The ancient world, from the earliest times to 800 AD . ed for relief from the cruel laws regardingdebt, and for a share in the public lands. The leaders caredmore for equality with the patricians in the law courts andfor social equality and political office. Gradually the wholebody of the plebeians, also, began to demand these things becausethey found that whatever economic rights they won were of novalue, so long as the laws were carried out only by patrician officials. 362. Methods. — Livy (§ 334) gives a graphic story of the firstgreat clash between the classes (497 ). Probably the story
The ancient world, from the earliest times to 800 AD . ed for relief from the cruel laws regardingdebt, and for a share in the public lands. The leaders caredmore for equality with the patricians in the law courts andfor social equality and political office. Gradually the wholebody of the plebeians, also, began to demand these things becausethey found that whatever economic rights they won were of novalue, so long as the laws were carried out only by patrician officials. 362. Methods. — Livy (§ 334) gives a graphic story of the firstgreat clash between the classes (497 ). Probably the story 326 EARLY ROME, 510-367 [§362 is essentially correct. (It is given in full in Davis Readings^II, No. 9.) It may be sununed up briefly as follows : — The plebs, driven to despair by the cruelty of patrician creditors, refusedto serve in a war against the Volscians, until the consul won them overby freeing all debtors from prison. But when the army returned victo-rious, the other consul refused to recognize his collea^ues acts ; he arrested. Bridge over the Anio To-day, on the road from Rome to the ** Sacred Mount. the debtors again, and enforced the law with merciless cruelty. On arenewal of the war, the betrayed plebs again declined to fight; but finallyManius Valerius (of the great Valerian house that loves the peoplewell) was made dictator, and him they trusted. Victory again followed ;but Valerius was unable to get the consent of the Senate to his proposedchanges in the law. So the plebeian army, still in battle array outside thegates, marched away to a hill across the Anio, some three miles fromRome, where, they declared, they were going to build a Rome of their strike brought the patricians to some real concessions (§ 363), andthe plebs returned from the Sacred Mount. This story resembles that of later conflicts. Once more, atleast, during foreign war, the plebeian army struck, and on §362] CLASS STRUGGLES 327 other occasions it prepared to do so. Bet
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjecthistoryancient, booky
