The equestrian rank was an order in the Roman state from the very beginning.

It was at first confined to the nobility, and none but the patricians had the privilege of serving on horseback.

But in the later ages, it became a political dignity, and persons were raised to the equestrian rank by the amount of their possessions.
16.

The next great change took place after the expulsion of the kings; annual magistrates, called consuls, were elected in the comitia centuriata, but none but patricians could hold this office.17.

The liberties of the people were soon after extended and secured by certain laws, traditionally attributed to Vale'rius Public'ola, of which the most important was that which allowed[10] an appeal to a general assembly of the people from the sentence of a magistrate.