<P> The census divided citizens into six complex classes based on property . The richest were the senatorial class, who during the Late Republic had to be worth at least 400,000 sestertii, the same as the equites; when Augustus reformed the senate during the first years of the Principate, he raised the property requirement to 1,000, 0000 sestertii . The wealth of the senatorial class was based on ownership of large agricultural estates, and by custom members did not engage in commercial activity . </P> <P> Below the senatores in rank, but above others were the equites ("equestrians" or "knights"), with 400,000 sestertii, who could engage in commerce and formed an influential business class . Certain political and quasi-political positions were filled by equites, including tax farming and, under the Principate, leadership of the Praetorian Guard . Below the equites were three more classes of property - owning citizens; and lastly the proletarii, whose property was valued below 11,000 asses . </P> <Table> Analysis of Roman Centuriate Organisation 509 - 241 BCE * <Tr> <Th> Class </Th> <Th> Census property rating <P> money (property) </P> </Th> <Th> Electoral assembly votes per person </Th> <Th> Military Equipment <P> (self - supplied) </P> </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="4"> Patricians (historical aristocracy) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Senatores </Td> <Td> 400, 0000 sestertii (1,000, 0000 sestertii) </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Equites * * </Td> <Td> 400,000 sestertii </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Horse,...</Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="4"> Plebians (commoners) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> First </Td> <Td> 100,000 As (100 iugera) </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Helm, round shield, cuirass, greaves, sword, and spear . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Second </Td> <Td> 75,000 As (75 iugera) </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Helm, round shield, greaves, sword and spear . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Third </Td> <Td> 50,000 As (50 iugera) </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Helm, oblong shield, sword and spear . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Fourth </Td> <Td> 25,000 As (25 iugera) </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Oblong shield, Spear or Sword, Javelin </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Fifth </Td> <Td> 11,000 As (11 iugera) 12,500 As (12 iugera) </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Slings or Javelins (velites) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="4"> Proles (landless poor) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Proletarii </Td> <Td> below 11,000 asses </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Fleets (oarsmen) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="4"> * This was the system of the Centuriate Assembly and was the practice of the Servian constitution . Information arranged by Tim Cornell based on the works of Livy, Polybius, and Dionysius of Hallicarnasus . For a contrasting version of the same or similar data, see the table in the Equites article . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="4"> * * The equites class was available for both plebians and patricians, and favored by ambitious young men in both groups . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="4"> At the period this was valid 1 Denarius was worth about 10 As; Luuk de Ligt puts the value of an iugerium at 1,000 As or 100 denarii as a recommended baseline because values fluctuate a lot and because of many factors . </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Th> Class </Th> <Th> Census property rating <P> money (property) </P> </Th> <Th> Electoral assembly votes per person </Th> <Th> Military Equipment <P> (self - supplied) </P> </Th> </Tr>

Who were the plebeians in the early roman republic