Wondering why everyone is comparing our crumbling political issues to the Ancient Romans political system? Well here's why, patricians were the wealthy and powerful people who ruled the city of Ancient Rome from the Senate. The Senate was Rome's governing body. All of the special, and most political power was controlled by a few ancient families, such as Cornellii, The Jullii, which was the family of Julius Caesar, and the Aemilii. Sadly the Senate lost most of its power under rule of the emperors, but the patrician families still led public opinion.