Proletarians

(1) In ancient Rome, under a reform ascribed to the king Servius Tullius (sixth century B.C.), those citizens not included in the five classes based on property rating. The proletarians formed one century in the national militia and had one vote (out of 193) in the comitia. During the late Republican and the Imperial periods, they were declassed strata of society (lumpen proletarians), living off contributions from the state and the wealthy.

(2) In a capitalist society, the class of hired workers.