who formed the highest social class of republican and early imperial rome
patricians
title: Social class in Italy text: Social class in Italy Social class in Italy began early on in Ancient Rome, and this article comprises more or less how it is today. Roman society is largely viewed as hierarchical, with slaves ("servi") at the bottom, freedmen ("liberti") above them, and free-born citizens ("cives") at the top. Free citizens were themselves also divided by class. The broadest, and earliest, division was between the patricians, who could trace their ancestry to one of the 100 Patriarchs at the founding of the city, and the plebeians, who could not. This became less important in the later Republic, as some plebeian title: Social class in Italy text: of social class rank in Italy today. Social class in Italy Social class in Italy began early on in Ancient Rome, and this article comprises more or less how it is today. Roman society is largely viewed as hierarchical, with slaves ("servi") at the bottom, freedmen ("liberti") above them, and free-born citizens ("cives") at the top. Free citizens were themselves also divided by class. The broadest, and earliest, division was between the patricians, who could trace their ancestry to one of the 100 Patriarchs at the founding of the city, and the plebeians, who could not. This became less important title: Social class in ancient Rome text: Augustus reformed the senate during the first years of the Principate, he raised the property requirement to 1,000,000 "sestertii". The wealth of the senatorial class was based on ownership of large agricultural estates, and by custom members did not engage in commercial activity. Below the "senatores" in rank, but above others were the "equites" (“equestrians” or “knights”), with 400,000 "sestertii", who could engage in commerce and formed an influential business class. Certain political and quasi-political positions were filled by "equites", including tax farming and, under the Principate, leadership of the Praetorian Guard. Below the "equites" were three more classes of title: Social class in ancient Rome text: on birth. Although modern writers often portray patricians as rich and powerful families who managed to secure power over the less-fortunate plebeian families, plebeians and patricians among the senatorial class were equally wealthy. As civil rights for plebeians increased during the middle and late Roman Republic, many plebeian families had attained wealth and power while some traditionally patrician families had fallen into poverty and obscurity. The first Roman Emperor, Augustus, was of plebeian origin, as were many of his successors. By the Late Empire, few members of the Senate were from the original patrician families, most of which had died title: Social class in ancient Rome text: between the patricians and the plebeians. The patricians were a small elite whose ancestry was traced to the first Senate established by Romulus, who monopolised political power. The plebeians comprised the majority of Roman citizens (see below). Adult males who were not Roman citizens, whether free or slave, fall outside this division. Women and children were also not citizens, but took the social status of their father or husband, which granted them various rights and protections not available to the women and children of men of lower rank. The distinction between patricians and plebeians in Ancient Rome was based purely