For over a century, Rome was under the unjust power of the Etruscans. The people of Rome lived in a monarchy where a king, also known as a rex, possessed absolute power over them. In 509 BC, there was a Roman revolt which led to the establishment of the Roman Republic. The progression of Roman political development, however, was a constant struggle between the patricians, the nobility and the wealthiest of the population, and the plebeians, the remaining poor people of the population. In place of the king were two annually-elected consuls who ruled the Roman Republic. A senate composed of patricians elected these consuls, giving the patricians dominance in the early years of the Roman Republic. The plebeians basically had no say or involvement in the government. Plebeians were forced to take part in the fighting of wars but received no share of the wealth or land that was won. The worst part was that they lost the land that they actually did own while away at war. The rich became richer and the poor became poorer. Giving the plebeians no choice but to borrow money from the patricians, the law of debt came abused the plebeians. The oppressive rule of the patricians proved to be no better, if not worse, for the plebeians than the rule of the king. .
Benefitting in no way whatsoever, the plebeians would often use their advantage in numbers and revolt against the patricians to get what they want. Their first recession in 494 BC made the patricians realize that the loss of the plebeian army would destroy Rome. Consequently, they were obliged to make some sort of compromise, leading to the creation of a new office known as a tribune, in which two were appointed. The two tribune positions could only be held by plebeians and it gave them the power to veto and also to intervene on the behalf of plebeians. The hopes of protecting plebeians from continued harsh treatment with this new office were ruined due to the high corruptibility of the position.