+what class were the plebians in
The plebeians were the general body of citizens, including the common people and peasants. I guess you could say that the patricians improved Rome by running it correctly, as they were the ones in power, and that the plebeians improved Rome by growing most of the food. The patricians were the elites of Rome, the rulers and leaders of society. The patricians could be described not just as powerful individuals, but the social class at the top of the hierarchy. The plebeians were the common urban people (I'd argue not peasants who are rural ;-) who had much less influence on the way things were run.