# The Roman Plebs: How the Common People Shaped an Empire

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-story-of-italy-rome-renaissance-and-the-birth-of-modern-europe-fexingo-history-7829683/the-roman-plebs-how-the-common-people-shaped-an-empire
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-story-of-italy-rome-renaissance-and-the-birth-of-modern-europe-fexingo-history-7829683/the-roman-plebs-how-the-common-people-shaped-an-empire.md
Podcast: [The Story of Italy: Rome, Renaissance, and the Birth of Modern Europe — Fexingo History](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-story-of-italy-rome-renaissance-and-the-birth-of-modern-europe-fexingo-history-7829683)
Published: 2026-06-12T16:55:15+00:00
Episode link: https://audio.fexingo.com/history/the-story-of-italy/episode-0094.mp3
Audio file: https://audio.fexingo.com/history/the-story-of-italy/episode-0094.mp3
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Duration seconds: 519

## Resource

The Roman Republic and Empire weren't just shaped by senators, emperors, and generals — the common people, the plebeians, were a force to be reckoned with. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the plebeian order from the Conflict of the Orders in the early Republic to the grain dole and bread and circuses of the Imperial era. They discuss the secession of the plebs, the creation of the tribunes of the plebs, the Twelve Tables, the Lex Canuleia allowing patrician-plebeian marriage, the rise of wealthy plebeians, and the gradual erosion of plebeian power under the emperors. Along the way, they touch on key figures like Gaius Gracchus and Clodius Pulcher, and examine the limits of Roman 'democracy'. This episode offers a nuanced look at how the masses both gained and lost influence over centuries. #RomanPlebs #ConflictOfTheOrders #TribunesOfThePlebs #TwelveTables #LexCanuleia #GaiusGracchus #ClodiusPulcher #PlebeianCouncil #PlebeianSecession #BreadAndCircuses #RomanRepublic #RomanEmpire #AncientRome #SocialHistory #RomanPolitics #FexingoHistory #History #Podcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

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