In the times where there were still Etruscan Kings ruling Rome before the times of the republic, and even after, society was divided by two classes known as patricians and plebeians.
Patricians were wealthy landowners. They owned large estates and slaves, and enjoyed large, excessive dinner aprties like their Etruscan predecessors.
The Plebeians were the opposite. They did all the work and pretty much were the basis of the economy. Sometimes, they were able to become rich, but were never able to marry into a higher class.
Their similarity is that they were both free - not necessarily free men, and were not slaves.
They were<span> sometimes just called plebs. The </span>patricians were<span> the upper class. They </span>were<span> the </span>wealthy<span>land owners. All free adult males </span>were<span> citizens, no matter what their class. In </span>both<span> classes, the oldest male was the paterfamilias or head of the </span>family. Old age was honored, and women had no rights. If youcould<span> afford them, ...</span>
