Question

Which accurately describes characteristics of Rome’s social classes?

A. The patricians were wealthy landowners, while the plebeians were common citizens.
B. The equites were members of the Senate, while the proletarii were slaves.
C. The optimates were supporters of the people, while the populares were aristocrats.
D. The senatorial class was composed of merchants, while the equestrian class held political power.

Answer 1

Rome's social classes included patricians, equites, plebeians, and slaves. Patricians were the ruling aristocrats, equites formed the wealthy business class, and plebeians were common citizens who over time gained more rights and some political power.

Step-by-step explanation:

The social classes of Rome can be characterized by a division into four major categories: patricians, equites (equestrians or knights), plebeians, and slaves.

All categories except slaves were considered citizens of Rome. The patricians were the aristocratic class, holding the most prestigious positions such as senators and magistrates. The equites, or equestrian class, were wealthy citizens who, initially comprised of cavalry, formed a distinct political and financial class below the senators and often engaged in trade and commerce. Plebeians were the common people who over time fought for and gained more legal rights and even the ability to hold public office, leading to a merging of wealthy plebeians with the patrician class to form a new Roman aristocracy. Despite the plebeians' legal victories, social and political power largely remained in the hands of the wealthy who could afford to participate fully in state functions.