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First Secession of the Plebeians

Type Event Region Europe Time -494

In 494 BCE, Roman plebeians, suffering debt oppression and arbitrary aristocratic justice, collectively withdrew to the Sacred Hill under the tribune…

Timeline

  1. -494Rome · LazioRoman plebeians fell into personal bondage through war and debt; laws and courts controlled by the patricians refused relief, and social tensions sharply intensified under the pressure of foreign wars.
  2. -494Mons Sacer · LazioLed by the tribunes, the plebeians withdrew from Rome to the Sacred Hill, causing the traditional army to collapse. The Senate sent Menenius Agrippa to mediate; ultimately the sacred inviolability of the tribunes was recognized and a debt commission established, and the plebeians returned to the city.

Sources