Patricians/ Upper Class
This class included people who were born in Rome, having Roman blood and having numerous wealth and property. This class was subdivided into two other classes:
1. Senators- They must possess property which was worth at least 1,000,000 sesterces. Senators were not allowed to take part in non-agricultural works, public contracts or trade. Men from this class wore tunics with broad purple stripes (lactus clavus).
2. Equestrians- A man could be an Equestrian if he possessed property which was worth at least 400,000 sesterces and by extension his family members could also be Equestrians. Equestrians were engaged in businesses prohibited to the senators. Occasionally,an Equestrian was elected to be a senator and he moved up to the senatorial class. Men from this class wore tunics with narrow purple stripes (augustus clavus).
Plebians/Lower Class
This class refers to the poor class and it was subdivided into five classes:
1. Commons- These were Roman citizens who were born free and they were recognized to wear a toga. They were allowed to marry another Roman citizen and their children would be Roman citizens as well.
2. Latins- These were not full Roman citizens but they were born free in Italy and some other Roman areas.
3. Foreigners- These were freeborn men and women who lived in Roman territories outside Italy.
4. Freed people- These included people who were once slaves and became free. People in this class had limited rights and were not allowed to move to a different class. However, their freeborn children could become full citizens and even become an Equestrian if they were rich enough. There was no special mark for the dress of this class.
5. Slaves- They were the property of their owners and they did not possess any right. They might be allowed to keep their own savings which could be used to buy their freedom or their master might manumit them. There was no special mark of their dress.