Final answer:
The Struggle of the Orders was a class struggle within the Roman Republic between patricians and plebeians, starting around 500 BCE, for political representation and legal equality, concluding around 287 BCE with significant reforms.
Step-by-step explanation:
Struggle of the Orders
The Struggle of the Orders was a significant class struggle within the Roman Republic. It took place between the patricians, who were the aristocratic elites, and the plebeians, who were the common citizens. The conflict began around 500 BCE and continued until approximately 287 BCE. The plebeians sought political representation and legal equality with the patricians, who monopolized power. Significant outcomes from this struggle included the establishment of the position of Tribune, with the legal right to veto decisions, the creation of the Plebeian Council, the approval of marriages between patricians and plebeians, and the ban on debt slavery. Eventually, it was mandated that one of the two consuls elected each year had to be a plebeian, and after 287 BCE, laws passed by the Plebeian Assembly had the weight of Roman law, effectively concluding the Struggle of the Orders.