presently became a determined body, with competent and bold leaders,
who were felt to be a power in the state.

The aim of the patricians was now to lessen the power of the Tribunes;
that of the plebeians, to restrain the Consuls and extend the
influence of the Tribunes. Party spirit ran high; even hand to hand
contests occurred in the city. Many families left Rome and settled in
neighboring places to escape the turmoil. It is a wonder that the
government withstood the strain, so fierce was the struggle.

The AGRARIAN LAWS at this time first become prominent. These laws had
reference to the distribution of the PUBLIC LANDS. Rome had acquired a
large amount of land taken from the territory of conquered cities.
This land was called AGER PUBLICUS, or _public land_.

Some of this land was sold or given away as "homesteads," and then it
became AGER PRIVÁTUS, or _private land_. But the most of it was
occupied by permission of the magistrates. The occupants were usually
rich patricians, who were favored by the patrician magistrates. This
land, so occupied, was called AGER OCCUPÁTUS, or _possessio_; but
it really was still the property of the state. The rent paid was a
certain per cent (from 10 to 20) of the crops, or so much a head for
cattle on pasture land. Although the state had the undoubted right to
claim this land at any time, the magistrates allowed the occupants to
retain it, and were often lenient about collecting dues. In course of
time, this land, which was handed down from father to son, and
frequently sold, began to be regarded by the occupants as their own
property. Also the land tax (TRIBÚTUM), which was levied on all
_ager privátus_, and which was especially hard upon the small
plebeian land-owners, could not legally be levied upon the _ager