Historiae Romanorum

Patricians

In Rome, these were the members of the aristocratic ruling class.  Their name is derived from the Latin word for "father", since members of the Senate were often called patres.  The patrician class was itself then subdivided into many different families.  These families were in turn divided into the greater (i.e. older) and lesser (i.e. newer) categories.

In early Rome, there were many patrician families, but as the Republic continued on, their numbers dwindled.  By the time of Julius Caesar, only 14 families remained.

Source(s):

1. Livy.  Ab Urbe Condita.

This page was last updated on July 21, 2004.