In the early 5th century BC there was an increase in the problem of indebtedness due the appropriation of public land (ager publicus) by the rich landowners to expand their estates (which restricted the amount of land available to small farmers), Rome’s territory being attacked by neighbouring peoples and taxation.
Pada awal abad ke 5 SM terjadi peningkatan masalah hutang akibat penggunaan tanah publik (ager publicus) oleh pemilik tanah kaya dalam rangka memperluas perkebunan mereka (yang membatasi jumlah lahan yang tersedia bagi petani kecil), di mana wilayah Roma diserang oleh masyarakat tetangga dan perpajakan.