here are two classes of Roman citizens. Plebeians (Latin: plebs) are the common people whose daily efforts keep your city functioning. Patricians are wealthy aristocrats who don't work; instead, they spend their days visiting one another, lounging in the baths, attending the theaters and debating politics, philosophy and art.

In CaesarIII, all the people who live in any house which is not a villa (which will often mean everyone in your city) are plebs; only those people living in villas are patricians.

Patricians are very rich, and so pay high taxes. Having a reasonable number of them in a city also raises its prosperity. As your city grows wealthier and more cultured, plebeian apartments eventually begin to evolve into villas. Note that this will decrease your workforce, without any reduction in the number of people you need to feed.

You will soon learn to recognize the various different people. All of them have a function, and you can learn about problems the city may have just by watching some of the people. If you see somebody standing still, for example, when usually they are active, right click on them to find out why they're not moving. Or if you see someone who seems a long way out of their normal area, try following that person, which may show you what is wrong.

Your “workforce” consists of approximately two thirds of the number of plebeian citizens between the ages of 22 and 50. Younger people are studying (in schools if you have provided them, otherwise on their own), while people over the age of 50 are retired.