# Capite censi

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Lowest class of citizens of ancient Rome

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***Capite censi*** were the lowest class of citizens in [ancient Rome](/source/Ancient_Rome), people not of the [nobility](/source/Nobility) or [middle classes](/source/Middle_class). The term in [Latin](/source/Latin_language) means "those counted by head" in the ancient Roman [census](/source/Census). Also known as "the head count", the *capite censi* owned little or no property, so they were counted by the head rather than by their property.[1][2] Initially *capite censi* was synonymous with *[proletarii](/source/Proletarii)*, meaning those citizens whose property was too small to be rated for the census. Later, though, the *proletarii* were distinguished from the *capite censi* as having "appreciable property" to the value of 11,000 [asses](/source/As_(coin)) or less. In contrast, the *capite censi* are assumed to have not owned any property of significance.[2]

## See also

- [Patrician](/source/Patrician_(ancient_Rome)) – Hereditary nobility of ancient Rome

- [Plebs](/source/Plebs) – General body of free Roman citizensPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets

- [Social class in ancient Rome](/source/Social_class_in_ancient_Rome)

## Notes

1. **[^](#cite_ref-EncBrit1854_1-0)** [*The Encyclopædia Britannica, or Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, and General Literature: Bur - Clim*](https://books.google.com/books?id=kWxBAAAAcAAJ&dq=capite+censi&pg=PA219). Vol. 6 (8 ed.). Black. 1854. p. 219.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Liddell_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Liddell_2-1) Liddell, Henry George (1858). [*A history of Rome: from the earliest times to the establishment of the Empire : with chapters on the history of literature and art*](https://archive.org/details/ahistoryromefro07liddgoog). Harper & Brothers. pp. [48](https://archive.org/details/ahistoryromefro07liddgoog/page/n66).

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