Quotes About Plebeians

After being the jealous custodians of the 'auspices', the patricians had had to share them with the plebeians. In 304 BC, the aedile Cn. Flavius made public the 'Fasti' or pontifical calendar and the secrets of civil law, which were linked with religion. Correspondingly, around 300 BC, the Ogulnian law granted the plebeians access to the augurship and priesthood.

Of the twelve minor flamines, whose recruitment was open to plebeians, we know only those of Vulcan, Volturnus, Palatua (the local goddess of the Palatine), Furrina (another local goddess, but of a sacred wood on the Janiculum), Flora, Carmenta (the 'Prophetess'), Portunus, Falacer (?) and Pomona.

Si la clase media sirve para algo es para trabajar y pagar impuestos, con los que podamos sobornar a la plebe de Roma y tenerla contenta y mantenerla dócil. Es cierto que los plebeyos de Roma son como animales, pero son muchos y necesitamos sus votos para alcanzar el poder. Que la clase media nos sirva hasta el final, porque los nuevos ciudadanos no piensan mas que en trabajo.

Of central importance to Machiavelli's understanding of the Roman constitution's development is the fact that the plebeians earn a full place of prominence in the Roman Republic. Neither political founders nor political philosophers had hitherto ever intentionally or explicitly granted the common people such a place.

Per i patrizi repubblicani degli Stati Uniti, profondamente diffidenti verso la plebaglia e la democrazia, l'esito della Rivoluzione francese confermava che la democrazia dei plebei conduce alla tirannia del demagogo. «I

Historians of the sentimental school have sometimes regretted that royalty became absolute, while at the same time rejoicing that it installed plebeians in office. They deceive themselves. Royalty exalted plebeians just because it aimed at becoming absolute; it became absolute because it had exalted plebeians.

The concept that flourished during the most glorious periods of republican Rome and that appeared in the Twelve Tables of the Law as one of the first, though as yet imperfect, affirmations of the rights of man, inspired the struggle between patricians and plebeians.

It turned out to be a lesson for the patricians – learned the hard way – that the gods communicated with plebeians too.