What is patricians?

Patricians were the wealthy and influential members of ancient Roman society who enjoyed political and social privileges. They were a small class of aristocrats who held hereditary titles, land, and significant wealth that allowed them to control the political and economic life of Rome. The patricians formed the ruling class in early Rome and held all important government positions. They also had their own religious rituals and festivals and made up the nobility of the Roman Empire. The patricians also had the power to veto the decisions made by the Senate, which made them one of the most powerful groups in ancient Rome. However, their power declined over time, and by the third century CE, the term patrician was no longer in use.