Ap World History Dbq Essay

Words: 661
Pages: 3

During the fifth century BCE, after the deposition of king Tarquinius Superbus in 510 BCE, the plebeians endured on a struggle to gain public rights. They felt discriminated by the patricians who held economic and political power and best used the new transition process to the Republic to their benefit although the people helped in the election of the new Consuls and on the approval of laws in the Popular Assemblies. Besides the right to vote the plebeians could not apply to public offices or the senate and they were ostracized by the richer class.
Discussion
As a consequence of the war conflicts held to depose the King, the plebeians became even poorer due to the depletion of their lands and houses in the countryside and outskirts of Rome not to mention the lost lives serving in the army.
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Their action was a radical one which could jeopardy the future of Rome itself if not addressed wisely by the patricians: the plebeians decided to leave the army of Rome (494 BCE) and their desertion would imply not only the implosion of the military power but also a possible new city founded by themselves. This (first) secession pushed the patricians to make political and legal reforms to avoid the destruction of the state and they were able to address directly the basic needs of the plebeians. Morey (2009) explains that the debts of all insolvent persons “should be cancelled” and all prisoners “on account of debt should be released”. Besides legal measures the first secession precipitated also political improvements which would strengthen the ability of the plebeians not only to secure their legal benefits but also to fight for further improvements. The patricians accepted the creation of the Tribunes of the People, “to protect the plebeians from any further oppressive acts on the part of the patrician magistrate.” (Morey,