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See also:PLEBS (from the See also:root seen in See also:Lat. plenus, full; cf. Gr. 7rXit9os) , the " multitude," or unprivileged class in the See also:early See also:Roman See also:state . For the origin and See also:history of this See also:order see See also:PATRICIANS and See also:NOBILITY . Its disqualifications were originally based on descent; but after the See also:political equalization of the two orders the name was applied to the See also:lower classes of the See also:population with-out reference to their descent . Under the See also:empire the word is regularly used of the See also:city proletariate, or of the See also:commons as distinct from knights and senators . |
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