Final answer:
The patricians were Romans of high rank or wealth, and the plebeians were common citizens. The correct answer is a) Patricians; Plebeians. Over time, both groups saw a shift in societal roles, with plebeians gaining more rights and the ability to hold public office.
Step-by-step explanation:
The patricians were Romans of great rank or wealth, while the plebeians were common Roman citizens. Therefore, the correct answer is a) Patricians; Plebeians. Patricians, descending from the first Senate under Romulus, originally held the power to occupy public offices and sit in the Senate. Initially, only they could serve in public office. In contrast, the plebeians comprised the majority of the Roman populace, including well-off commoners who, over time, fought through the Struggle of the Orders to achieve legal equality and the opportunity to hold public office and enact laws.
By the Late Republic, notable plebeians could rise to elite statuses, such as the plebeian-born Octavian who eventually became the first emperor. This diminishing difference between patricians and plebeians over time indicated a shift towards a more inclusive, although still elite-dominated, Roman society.