Secessions of the Plebeians: The Legacy of an Ancient Roman Class Struggle

Rome organized with unprecedented force and creativity against the patrician ruling class in what became known as the secessions of the plebeians. Their tool of choice – mass exodus of the city – marked the first recorded general strike in history.

Perhaps one of the most notable chapters of ancient Roman history is the Conflict of the Orders, a period of class struggle which lasted over two centuries, from roughly 495 to 287 BCE. Also referred to as the secessions of the plebeians – secessio plebis in Latin – the series of five mass protests and general strikes over two hundred years is remarkable for its successful organization, mobilization, and revolution of working-class people against the elite to demand both more social rights and governmental representation.

A Divided Society of Patricians and Plebeians in Ancient Rome

From its origins, the fabric of ancient Roman society was made up of two classes: patricians and plebeians. Patricians, the elite ruling class, held complete executive and legislative power, as well as the vast majority of the Roman Empire’s wealth. They typically did not work, as their status and wealth were passed down generationally. Meanwhile, the working class, called plebeians, consisted of the farmers and artisans of the Republic. They labored for meager incomes and held no representation in government. The two groups were forbidden from intermarrying, and plebeians were left with no possibility of upward mobility.

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