Populares

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A political faction in ancient Rome that represented the interests of the common people and sought reforms for their benefit
2. Referring to a group or movement in Roman history advocating popular rights against the aristocracy and promoting populist policies
3. Denoting a category of Roman politicians aligned with the masses, often opposing the patrician class and championing legislative changes

Etymology: The Populares were a loose political faction in the late Roman Republic, roughly the second and first centuries BCE, who championed the interests of the common people against the senatorial aristocracy. Their name comes from Latin "popularis," meaning "of the people" or "belonging to the people," derived from "populus." The label was not a self-description so much as a term used by their opponents, and the Latin writers who used it often meant it as a mild accusation, since it suggested a politician was courting the crowd for personal gain. Leading figures such as the Gracchi brothers, Tiberius and Gaius, whose land and grain reforms in the 130s and 120s BCE provoked violent reactions from the Senate, and later Julius Caesar, were associated with the label. Modern historians debate how much the Populares formed an organised party at all, since their supporters tended to rally around individual leaders rather than a shared program.

Synonyms: popular leaders, politicians, reformers

Antonyms: optimates