Definition of Plebe (Commoner)

The word plebe can be understood in three senses different: 1) as a synonym for social class popular, 2) the lowest social layer in the Middle Ages and 3) the social class formed by the majority of citizens integrated in ancient Rome.

The popular classes

In most societies, individuals are within a social class. In this sense, we use terms such as poor, rich, and middle class. To refer to the most humble we sometimes use the term common people. It is often used in a pejorative sense, as is the case with the word vulgar.

The mob in the Middle Ages

In the feudal system of the Middle Ages, society was stratified. At the top of the social pyramid were members of the clergy and nobility. At an intermediate level were the feudal lords and warriors.

The members of the social classes who held power belonged to the clergy, the nobility or the army and all of them had certain social privileges. At the base of the pyramid was most of the population, that is to say, the plebs. The plebs were made up of peasants, artisans and slaves and lacked most of the privileges.

In ancient rome

In Roman society the dominant social class consisted of the patricians, who were the members of wealthiest families who could occupy political positions and, at the same time, they were those who owned the land.

In the traditioncultural of the Romans it was said that the patricians were the descendants of the founders of Rome. The people who made up this group were free and had rights. Below the patricians were the commoners (from which the term commoners comes), who were the peasants, small owners, artisans or merchants.

Commoners were free citizens but did not have certain rights (for example, they could not hold public office). On several occasions the commoners rose up, claiming the same rights as the patricians.

In the V century a. C managed to have a representative in the institutions and said representative received the name of tribune of the plebs. The commoners were not the citizens of inferior rank, since below them were the slaves, usually prisoners of war or children of other slaves (the slaves lacked Liberty and of rights and they were property of their owner and with the passage of time it was allowed that they could buy their own freedom and thus become freed).

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