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Patricians

  • The patricians were the wealthy noble families who ruled Rome.
  • Patricians served in the Senate, were military generals and governors of Rom's provinces.
  • Men wore a toga which was a long white robe draped over the shoulder and down to the feet.
  • Women wore a stola which was a long dress.
  • A patrician house in a town was called a domus and in the countryside was a villa.

Plebeians

  • The plebeians were the poor, who made up the vast majority of the population.
  • They farmed, worked in trades and served in the army.
  • Plebeian men wore a tunic to their knees and women wore a plain stola.
  • They were given a dole payment of free grain so that they would support the rule of the patricians.
  • Most plebeians lived in apartment blocks called insulae.
  • The higher up you went in an insulae the smaller the rooms would get.