plebibus

Plebibus is a Latin grammatical form and not a standalone term. It is the dative plural and the ablative plural of plebs, the noun meaning the common people or plebeians in ancient Rome. The base noun plebs is third-declension feminine; its genitive singular is plebis, while plebibus appears in the dative plural and ablative plural.

In usage, plebibus functions to indicate “to/for the plebs” (dative plural) or “by/with/from the plebs” (ablative plural). It appears in Latin sentences and inscriptions where the plebeian class is the recipient, agent, or source of action, and is encountered alongside other nouns and verbs in classical texts.

Historically, the plebs were the non-patrician population of Rome. Through the Conflict of the Orders, plebeians sought political and legal equality with the patricians, culminating in reforms such as the creation of the tribunate and the establishment of plebeian assemblies. A key development was that plebiscita, initially binding only on plebeians, gained broader force after the Lex Hortensia (287 BCE), making certain resolutions binding on all Roman citizens. The term plebibus is therefore often encountered in discussions of Roman social structure and legal history as a grammatical form tied to that concept.

In modern usage, plebibus is mainly encountered in Latin grammar, scholarly writing, and translations rather than as a contemporary term. It serves as a standard example of Latin case form and as a reminder of the historical distinction between plebeians and patricians in ancient Rome.