Commoner

The terms common people, commoners, or the masses denote a broad social division referring to ordinary people who are members of neither the nobility nor the priesthood. Since the 20th century, the term common people has been used in a more general sense to refer to typical members of society in contrast to highly privileged (in either wealth or influence).

History

In Europe, a distinct concept analogous to common people arose in the Classical civilization of ancient Rome around the 6th century BC, with the social division into patricians (nobles) and plebeians (commoners). The division may have been instituted by Servius Tullius, as an alternative to the previous clan based divisions that had been responsible for internecine conflict. The ancient Greeks generally had no concept of class and their leading social divisions were simply non-Greeks, free-Greeks and slaves. The early organisation of Ancient Athens was something of an exception with certain official roles like Archons, magistrates and treasurers being reserved for only the wealthiest citizens – these class-like divisions were weakened by the democratic reforms of Cleisthenes who created new vertical social divisions in contrasting fashion to the horizontal ones thought to have been created by Tullius.

Commoner (disambiguation)

A commoner is a person who is not a member of the nobility or priesthood.

Commoner(s) may also refer to:

See also

Commoner (academia)

A commoner is a student at certain universities in the British Isles who pay for their own tuition and commons.

Commoners in Cambridge

Commoners were also known as pensioners at the University of Cambridge. Pensioners paid for their own tuition and commons.

A fellow‑commoner was a rank of student above pensioners but below noblemen. They paid double the tuition and enjoyed more privileges than pensioners, such as commoning with Fellows. As fellow‑commoners had considerable wealth, they were ineligible for scholarships and paid fellowships at some colleges. Fellow‑commoners who wore a hat instead of a velvet cap were known as hat fellow‑commoners. They were often sons of nobility but not the eldest, who enjoyed the rank of "noblemen". Today, a fellow‑commoner at Cambridge is one who enjoys access to the Senior Common Room without a Fellowship.

Commoners in Dublin

The majority of junior members of Trinity College, Dublin are Commoners (or Pensioners)who must pay for Commons and Tuition as distinct from Scholars and Sizars who both receive free Commons and, in the case of Scholars, free tuition.