Many of the plebeians were rich and of ancient family.
The only difference was that they were descended from a great family
of some conquered Latin city, while the patricians were the scions of
an old family in the conquering city.
=Tribunes of the Plebs.=--One day, says the legend, the plebeians,
finding themselves mistreated, withdrew under arms to a mountain,
determined to break with the Roman people. The patricians in
consternation sent to them Menenius Agrippa who told them the fable of
the members and the stomach. The plebs consented to return but they
made a treaty with the people. It was agreed that their chiefs (they
called them tribunes of the plebs) should have the right of protecting
the plebeians against the magistrates of the people and of prohibiting
any measure against them. All that was necessary was to pronounce the
word "Veto" (I forbid); this single word stopped everything; for
religion prevented attacks on a tribune under penalty of being devoted
to the infernal gods.
=Triumph of the Plebs.=--The strife between the two orders beginning
at the end of the fifth century continued for two centuries (494 B.
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