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Patricians
They were originally a group of ruling class families in ancient Rome.
They were relevant in the Roman Kingdom and the early Roman Republic. But their relevance waned after the Conflict of the Orders (494 BC - 287 BC). By the time of the late Roman Republic and Roman Empire, membership in the patriciate was only of nominal significance.
The social structure of ancient Rome revolved around the distinction between the patricians and the plebians.
In post-Roman Europe
Later, "patrician" became a vague term used to refer to aristocrats and the higher bourgeoise in many countries.