Early Roman Republic, Conflict of the Orders, (485-287 BC): Introduction

Early in the fifth century BC commoners held no political offices and little representation in the government. Moreover, as small-scale farmers their lives were difficult enough, but they were also subject to periods of service in the Roman army for which they did not at that time receive pay. Many of them, under this double burden, fell into debt and became vulnerable to the debt laws, which allowed the debtor in default of his loan to be sold into slavery or even killed by his creditor.

A debtor could seek the help and protection of a patron, and no doubt this helped many of them avoid starvation, but it also strengthened still further the power of the nobles. To the plebeians it seemed that with the expulsion of the monarchy they had exchanged one king for a host of others.

Sometimes their misery was exacerbated by a shortage of food. In the early fifth century BC famines were so severe that the government had to import corn from Cumae (492 BC) and from Sicily (488 BC). In 485 BC Spurius ⁰¹Cassius Viscellinus (fl.504-485 BC), one of the most distinguished men of the early republic, proposed to redistribute the land from the ager publicus (‘public land’). He was accused of aiming at regal power and put to death by the patricians.

In 456 BC the tribune LuciusIcilius (fl.456-451 BC) proposed and carried the lex Icilia by which the public lands of Aventine were officially conferred upon the plebeians, who henceforth began to cover its height with houses. At this time also, the Aventine was included for the first time within the pomerium.During a severe famine, Spurius Maelius (d.439 BC) bought up a large amount of wheat and sold it at a low price to the people of Rome. The patrician praefectus annonae (president of the food supply), Lucius ⁰²Minucius Augurinus, accused him of collecting arms and holding secret meetings at which plans were being formed to establish a monarchy. He was summoned to appear before the dictator Lucius ⁰³Quinctius Cincinnatus (89; fl.460-430 BC), but refused to attend and was slain by the master of the cavalry, Gaius ⁰¹Servilius Ahala. Maelius’ house was razed to the ground, his wheat distributed amongst the people, and his property confiscated.