Plebs -

: The majority of the population, ranging from wealthy landowners and merchants to the "middling poor" and laborers. Though free citizens, they initially lacked political clout and were subject to harsh debt laws. 2. The Conflict of the Orders

: A minority of aristocratic, politically powerful families who initially held exclusive rights to religious and political offices. : The majority of the population, ranging from

: Their daily food was simple, consisting of sausages, snail soup, cabbage, and grain-based porridges, contrasting sharply with the elaborate banquets of the elite. The Conflict of the Orders : A minority

Between the 5th and 3rd centuries BC, the plebs engaged in a centuries-long struggle for political equality. In early Rome, the population was divided into

In early Rome, the population was divided into two main hereditary groups:

: To gain leverage, the plebeians used a tactic similar to a modern general strike, where they would abandon the city en masse. This forced the patricians to negotiate, as the plebs provided the essential labor, food, and military manpower for Rome.