Patrician

A patrician (of Latin Lord's Prayer , the father), is a Roman citizen which belongs, from his birth, with the higher class (nobility), enjoying many prerogatives. The class of the patricians opposed that of the Plébéien S .

According to the ancient Roman tradition, the patricians of origin go down from the hundred families, the people, present at the Fondation of Rome, whose chiefs, named shepherds , were chosen by Romulus and its successors to form the Sénat.

For example, Jules César goes down from the people Julia. People includes/understands several branches, families, with at their head a Lord's Prayer familias which reigns as an absolute master on all the members of the " familia" (woman, children, servants). The patricians would be descendants of the companions of Romulus. Actually, the patricians are undoubtedly the actors of the revolution of -510. At the beginning of the Republic, the patricians dominate.

The descendants of these first senators preserved the name of patricians , even without being senators. Other powerful families settled in Rome, with the row of patricians, the such Claudii towards 504 av. J. - C.. Little by little, the patricians families disappear, a new aristocracy, called Nobilitas sets up themselves.

Patricians and plebeian

The patricians enjoyed many privileges: a long time they were only acceptable with the first magistratures, and they married only between them. Inequality between patricians and plebeian were born from the perpetual arguments which ensanglantèrent the young person Roman République: they ended in:

  • the creation of magistrates charged to defend the interests of plebeian, the powerful orators of the plebs,
  • by the institution of the marriages mixed between patricians and plebeian,
  • by the admission of plebeian with the magistratures and offices up to that point reserved to the only patricians.

In spite of the hostility of the two groups, there existed between them certain bonds: the patricians granted their protection to those of plebeian which claimed it. Those, which one then indicated under the name of customers, had in their turn being always ready to devote itself for their owners.

Majorum and Minorum gentium

There were in Rome three creations of Patricians:

  • the first, at the time of the foundation of the city,
  • the second, during the admission of the Sabins of Tatius,
  • the third, under Tullus Hostilius, which transported the Albains to Rome.

The Patricians of 1st and creations were known as Majorum gentium , those of the 3rd Minorum gentium .

The patricians families of the Roman Republic died out little by little, in spite of the adoptions. It appears that at the 4th century of the empire, there was not any more only one.

Survival in Italy

One can note that the denomination still remains like titrates of nobility in Italy (Patrizio).

With the Middle Ages in the Italian cities, Patricien designates the members of the group of the citizens to which them richness (often of mercantile origin), their origin or their alliances gives a particular authority. They are the Masters of the communal institutions. The patricians all are not noble and all the noble ones are not patricians.

See too

Internal bonds

Source

  • Antoine Pérez, the Roman company: Origins at the end of the High-Empire . Paris: Ellipses, 2002,190 p.
  • medieval Lexicon.

Simple: Patrician

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