[P.Clodius]

Perhaps some of you may be able to shed some light on this! We all know from our reading that the Tribunship was not open to members of the patrician class. My namesake Publius Clodius Pulcher went through a process called "Relegatio" to have himself "demoted" into a lesser class in order to run for Tribune. Also, one of Caesar's pretexts for his invasion of Italy was that he was "...acting in defence of the Tribunes", those being Marcus Antonius and Gaius Curio. Further, Cato was at one point a Tribune, and other famous Tribunes include Drusus and of course the Gracchi. Of all the famous characters mentioned, were none of them of patrician class? I find it hard to believe the Gracchi, Drusus, and Mark Antony were not pats!! Your thoughts please......

[Primus Pilus]

The Gracchi were indeed Patrician from both sides of the family... from Scipio Africanus on their mother's side. I don't recall Plutarch making any mention of how they were elected Tribune (from a legal standpoint)... just that they were Tribunes.

Drusus and Antonius were both Plebeian as I recall but I don't remember the exact family lineage without looking it up. Of course, at this stage in Roman history, there could be very little difference between rich and powerful Plebes and Patricians other than that lineage.

[Germanicus]

In the case of the Gracchi - would they not have to have a Patrician father, and inherit his name in order to be Patrician ?

ie - Scipii - Patrician
- Grachii - Plebian

That's how I thought it worked, and it would make sense in terms of the tribunate requirements.

[Primus Pilus]

Yes, but their father's name was also Patrician with a heritage of magistracies including the consulship (grandfather I believe)

[Germanicus]

I believe Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus Snr was a plebian, he served as Plebian consul in 177BC, hence the younger Gracchi were also plebian and could serve as Tribunes.

[Germanicus]

I just found out that the family Sempronii Gracchi
were only elevated to Patrician status by Augustus - prior to that, the The Sempronii Gracchi were a plebeian family.

see:- http://www.barca.fsn....uk/gracchi.htm

also- In looking for Patrician lists I found this - which was also intersesting :-
http://www.csun.edu/...Senatorial.html

[Primus Pilus]

Interesting because Plutarch specifically calls them Patrician. Of course, he wrote his 'Lives' in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD, so in his mind the Gracchi would've been Patrician. Very interesting piece of situational history there. Thanks for the correction Germanicus.

EDIT: Unless my memory is failing me completely, which is of course, completely possible. :D

[P.Clodius]

Great comments guys, thanks!