Die politische Rolle der stadtrömischen Plebs in der Kaiserzeit Die politische Rolle der stadtrömischen Plebs in der Kaiserzeit engages with the topical question of the political role of the Roman plebs in the imperial period and seeks to reconstruct how it may have looked in practice and how it can be defined. Detailed source criticism of Tacitus Suetonius Dio Cassius and others demonstrates that the passages thematizing citizens are primarily narrative in function. This approach further sharpens our understanding of the plebs actual historical actions both regarding their causes forms and extent as well as their attitude towards the emperors. This reappraisal allows for new insights and corrects numerous prior assessments especially with regard to the function assigned the plebs as part of the so called system of acceptance. 00