08-09-2007, 07:58 AM
For the clarity of discussion: plebeian is everyone in Rome who is not a patrician - related to the early 'patres' of Rome. Until 287 BC there was an ongoing struggle between these two classes for political power. After that time, the difference is only in status. There are many examples of plebeian senators and equestrians who were therefore by no means poor!
If you mean the (especially urban) poor of Rome, it's the proletarii, those whose only possession was their children.
As to literacy in Rome, yeah, it seems to have been at a higher level than normal in pre-industrial society. Think of massive numbers of the tombstones. Formulaic, yes, but still text. And it's likely there were wooden ones too, cheaper, but still markers with a text on them.
On the other hand, being literate was a criterium for advancement in the army, and there are definitely signs that not all soldiers were literate, such as in contracts.
If you mean the (especially urban) poor of Rome, it's the proletarii, those whose only possession was their children.
As to literacy in Rome, yeah, it seems to have been at a higher level than normal in pre-industrial society. Think of massive numbers of the tombstones. Formulaic, yes, but still text. And it's likely there were wooden ones too, cheaper, but still markers with a text on them.
On the other hand, being literate was a criterium for advancement in the army, and there are definitely signs that not all soldiers were literate, such as in contracts.
