First secessio plebis

The first secessio plebis was a significant event in ancient Roman political and social history that occurred between 495 and 493 BC.

In the place of the kings, the city-state was governed by two consuls, elected annually and serving in office for twelve months.

In 495 BC, shortly after the significant Roman victory over the Latins at the Battle of Lake Regillus, rumours had reached Rome of the threat of war from the Volsci.

A Roman army under the consul Publius Servilius Priscus Structus entered and then returned from the Volscian lands, seemingly having averted war without shedding any blood.

[3] Upon the army's return from war, the people of Rome began to complain about the terrors to which they were subject on account of debt.

His clothes were dirty, his body pale and thin, and he bore also a long beard and hair which gave him an impression of wildness.

Then he told them how he had come to such a state: that whilst serving in war against the Sabines the enemy had ravaged his rural property, burnt his house, pillaged his possessions and stolen his cattle.

Debtors from around the city hurried into the streets and implored the people for protection, and a great crowd gathered in the forum.

[4] The consuls Servilius and Appius Claudius Sabinus Regillensis attended the Forum, and the people demanded that the Senate be convened.

Some Latin horsemen arrived in Rome to announce that a Volscian army had invaded their territories, and requested Roman assistance.

Servilius proceeded to the assembly, and advised the people that the Senate had been giving consideration to measures to alleviate the public concerns, but had been interrupted by news of the invasion.

Further, he announced an edict that no Roman citizen should be detained, either in chains or in prison, from enrolling to fight, and that no soldier should, whilst serving in the army, have his goods seized or sold, nor his children or grandchildren arrested.

Immediately the debtors who had been under arrest were released, and enrolled their names and, following them, crowds of the Roman people congregated in the Forum to take the military oath.

[6] The troops returned to Rome, and the people anticipated the consuls and the Senate taking steps to address the popular concerns relating to debt.

However, the situation was inflamed by the consul Appius who acted contrary to popular expectations by issuing severe decrees regarding debt, with the effect that debtors who had previously been released from imprisonment were delivered back to their creditors, and further persons were taken into custody.

The people, in order to spite the Senate and the consuls, instead awarded the honour to the senior military officer of one of the legions named Marcus Laetorius.

[7] Beginning in March 494 BC, the elected consuls were Aulus Verginius Tricostus Caeliomontanus and Titus Veturius Geminus Cicurinus.

The consul of the previous year, Appius Claudius, said that the people's licentiousness and lack of fear of the consequences of their behaviour came from their right of appeal to the popular assembly.

On the other hand Titus Larcius advocated that measures should be put in place for the relief of the debt issues which had given rise to the people's complaints.

As a middle ground, another senator Publius Virginius (it is unclear whether he was related to the consul) proposed that the relief suggested by Larcius should only be extended to those persons who served in the army in the recent wars against the Aurunci and the Sabines.

[10][11] The dictator led his troops against the Sabine army and won a great victory, only exceeded at this time by the battle of Lake Regillus in its renown, and celebrated a triumph as a result.

He proposed to wait; however, his troops complained that they desired to return to Rome because of the ongoing political and social unrest, and forced the consul to launch an attack.

They sent the former consul Agrippa Menenius Lanatus as an envoy, on account of his eloquence and also because of his popularity which was due, Livy says, to his being descended from plebeians (although precisely what is meant by this is unclear).

[12] At the request of Menenius the plebeians sent three envoys to conclude a treaty with the Senate; Marcus Decius, Spurius Icilius and Lucius Junius Brutus.

[13] The resolution that was agreed to provided for the appointment of a new class of magistrates, called tribunes, elected from amongst the plebeians and designed to represent their interests against the power of the patrician consuls.

An even greater amount of grain was imported the following year from Sicily, and the question of how it should be distributed amongst the Roman citizens, together with tensions arising from the secession, led to the exile and defection of Gaius Marcius Coriolanus after he unsuccessfully advocated the reversal of the reforms which arose from the secession, including the creation of the office of the tribunes.