Although the Romans premiered their Republic, they did not cease to fight the neighboring peoples in order to preserve their power throughout Italy. And, every now and again, they waged a new war. This time, against the Volscos, great enemies of Rome.
As they fought against these eternal enemies, there was a very particular situation, as there was an internal struggle between patricians and commoners. A power struggle between the Romans themselves.
The patricians, descendants of the first inhabitants, had too many privileges, and the commoners, most of them engaged in agriculture, commerce and handicrafts, formed an increasingly large group. Many were rich and respected, but the patricians, with their immunities, kept them away from power decisions. This led to a new internal rebellion. Recall that the commoners were obliged to perform military service and join the army to defend Rome.
The war with the Volscos was approaching, but this time, commoners threatened to fail to fulfil their obligations if their demands for greater participation in government decisions were not met.
The patricians were frightened to see that the war was imminent and, to reassure the commoners, made them all kinds of promises and concessions on paying taxes and debt forgiveness, which of course they forgot once the poor commoners returned from the war.
The commoners lost their patience. They left the city of Rome and set up a camp on the Sacred Mount. From there, they threatened to found a new city where all men had equal rights, guarantees and obligations.
Faced with such a threat, the patricians sought Menencio Agrippa to negotiate and, thanks to his wise intervention, the commoners managed to have their own participation in the Assembly, where the right to vote was independent of wealth. From now on, they could elect their own representatives, and they, in turn, elect their judges, called Tribune de la plebe.
These Tribune had the mission of guarding the rights of the commoners, protecting them from the whims and arbitrariness of the patricians.
All this happened in the 5th century BC.