PATRICIANS PATRIMONIUM PETRI. 



437 



*.>, head) are the antediluvian heads of families, 

 smd the three fathers of the Hebrew race, Abraham, 

 Isaac, and Jacob. The epithet patriarchal is hence 

 used to denote the innocence and simplicity of the 

 early ages, and the venerable dignity of age. The 

 patriarchal government is that which prevails in a 

 state of society in which the people are not yet 

 organized into a nation, but from independent tribes, 

 clans, or families, under the government of their 

 common ancestor, or his representative, the existing 

 head of the family. The term patriarch, at a later 

 period, became the title of the presidents of the 

 sanhedrim, which exercised a general authority over 

 the Jews of Syria and Persia after the destruction of 

 Jerusalem. The patriarchate of Tiberias for the 

 Western Jews subsisted till 415, that of Babylon for 

 the Eastern Jews, till 1038. From them, the title 

 was adopted by the Christians, who applied it, from 

 the beginning of the fifth century, to the bishops of 

 Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and 

 Jerusalem. These patriarchs exercised the power 

 of consecration, and of supervision over the arch- 

 bishops and bishops within their jurisdictions. While 

 the patriarch of Rome became the supreme pontiff of 

 the West (see Pope), the four heads of the Eastern 

 church preserved the title of patriarch, but were 

 nearly stripped of their authority by the conquests of 

 the Saracens. The Armenian, Abyssinian, Jacobite, 

 and Maronite churches have their own patriarchs. 

 The patriarch of Constantinople is the primate of 

 the Greek church in the Ottoman empire, and bears 

 the title of oecumenical, with the rank of a pacha of 

 three tails. He is invested with his dignity by the 

 sultan. (See Greek Church.) The patriarch of 

 Moscow, whose authority extended over the Russian 

 church, was superseded, during the reign of Peter 

 the Great, by the holy synod. In the Catholic 

 church, the archbishops of "Lisbon and Venice have 

 the title of patriarch. The latter has no superiority 

 over other archbishops; the former is primate of 

 Portugal. The patriarchate of Aquileia was divided, 

 in 1750, into the archbishoprics of Udine and Gorz 

 (since of Lay bach). 



PATRICIANS ; a name given to certain families 

 in Rome, distinguished for their origin, wealth, and 

 honours, and from which the senators were chosen. 

 After the manner of the Athenians, Romulus is 

 said to have divided the Roman citizens into two 

 classes, patricians and plebeians. The former were 

 originally called patres (lathers), because they were 

 viewed as the fathers of the people. From this name 

 was derived the title patricians. From these noble- 

 men Romulus formed a senate of 100 persons, who 

 filled the highest offices of state in war and peace, 

 and performed the religious services of the temple 

 till the year of the city 495. The members of this 

 body were styled senators from seneclus (age), be- 

 cause none were chosen" but those who enjoyed the 

 fullest confidence of the people from their age (which 

 was required to be at least twenty-five years), their 

 experience and their skill in the administration of 

 public affairs. When the Sabines were received into 

 Rome, 100 new members were added to the senate. 

 On the fall of the republic, the number had increased 

 to more than 1000 ; but the emperor Augustus re- 

 duced it to 600. A distinction was made between 

 the patres majorum gentium (patricians of the older 

 families), who were descended from the senators 

 chosen by Romulus, and the patres minorum gentium 

 (patricians of the younger families), descended from 

 the senators added by Tarquin the elder. The politi- 

 cal superiority of the patricians over the plebeians 

 was secured to them by the right of patronage (jus 

 patronatus) ; but they lost their privileges in the 

 year of the city 261, when the plebeians obtained a 



complete political equality with the nobles (see 

 Rome), and the highest offices became open indis- 

 criminately to patriciars and plebeians, and, after 

 the year 308, intermarriages between the two classes 

 were permitted. There was no longer any distinc- 

 tion except that arising from family descent. After 

 this, a sort of nobility (nobilitas) was attributed to 

 those who had enjoyed the three highest offices in 

 the state (the offices of consul, pretor, and curale 

 edile). This nobility was transmitted to their pos- 

 terity by the jus imaginum a right to set up in their 

 porticoes the waxen images of their ancestors. It 

 was not necessary for a person to be descended from 

 a patrician family in order to enjoy this distinction ; 

 but it added to the honour of the nobility, particular- 

 ly if accompanied with great merit. The dignity of 

 the patricians was lessened by the fall of the repub- 

 lic, the civil wars, and the establishment of the im- 

 perial dignity. The conquest of Rome by the Goths, 

 which deprived many of the patricians of their liberty 

 or their lives, or compelled them to flee to Constanti- 

 nople, led to the abolition of all distinction between 

 patricians and plebeians. When the seat of govern- 

 ment was removed to Constantinople, Constantine 

 the Great, desirous of restoring the ancient Roman 

 ranks, instituted a new patrician dignity, which was 

 a mere personal title, and which could be acquired 

 only by high birth and distinguished merits. Under 

 the Carlovingians and the succeeding emperors, the 

 title of patrician denoted an exalted rank, and was 

 connected also with the government of Rome and its 

 provinces, and the support of the papal see. Charle- 

 magne assumed the title of a Roman patrician, 

 before he was declared emperor, and Henry IV., as 

 such, deposed pope Gregory VII. In modern times, 

 a few noble families, in the imperial cities were 

 called patricians, because they were especially en- 

 titled to certain high offices. The patricians arose 

 in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, when the 

 fear of depredations in the open country, and the 

 flourishing state of the cities, induced many noble- 

 men to settle in them. See Nobility. 



PATRICK, ST, the apostle of Ireland, was born, 

 according to some accounts, in Kilpatrick, Dumbar- 

 tonshire, Scotland, according to others, in Brittany, 

 Bear the end of the fourth century, and in his youth 

 was carried to Ireland by some freebooters, and em- 

 ployed in keeping sheep. After spending six years 

 in Ireland, he finally returned home, but, as he re- 

 lates in his Confessions, was moved by visions to 

 undertake the conversion of the Irish to Christianity. 

 In'spite of all obstacles, he preached the Christian 

 doctrine among them, and made many converts. 

 He established churches and schools, ordained priests, 

 as bishop of Ireland, and created bishops. The last 

 years of his life were devoted to acts of piety and 

 religious meditation, and he died, at an advanced 

 age, in 493 or 483. His works, containing his Con- 

 fessions, were published with remarks by Ware 

 (London, 1656). 



PATRIMONIAL or HEREDITARY JURIS- 

 DICTION ; that jurisdiction which a person exer- 

 cises over others by right of inheritance, or as owner 

 of an estate. It has its name from being considered 

 part of the inheritance (patrimonium). It exists 

 still in some parts of Germany, sometimes, though 

 rarelj, including even criminal jurisdiction. See 

 Manor. 



PATRIMONIUM PETRI (Patrimony of Peter) 

 is the name of a part of the papal dominions ; a 

 province which it is pretended that the emperor 

 Constantine gave to the pope in the fourth century, 

 but which, in reality, came to the popes in the 

 twelfth century, by a grant of Matilda, countess of 

 Tuscany. See Constantine, Matilda, ami Pope. 



