the 25th year of age—except for thirty who were chosen by lot on the day of St. Barbara, and were allowed to become members already at 20. In 1323, membership was restricted only to men with ancestors who had held high office, effectively making it hereditary. Regardless of their previous patrician or common origins, the now permanent and hereditary members of the Great Council henceforth constituted the nobility of Venice. This new ruling class numbered almost 200 families and monopolized the higher levels of power in the Republic. Deserving men who distinguished themselves were still admitted in later years, but this was a very rare occasion. To provide for social mobility for ambitious families of wealth and distinction, a new class, the 'citizens' () was instituted as a middle class between the closed nobility and the broad mass of the common people (the ). Traditional historiography has lamented the as "the death of the Venetian republican system and the birth of a closed oligarchy", but in actual fact, the effects of these reforms were broadly beneficial, and spared Venice the bitter factional rivalries that consumed the other Italian cities. Unlike the volatile general assembly of the people, the Great Council members were guaranteed a share in power and thus less easy to manipulate. The relatively large number of families participating in this oligarchic elite was also a peculiar feature of the Venetian state, making it both more representative, and ensuring that any rivalry between two families could be kept in check, and did not affect the nobility as a whole. From the 14th century to the fall of the Republic For the remainder of the Republic's history, the Great Council was the supreme body of the state, replacing the virtually defunct , which was formally abolished in 1423. The Great Council retained its legislative authority, but many of its powers were delegated to other, smaller bodies, more capable of action. Soon, however, most of the chief functions of government, such as nominating military commanders or receiving ambassadors, were taken over by the Senate. Over the 15th and 16th centuries, the Senate also became the de facto legislative body, with, the Great Council reduced to discussing or approving measures already decided upon in the Senate, but it retained its judicial power and the authority to elect officials. The rules of admission to the Great Council were further elaborated over time. Men