Nobiles

As nobility ( nobilitas of latin, celebrity ') is in research, the leadership of the middle and late Roman Republic and the Principate referred, which emerged after the completion of the "estates fights ". As nobilis (plural: nobiles ) designated the Romans themselves a family member of that aristocracy which had reached by public office notoriety.

The plebeians had after long discussions, which lasted until 287 BC, with the Lex Ogulnia (probably 300 BC, access to the main priest offices ) and with the Lex Hortensia (287 BC) the full political equality reached in Rome. Patrician and plebeian those families that reached the highest offices of state, now formed the patrician - plebeian nobility of officials, the nobility.

Usually referred to as the nobility, the members of the senatorial aristocracy who had at least a consul or censor among their ancestors ( as Matthias Gelzer and in its result, the majority of today's historian ). Although other definitions go from any curule magistrates among the ancestors; this view is mainly due to Theodor Mommsen and is still divided by a few researchers. But at least in the late Republic and the Principate were most probably only direct descendants -been consuls nobiles. But there was never fixed rules: An exact definition of who belonged to the nobiles, can not give up because descent alone in Roman society never enough to justify social status; the individual performances were at least as important ( see below). The descendants of a consul could thus quite sink into insignificance when they failed to prove themselves in the service of the state. In addition, the modern research suggests that social groups are never defined exactly. So can most likely say that the politically active descendants of consuls were considered nobiles, but that there were exceptions to this rule never officially formulated.

The nobility was not formally a hereditary aristocracy and no legally defined group, at least not until the end of the res publica libera. The members of the nobility was followed by a private aristocratic Code of Conduct which to multiply among others, through the efforts, fame and honor of their own assets through service to the res publica, embossed. For a young nobilis it was almost a matter of course, to pursue a career as a senator ( until entry into the Senate were also the young nobiles formally only knight - equites - this only changed Augustus ). How great was the influence of the nobility within the Roman Republic, is in the recent controversial research - to the extreme position, Rome was a democracy at this time basically by no means dominated by a small oligarchy ( Fergus Millar ). However, the majority of researchers assume that there is actually the nobility was nevertheless that the specific policy in Rome, even if the influence of the remaining citizens de jure was significant. The aim was to repeatedly demonstrate consensus and to assure the people of their importance, while the political participation of ordinary Roman citizens has been very low in fact. This is called " ritualized politics " ( Egon Flaig ).

Like any aristocracy was also the Roman always characterized by competition. It was that other nobiles to outdo. Especially after the defeat of Hannibal this rivalry escalated on the 2nd and 1st century more and more. It was not least this competition, which eventually zunichtemachte the class solidarity of many ancient historian 's view, by particularly successful nobiles like Sulla, Pompey and Caesar blew the frame completely and ultimately destroyed the system.

In the late Republic, many members of the nobility were roughly divided into two groups: the Optimates and the Populares. These were not parties in the modern sense; they differed less in their aims as in their methods. The Optimates were based in the realization of their political projects in the Senate, where they controlled the majorities. They were so unlike the populares, who were also nobiles their goals but with the help, of the plebs wanted to, enforce the people, because they found no majority among their peers in the Senate. The conflict between Optimates and Populares is understood in modern research as an expression of the escalating rivalry within the nobility, with just the richest and most powerful protagonists were caught in a contrast to the Senate majority and therefore served of popular method.

A direct ascent of a non- senator in the nobility, long time not uncommon succeeded in the late Republic, only a few novi homines ( " new men "), as Cicero. Around this time dominated a group of about 30 aristocratic families ( such as the Claudii, the Cornelii, the Licinii, the Caecilii, the Metelli or the Julii ) the res publica. In the civil wars of the Senate majority finally succumbed ambitious individuals like Caesar and Octavian.

But even after the end of the free res publica and the establishment of the monarchy under Augustus presented the nobility still for centuries the political, economic and social elite of the Roman Empire dar. During the " kingdom crisis of the 3rd century " took its political significance then still further, but basically went the Western Roman senatorial aristocracy until the late late antiquity, after the Gotenkriegen of the 6th century, under. Nobilis remained until this time the name of a Roman aristocrat. Most of the old republican nobility, however, were already extinct around 200 AD - when later families like the Anicii on older roots invoked, this was probably only a fiction that was at best justified by adoptions.