 The second epoch saw the reigns of the last three legendary kings . The second epoch was more consequential than was the first , which was in part due to the significant degree of territorial expansion which occurred during this period . Regardless of how true these legends were , it is likely that , as the legends suggest , a series of conquests did occur during the late monarchy . As a result of these conquests , it became necessary to determine what was to be done with the conquered people . Often , individuals whose towns had been conquered remained in those towns , while other such individuals came to Rome . To acquire legal and economic standing , these newcomers adopted a condition of dependency toward either a Patrician family , or toward the king . Eventually , the individuals who were dependents of the king were released from their state of dependency , and became the first Plebeians . As Rome grew , it needed more soldiers to continue its conquests . When the Plebeians were released from their dependency , they were released from their Curia . When this occurred , while they were no longer required to serve in the army , they also lost their political and economic standing . To bring these new Plebeians back into the army , the Patricians were forced to make concessions . While it is not known exactly what concessions were made , the fact that they were not granted any political power set the stage for what history knows as the Conflict of the Orders . 
