patricius

… Some of the above are not clearly stated in historical records, and are merely inferences based on indirect clues, but there are many documents that suggest that the Roman gens were clans in the broad sense discussed in this article, or at least similar units. During the so-called monarchical period, the senate was made up of 300 clan leaders (patres, meaning "fathers") chosen from certain families called patricius (patricius) within each clan, and a separate curia (comitia curiata), with one vote for each curia, decided whether to pass or reject laws discussed in the senate, elected high-ranking officials including the so-called king rex, declared war, and gave death sentences. Thus, like the Greek polis of the heroic age, the Roman state at that time, while hierarchically differentiated, took the form of a military democracy based on the original clan-like organization, and the kings that historians refer to as kings were equivalent to the Greek basileus, military commanders and high priests, but not despotic monarchs.

*Some of the terminology explanations that mention "patricius" are listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…　以上の中には，歴史上の記録に明示されておらず，間接的な手がかりによる類推にすぎぬものも若干あるが，ローマのゲンスが，本項で扱った広義の氏族もしくは少なくともこれに近い単位的な集団であったと考えさせる文献資料はかなり多い。そしていわゆる王政時代には，各氏族内のパトリキウスpatricius(貴族)とよばれる一定家族から選ばれた300の氏族長patres(〈父〉の意)が元老院を構成し，別に各クリアごとに1票をもったクリア民会(コミティア･クリアタ)が，元老院で下相談した法律の採否を決定し，いわゆる王rexをふくむ高級官吏を選挙し，戦いを宣し，死刑の判決を与えたという。　したがって，当時のローマ国家は，英雄時代のギリシアのポリスと同様，階級的な分化をとげながらも，本来の氏族的な組織を基盤とした軍事的民主制の形をとり，歴史家のいわゆる王は，ギリシアの〈バシレウス〉に相当して，軍司令官であり，神官長ではあっても専制的な君主ではありえなかった。…

※「patricius」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典 第２版について | 情報