they
originated and that still surrounded them on all sides. And though the
sturdy patrician nobility had already gained ground, though the reges
attempted gradually to enlarge the scope of their functions--all this
does not change the elementary and fundamental character of the
constitution, and this alone is essential.

Meantime the population of the city of Rome and of the Roman territory,
enlarged by conquest, increased partly by immigration, partly through
the inhabitants of the annexed districts, Latins most of them. All these
new members of the state (we disregard here the clients) stood outside
of the old gentes, curiae and tribes and so did not form a part of the
populus Romanus, the Roman people proper. They were personally free,
could own land, had to pay taxes and were subject to military service.
But they were not eligible to office and could neither take part in the
assembly of curiae nor in the distribution of conquered state lands.
They made up the mass of people excluded from all public rights, the
plebs. By their continually growing numbers, their military training and
armament they became a threat for the old populus who now closed their
ranks hermetically against all new elements. The land seems to have been
about evenly divided between populus and plebs, while the mercantile and
industrial wealth, though as yet not very considerable, may have been
mainly in the hands of the plebs.

In view of the utter darkness that enwraps the whole legendary origin of
Rome's historical beginning--a darkness that was rendered still more
intense by the rationalistic and overofficious interpretations and
reports of the juristically trained authors that wrote on the
subject--it is impossible to make any definite statements about the
time, the course and the motive of the revolution that put an end to the
old gentile constitution. We are certain only that the causes arose out
of the fights between the plebs and the populus.

The new constitution, attributed to rex Servius Tullius and following
the Grecian model, more especially that of Solon, created a new public
assembly including or excluding all the members of populus and plebs
according to whether they rendered military service or not. The whole
population, subject to enlistment, was divided into six classes
according to wealth. The lowest limitis in the five highest classes
were: I., 100,000 ass; II., 75,000; III., 50,000; IV., 25,000; V.,
11,000; which accordi