Patricians (patricii) were originally the elite caste in ancient Rome. In the time of the late Roman Empire, the term patrican (patricius) was a specific title given to a high court official. The word patricius is partly based on the Latin pater, which means father. Elitism is a belief or attitude that an elite— a selected group of persons whose personal abilities, specialized training or other attributes place them at the top of any field (see below)— are the people whose views on a matter are to be taken most seriously, or who are alone... The word Caste is derived from the Portuguese word casta, meaning lineage, breed or race. ... Ancient Rome was a civilization that existed in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East between 753 BC and its downfall in AD 476. ... The Roman Empire is the term conventionally used to describe the Roman polity in the centuries following its reorganization under the leadership of Caesar Augustus. ... Word can mean one of several things: A linguistic word—a unit of language that symbolizes or communicates a meaning, consisting of one or more morphemes. ...

Patrician caste

In the early days of the Roman Republic, patricians formed a hereditary ruling group within the state. All magistracies were off-limits to non-patricians, who were known as plebeians. Patrician status was inherited, and intermarriage between patricians and plebians was forbidden. Trade between patricians and plebians was also forbidden. See also Roman Republic (18th century) and Roman Republic (19th century). ... For other uses, see inheritance (disambiguation). ... In Ancient Rome, the plebs was the general body of Roman citizens, distinct from the privileged class of the patricians. ... Marriage is a relationship and bond, most commonly between a man and a woman, that plays a key role in the definition of many families. ...

Over time, conflict raged between the two classes, and patricians were slowly forced to relinquish their power. In 494 BC, the office of tribune was created to safeguard the interest of plebians; no patrician could hold this office. By the 320s BC, all magistracies were open to plebian candidates, and the importance of the distinction between patricians and plebians began to fade. In addition, because patrician status was strictly inherited and no new patrician families were created, the number of patrician families decreased. Centuries: 6th century BC - 5th century BC - 4th century BC Decades: 540s BC 530s BC 520s BC 510s BC 500s BC - 490s BC - 480s BC 470s BC 460s BC 450s BC 440s BC Years: 499 BC 498 BC 497 BC 496 BC 495 BC - 494 BC - 493 BC 492 BC... This article deals with the ancient Roman office of tribune. ... Centuries: 5th century BC - 4th century BC - 3rd century BC Decades: 370s BC 360s BC 350s BC 340s BC 330s BC - 320s BC - 310s BC 300s BC 290s BC 280s BC 270s BC Years: 329 BC 328 BC 327 BC 326 BC 325 BC 324 BC 323 BC 322 BC...

By the last days of the Roman Republic in the first century BC, wealthy plebian families had long become an integral part of the Roman elite, and patrician status offered little more than prestige. This reality was made clear in 59 BC, when the patrician Publius Clodius Pulcher arranged to be adopted by a plebian (who was a year younger than he!) so that he could run for tribune. One of the few positions that remained reserved to patricians at this time was the office of high priest, or pontifex maximus. Julius Caesar, one of the most prominent patrician politicians of his day, held this office until his death. (2nd century BC - 1st century BC - 1st century - other centuries) The 1st century BC starts on January 1, 100 BC and ends on December 31, 1 BC. An alternative name for this century is the last century BC. (2nd millennium BC - 1st millennium BC - 1st millennium AD) Events The Roman... Centuries: 2nd century BC - 1st century BC - 1st century Decades: 100s BC 90s BC 80s BC 70s BC 60s BC - 50s BC - 40s BC 30s BC 20s BC 10s BC 0s BC Years: 64 BC 63 BC 62 BC 61 BC 60 BC 59 BC 58 BC 57 BC 56... Publius Clodius Pulcher (born around 92 BC, murdered January 18, 52 BC). ... Orginally the Pontifex Maximus was the high priest of the pre-Christian Roman religion. ... Gaius Julius Caesar (Latin: IMP·C·IVLIVS·CAESAR·DIVVS¹) (July 13, 100 BC – March 15, 44 BC) was a Roman military and political leader. ...

Patrician position

Under the Roman Empire, patrician status as it had been understood in the Republic ceased to have meaning in everyday life. The emperor Constantine reintroduced the term; Patrician (Patricius) became an honorific title for those who demonstrated faithful service to the Empire. There were generally only a few patricians in the Empire at any given time, and sometimes only one. By the fifth century, the title generally denoted a man who held the power behind the imperial throne, usually a general of the Roman army. Patricians of this era included Stilicho, Constantius III (before he became co-emperor), Aetius, Boniface, and Ricimer. The term was occasionally used in this sense in Western Europe after the end of the Roman Empire; for instance, Pope Stephen III granted the title "Patrician of the Romans" to the Frankish ruler Pippin III. The Roman Empire is the term conventionally used to describe the Roman polity in the centuries following its reorganization under the leadership of Caesar Augustus. ... Constantine. ... (4th century - 5th century - 6th century - other centuries) Events Rome sacked by Visigoths in 410. ... Flavius Stilicho (c. ... Constantius III was a late Roman Emperor. ... Flavius Aetius or simply Aetius, (circa 396 - 454), was a Roman general of the closing period of the Western Roman Empire. ... Count Boniface (in Latin, Comes Bonifacius) (d. ... Ricimer (c. ... Stephen III (d. ... Pepin III (714 - September 24, 768) more often known as Pepin the Short (French, Pépin le Bref; German, Pippin der Kleine), was a King of the Franks (751 - 768). ...

List of Patricii

• Flavius Julius Constantius: 335-337
• Flavius Stilicho: 394-408
• Flavius Constantius: 417-421
• Castinus: 420s
• Bonifacius: 432
• Flavius Aetius: 433-454
• Petronius Maximus: 445-455
• Ricimer: 456-472
• Gundobad: 472-473
• Odoacer: 476-493
• al-Harith ibn Jabalah: 529-569

Flavius Julius Constantius (d. ... Events November 7 - Athanasius is banished to Trier, on the charge that he prevented the corn fleet from sailing to Constantinople. ... Events February 6 - Julius is elected pope. ... Flavius Stilicho (c. ... Events September 6 - Battle of Frigidus: The Christian Roman Emperor Theodosius I defeats and kills the pagan usurper Eugenius and his Frankish general Arbogast. ... Link title{| align=right cellpadding=3 id=toc style=margin-left: 15px; |- | align=center colspan=2 | Years: 404 405 406 407 - 408 - 409 410 411 412 |- | align=center colspan=2 | Decades: 370s 380s 390s - 400s - 410s 420s 430s |- | align=center | Centuries: 4th century - 5th century - 6th century |} Events Theodosius II... Constantius III was a late Roman Emperor. ... Events January 1 - Constantius III marries Galla Placidia, sister of Honorius. ... Events February 8 - Constantius III becomes Co_Emperor of the Western Roman Empire June 7 - Roman Emperor Theodosius II marries Aelia Eudocia, formerly known as Athenais. ... Centuries: 4th century - 5th century - 6th century Decades: 370s - 380s _ 390s - 400s - 410s - 420s - 430s - 440s - 450s - 460s - 470s Years: 420 421 422 423 424 425 426 427 428 429 Events: Saint Augustine of Hippo publishes The City of God Categories: 420s ... Count Boniface (in Latin, Comes Bonifacius) (d. ... Events July 31 - Sixtus is elected to succeed Celestine as Pope. ... Flavius Aetius or simply Aetius, (circa 396 - 454), was a Roman general of the closing period of the Western Roman Empire. ... Events Petronius Maximus becomes Roman Consul John of Antioch and Cyril of Alexandria sign the Formula of Reunion, thus ending their conflict over the Nestorian controversy and the Council of Ephesus. ... Events September 21 - Roman Emperor Valentinian III assassinates Aetius in his own throne room. ... Petronius Maximus (c. ... Events Attila murders his brother and co-king Bleda. ... Events June 2 - Gaiseric leads the Vandals into Rome and plunder the city for two weeks. ... Ricimer (c. ... Events Emperor Marcian quells disturbances on the Armenian frontier. ... Events Relations between the Roman Emperor Anthemius and the general Ricimer deteriorate completely. ... Gundobad, Patrician of Rome (472-473) also became King of the Burgundians (473-516), after his father, though he had to fight off three brothers to seize his title. ... Events Relations between the Roman Emperor Anthemius and the general Ricimer deteriorate completely. ... Events Glycerius is named Western Roman Emperor. ... Odoacer, also known as Odovacar (435 – 493) was the half Hunnish, half Scirian chieftain of the Germanic Heruli. ... Events August - The usurper Basiliscus is deposed and Zeno is restored as Eastern Roman Emperor. ... Events February 25 - Odoacer agrees to a mediated peace with Theodoric the Great, and is later killed by him personally. ... For other uses, see number 529. ... Events The Nubian kingdom of Alodia is converted to Christianity, according to John of Ephesus. ...

Modern usage

In modern English, the word patrician is generally used to denote a member of the upper class, often with connotations of inherited wealth, elitism, and a sense of noblesse oblige. This definition derives from the first meaning of the word above. In French, noblesse oblige means, literally, nobility obliges. ...

Use in fiction

In the satirical fantasy series Discworld by British author Terry Pratchett, the city of Ankh-Morpork is run by a Presidential like figure akin to the old roman nobility. The ruler rules under the title of Patrician but is in all respects simply a tyrant. In the City Watch (see Guards! Guards!) series of novels the Patrician is named Lord Vetinari and though he often gives puts up a democratic facade he is to all intents and purposes a dictator. Look up Fantasy in Wiktionary, the free dictionary For other definitions of fantasy, see fantasy (psychology). ... The Discworld is a series of over 30 novels by Terry Pratchett set on the Discworld. ... Terence David John Pratchett OBE (known to some fans as Pterry – following the convention he used in his book Pyramids where characters were given names such as Ptraci and Pteppic) is an English fantasy author (born April 28, 1948, in Beaconsfield, Bucks), best known for his Discworld series. ... Coat of arms: A shield, quartered by a river (the Ankh) and tower (the Tower of Art). ... A tyrant (from Greek τυραννος tyrannos) is a usurper of rightful power, possessing absolute power and ruling by tyranny. ... Guards! Guards! is the 8th Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett, first published in 1989. ... Dictator was the title of a magistrate in ancient Rome appointed by the Senate to rule the state in times of emergency. ...

In the science-fiction 'Foundation' trilogy of Isaac Asimov, in the novel 'Foundation and Empire', Ducem Barr is referred to as a Patrician of the Empire. Within the story it is an inherited noble title, clearly derived of the Roman Imperial meaning, after which Asimov's Galactic Empire was modeled. Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology upon society and persons as individuals. ... Wiktionary has a definition of: Foundation This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Dr. Isaac Asimov enthroned with symbols of his lifes work (Rowena Morrill) Isaac Asimov (c. ... Foundation and Empire Foundation and Empire is a novel written by Isaac Asimov in 1952. ... An empire (also known technically, abstractly or disparagingly as an imperium, and with powers known among Romans as imperium) comprises a set of regions locally ruled by governors, viceroys or client kings in the name of an emperor. ... Imperial is a term that is used to describe something that relates to an Empire, Emperor, or the concept of Imperialism. ... This article is about a celestial body. ... An empire (also known technically, abstractly or disparagingly as an imperium, and with powers known among Romans as imperium) comprises a set of regions locally ruled by governors, viceroys or client kings in the name of an emperor. ...