Rome was established as a republic in 509 B.C. but it was not
democratic. The aristocracy who were
called “patricians” who controlled the
Senate and as such they can hold
positions in government as well as make laws.
The commoners or “plebians” could not hold office and had no say in
government affairs. It was an uneven
society where the plebians were the ones who suffered the most. Particularly
in periods of war where the plebians could not tend to their farms and as
they fought in battle, they were the ones who had the most to lose. Due to the extreme inequality between the two classes, the plebians
revolted and this frightened the patricians who gave in to their demands which
included the right to hold office and the right to vote.
