Patrician (auncient Roum)

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Augustus cleed in calcei patricii (shuin restricted to patricians).
Augustus cleed in calcei patricii (shuin restricted to patricians).

The term patrician (Laitin: patricius, Greek: πατρίκιος, patrikios) oreeginally referred tae a group o rulin class faimilies in auncient Roum, includin baith thair naitural an adoptit members. In the late Roman Empire, the class wis braidened tae include heich admeenistrative officials, an efter the faw o the Wastren Empire it remained a heich honorary title in the Byzantine Empire. Medieval patrician classes wur ance again formally defined groups o leadin burgess faimilies in mony medieval Italian republics, lik Venice an Genoa, an subsequently "patrician" became a doutsomer term uised for aristocrats an the heicher bourgeoisie in mony kintras.