Plebs

The plebeian (Latin plebs ' amount people " ) were in the Roman republic, the common people, not the old aristocracy, the patricians (Latin patres " fathers, ancestors " ) belonged. It consisted mainly of peasants and artisans. They were considered Romans and stood by the stands fighting (about 500-287 BC) under the protection of Roman law. They must be distinguished from the slaves who temporarily accounted for two-thirds of the Roman population.

Historical Development

In the year 494 BC the plebeians went on strike for the first time for more rights ( secessio plebis ), and in 449 BC it came to the second excerpt of the plebs of the city of Rome, 445 BC, they were the right granted the right to marry patricians (lex Canuleia ). As a result, ( 367 BC ), the plebeians to build their own structures ( the People's Assembly and the new magistracies of the tribune and the plebeian Ädils ). All these concessions were enforced plebis with the pressure medium of Secessio.

The stalls conflict was solved 287 BC. Back then put the plebeian dictator Quintus Hortensius, a law by which made the decisions of the National Assembly not only for the plebeians, but for all Roman citizens binding (lex Hortensia ). As clientele the plebeians were subject to a patron.

At the time of the late Republic, the meaning of the word shifted plebs. The term is now served the social differentiation of all citizens under the Senators and knighthood. It was between urban (which only applies to the city of Rome applies ) plebeians, plebs urbana of, and the rural, the plebs rustica, distinguished. Here, the plebs urbana special importance came to, as only they could participate due to their local residency at the popular assemblies and thus in the election of magistrates. This meant that she was courted by politicians Populares by grain allocations, and the like. Furthermore, it was the plebs urbana also "physical" cause damage ( in the form of mass demonstrations and riots ). It is debatable to what extent they can be evaluated as an independent political factor or only as " pawn " of popular politicians.

Change in meaning

The word plebs has experienced a meaning extension. It means today also generally " much people", particularly pejorative " simple people" or " uneducated masses". Correspondingly, plebeian without historical context " uneducated, vulgar, vulgar ". In the same importance ratio, the words proletarians ( historical term ) and are prole ( derogatory term ).

In contrast to the historical significance ( the plebs ) varies with the generalized meaning of the genus: the plebs, more rarely the plebs.

Etymology

Latin plebs is related to Latin plere "fill" and Plenus "full".

The German word mob is not directly related to plebs. It goes over Old French poble " servants 'common people ' back to the Latin populus " people. " Probably populus belongs to the same Indo-European word clan as plebs and Plenus - and also the same important German words folk and full. Thus, there is probably a common Urverwandtschaft - with the basic meaning " full" or " many".