The Gracchi Brothers

Things Begin To Approach The Fan

Roman Power Grows

I. Problems in the Late Republic

By 133 BC, Rome was the supreme power inthe Mediterranean world

Rome Has Problems!

The biggest Rome’s problems was the masses of poor people created by:• Poor recruitment

practices (many peasants lost their land)

• The rich taking over and hoarding all this land (used peasants as slaves)

Who would stand up for the common people????

Ironically, the very people who stood up for the people helped bring about the fall of the Roman Republic

I. Problems in the Late Republic

Political and social revolution began becauseof tensions between social classes

A. Social Unrest

Soldier/farmers returned from the Punic Warsto find their homes and farms destroyed

A. Social Unrest

133 BC - The Gracchi, brothers Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus, tried to resolve problems

TIBERIUS GRACCHUS (c.163-133 BC) GAIUS GRACCHUS (c.153-121 BC)

A. Social Unrest

The Gracchi instituted public reforms such as redistributing public land to the farmers

Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus with their mother, Cornelia

Tiberius Gracchus• Grandson of Scipio Africanus• While serving as quaestor, noticed the plight

of the poor• Gangs of poor slaves working on the

huge farms of the rich (Latifundia)• Realized this was due to poor

recruitment practices and the abuses of land policies by the wealthy

• Decided to fight back!• 133 BC – Elected tribune• Brought back old land policies

• Put limits on landholding – all extra land to be divided among people

Tiberius Gracchus• Challenged the Senate

• Did not seek Senate approval for bill – skipped them

• Huge insult – Senate influences one tribune to veto bill

• Tiberius persuades Assembly to eject this tribune – unprecedented

• Senate keeps stalling – is uncooperative• Tiberius responds by running for re-

election – unprecedented• Senate outraged – starts riot and

murders Tiberius and 300 supporters

Tiberius Proposes Lex Agraria

The Senate Responds

Gaius Gracchus Makes The Scene

What Does Gaius Gracchus Want?

• He wants to distribute more public land to the plebeians.

• He wants to make cheap grain available to the poor.

• He wants to limit the power of the Senate.

Gaius Gracchus – Champion of the PeopleTiberius’ younger brother Gaius was also loved by the people, very charismatic• Furious at his brother’s murder, continued in his footsteps

(“Those worst of men have murdered the best of men, my brother!”)

• Also a quaestor, when running for tribune election, so many came to vote that there was notenough room in the city!

• Re-Elected without running

Gaius Gracchus – Champion of the People

More reforms:• Improved roads to make transportation of grain

even cheaper• Provided equipment and clothes for its

soldiers free of charge

These were excellent reforms and made him very popular. Then he got controversial:• Charged the Equestrians with forming the juries

to try extortion cases – instead of the Senate• Equestrians were quick to prosecute the

upper class!• Tried to grant full citizenship to Latin allies – but

this made everybody fear losing power

What Should We Do About Gaius?

The Death Of Gaius

• Killed by Senate along with 3000 allies.

Irony: The very people who stood up for the common people contributed to the destruction of the Roman Republic• Senate supposed to be a system of checks and

balances• But Gracchus bros. alienated the Senate, divided it

from the people• Split Rome apart, created class divisions, led to civil

violence• Set the stage for the fall of the Republic• Violence not law began to control politics.