Professor Catherine Steel

We can talk in general terms in some detail about that. And we do know a bit, in fact, about Caesar's family, which is also not irrelevant, I think, to what we're thinking about. So he is born into a patrician family. Now, patrician has a very distinct technical meaning when we're talking about Republican Rome.

We can talk in general terms in some detail about that. And we do know a bit, in fact, about Caesar's family, which is also not irrelevant, I think, to what we're thinking about. So he is born into a patrician family. Now, patrician has a very distinct technical meaning when we're talking about Republican Rome.

It's a status that adheres to a small number of families who were the families who were politically important before the end of the monarchy and the foundation of the Republic. And therefore, at the start of the Republic formed the membership of the Senate. and therefore produced the annual consuls. So the patrician class had a monopoly on political power at the start of the Republic.

It's a status that adheres to a small number of families who were the families who were politically important before the end of the monarchy and the foundation of the Republic. And therefore, at the start of the Republic formed the membership of the Senate. and therefore produced the annual consuls. So the patrician class had a monopoly on political power at the start of the Republic.

It's a status that adheres to a small number of families who were the families who were politically important before the end of the monarchy and the foundation of the Republic. And therefore, at the start of the Republic formed the membership of the Senate. and therefore produced the annual consuls. So the patrician class had a monopoly on political power at the start of the Republic.

That's the stories Romans tell us about themselves. And in terms of the internal history of the Roman Republic in its first couple of centuries, one of the most important stories is the so-called struggle of the orders, which is the fight by everybody who's not a patrician. And if you're not a patrician, you're a plebeian, and that's everybody else.

That's the stories Romans tell us about themselves. And in terms of the internal history of the Roman Republic in its first couple of centuries, one of the most important stories is the so-called struggle of the orders, which is the fight by everybody who's not a patrician. And if you're not a patrician, you're a plebeian, and that's everybody else.

That's the stories Romans tell us about themselves. And in terms of the internal history of the Roman Republic in its first couple of centuries, one of the most important stories is the so-called struggle of the orders, which is the fight by everybody who's not a patrician. And if you're not a patrician, you're a plebeian, and that's everybody else.

the fight by the plebeians for political equality, which is successful. Okay, so the patrician monopoly on political power has ended over the course of the fourth century. And by the third century, it seems to be largely forgotten, or at least that's the story. And so what emerges in place of the patricians is the nobilitas, a mixed patrician plebeian group of families who dominate politically.

the fight by the plebeians for political equality, which is successful. Okay, so the patrician monopoly on political power has ended over the course of the fourth century. And by the third century, it seems to be largely forgotten, or at least that's the story. And so what emerges in place of the patricians is the nobilitas, a mixed patrician plebeian group of families who dominate politically.

the fight by the plebeians for political equality, which is successful. Okay, so the patrician monopoly on political power has ended over the course of the fourth century. And by the third century, it seems to be largely forgotten, or at least that's the story. And so what emerges in place of the patricians is the nobilitas, a mixed patrician plebeian group of families who dominate politically.

Wealthy, interconnected, despite the distinction between patrician and plebeian, and who accept new members gradually and reluctantly. So men from outside the nobility do join the political class, and sometimes they get to the consulship in a single generation, more often it takes a bit longer. Right. But the standard view, I guess, of the end of the Republic is this distinction no longer matters.

Wealthy, interconnected, despite the distinction between patrician and plebeian, and who accept new members gradually and reluctantly. So men from outside the nobility do join the political class, and sometimes they get to the consulship in a single generation, more often it takes a bit longer. Right. But the standard view, I guess, of the end of the Republic is this distinction no longer matters.

Wealthy, interconnected, despite the distinction between patrician and plebeian, and who accept new members gradually and reluctantly. So men from outside the nobility do join the political class, and sometimes they get to the consulship in a single generation, more often it takes a bit longer. Right. But the standard view, I guess, of the end of the Republic is this distinction no longer matters.

But I don't think that can quite work. There is still a cachet in being a patrician, in belonging to one of these very ancient families. And the point is, of course, that Caesar, the Julii Caesares were one of these ancient families. And it seems to get a bit more prominent with Sulla, who we'll come onto in a moment, who is a patrician himself and seems to value that status.

But I don't think that can quite work. There is still a cachet in being a patrician, in belonging to one of these very ancient families. And the point is, of course, that Caesar, the Julii Caesares were one of these ancient families. And it seems to get a bit more prominent with Sulla, who we'll come onto in a moment, who is a patrician himself and seems to value that status.

But I don't think that can quite work. There is still a cachet in being a patrician, in belonging to one of these very ancient families. And the point is, of course, that Caesar, the Julii Caesares were one of these ancient families. And it seems to get a bit more prominent with Sulla, who we'll come onto in a moment, who is a patrician himself and seems to value that status.

So Caesar's born into a family that can trace its origins back to before the establishment of the Republic, but one that has not been hugely successful over the last century or so. It's had members who have reached the consulship. I mean, one can overestimate the decay of the Iulii Caesares. A cousin is consul in 91, for example.

So Caesar's born into a family that can trace its origins back to before the establishment of the Republic, but one that has not been hugely successful over the last century or so. It's had members who have reached the consulship. I mean, one can overestimate the decay of the Iulii Caesares. A cousin is consul in 91, for example.

So Caesar's born into a family that can trace its origins back to before the establishment of the Republic, but one that has not been hugely successful over the last century or so. It's had members who have reached the consulship. I mean, one can overestimate the decay of the Iulii Caesares. A cousin is consul in 91, for example.