Here’s Why….
Ever wonder why United States Naval Academy freshmen are called “plebes”?The term dates back to ancient Roman society, where to be in the “fourth class” meant you were counted among the plebeians. The three classes above you were the equestrian class, the senators and the patricians. (There are 4 classes at the U.S. Naval Academy: 4th, 3rd, 2nd and 1st [i.e. freshmen,sophmores, juniors and seniors)
The plebes were the workers — i.e. bakers, builders and other tradesmen. They didn’t have any individual power in Roman society, but when their powers combined, they formed the Roman mob.
Freshmen cadets at the U.S. Military Academy and the U.S. Air Force Academy also are referred to as “plebes”.
Freshmen at the Coast Guard Academy are called “swabs”, which is the nautical term for mops. Because the most junior sailors often were assigned to swab the decks, the Coast Guard adopted this term for its most junior members.
