his daughter to prevent her becoming a slave, declaring to Claudius "By this blood, Appius, I devote thy head to the infernal gods".

Note: this is all according to Livy, who is quite a dramatist.

Plebeians go on strike once more after hearing what happened. Senate eventually gives into them, decemvirate is abolished, tribunes restored and appeals guaranteed as the right of citizens.

3. 445 BC, repealed intermarriage prohibition

Nothing significantly notable here except for the consequence.

4. 342 BC (obscure military revolt?)

5. 287 BC, gave plebians full equality and ability to enact their own laws

• No approval required by the patricians or senate.
• By the time of the late Roman Republic and early Empire, patricians were a 'token class'.

Note: Patrician-Plebeian divide generally ends at this point, now divides are mostly based on wealth alone.