Who were the patricians and the plebeians in the Roman Republic?
The term patrician (Latin: patricius, Greek: πατρίκιος) originally referred to a group of elite citizens in ancient Rome, including both their natural and adopted members. In the late Roman Empire, the class was broadened to include high council officials, and after the fall of the Western Empire it remained a high honorary title in the Byzantine Empire. The Plebs was the general body of Roman citizens (as distinguished from slaves) in Ancient Rome. They were distinct from the higher order of the patricians. A member of the plebs was known as a plebeian (Latin: plebeius). The term is used more commonly today to refer to one who is in the middle or lower order, or who appears to be; however, in Rome, plebeians could become quite wealthy and influential.
