ed ▁any ▁real ▁political ▁power , ▁had ▁become ▁exha usted ▁and ▁bitter . ▁In ▁ 3 3 9 ▁BC ▁they ▁facil itated ▁the ▁passage ▁of ▁a ▁law ▁( the ▁lex ▁Pub l ilia ), ▁which ▁brought ▁the ▁Conf lict ▁of ▁the ▁Or ders ▁closer ▁to ▁a ▁conclusion . ▁Before ▁this ▁time , ▁a ▁bill ▁passed ▁by ▁any ▁assembly ▁could ▁become ▁law ▁only ▁after ▁the ▁pat ric ian ▁sen ators ▁gave ▁their ▁appro val , ▁which ▁came ▁in ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁a ▁dec ree ▁called ▁the ▁au ctor itas ▁pat rum ▁(" author ity ▁of ▁the ▁f athers " ▁or ▁" author ity ▁of ▁the ▁pat ric ian ▁sen ators "). ▁The ▁lex ▁Pub l ilia ▁required ▁the ▁au ctor itas ▁pat rum ▁to ▁be ▁passed ▁before ▁a ▁law ▁could ▁be ▁voted ▁on ▁by ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁assemb lies , ▁rather ▁than ▁after ward . ▁This ▁modification ▁seems ▁to ▁have ▁made ▁the ▁au ctor itas ▁pat rum ▁irrelevant . ▁Thus , ▁the ▁Ple be ian ▁Council ▁became ▁independent ▁of ▁the ▁pat ric ian ▁arist ocracy ▁in ▁everything ▁but ▁name . ▁ ▁By ▁ 2 8 7 ▁BC , ▁the ▁economic ▁condition ▁of ▁the ▁average ▁ple be ian ▁had ▁d eter ior ated ▁further . ▁The ▁problem ▁appears ▁to ▁have ▁centered ▁on ▁w ides p read ▁inde bt ed ness . ▁The ▁ple be ians ▁demanded ▁relief , ▁but ▁the ▁sen ators , ▁most ▁of ▁whom ▁belonged ▁to ▁the ▁cred itor ▁class , ▁refused ▁to ▁ab ide ▁by ▁the ▁ple be ians ' ▁dem ands