Download Gracchus Brothers: Fight Against the Senate for Reform

Senate for Reform Within Rome
Austin Turner
Senior Division
Historical Paper
Paper Length: 2,316 Words
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With both of their bodies thrown in the Tiber River Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus
were no more. During the late Roman Republic, the two brothers wished to reform the
Republic to better serve the poor with the problems that afflicted them. Thus they
became champions of the poor and enemies of the Senate. They may have failed in
their mission, but they took an important stand against the Senate that would have fixed
the prolific problems with Rome’s poor that would ultimately cause the decline of Rome.
Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus, or Tiberius the Younger, was born thirteen
years older than Gaius Gracchus to a wealthy Roman family known as the Gracchii
(Plutarch, Life of Tiberius). His father Tiberius Gracchus the Elder was one of the most
politically powerful men in Rome at the time. Tiberius the Elder was elected Consul, the
highest office in the Roman Republic, two times and had three triumphs, which are a
celebration of one man's military victory. Even to have one triumph is a great feat for
any Roman. Tiberius the Elder promoted a policy that provided land to be given to the
poor (Dewitt, Portnow, Jones Gracchus the Elder – Prequel). Although not on such a
widespread scale as his sons would eventually suggest, the idea of giving the poor land
would be passed down to his sons. Tiberius the Elder would die while Tiberius was a
young man and while Gaius was a child. This lead to them both being parented by their
mother Cornelia Africana, who was considered the perfect example of a Roman woman.
Cornelia herself was the daughter of Scipio Africanus who had won the Battle of Zama
for Rome against Carthage in the Second Punic War (DeWitt, Portnow, Jones The
Brothers Gracchi - 1: How Republics Fall) Her education of Tiberius and Gaius was
conducted with such care Plutarch described it as:
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“These sons Cornelia reared with such scrupulous care that although
confessedly no other Romans were so well endowed by nature, they were thought to
owe their virtues more to education than to nature” (Plutarch, Life of Tiberius).
This education provided the morality and thoughts of the brothers to put others
worries and needs ahead of them for the betterment of Rome. The tutelage of mother
and father together provided an unexpected upbringing as the family greatly cared for
the poor of Rome. This is remarkable as the wealthy in Rome often felt threatened by
the poor people whenever a reform was to be passed. The rich felt that the poor would
take away their wealth and power. Wishing to hold onto what they felt they would be
taken away, often made sure such reforms never passed.
After his father's death, Tiberius became a soldier and then a politician. Tiberius
the Younger was renowned in Rome for it is said he was the first over the walls of
Carthage during the Third Punic War, and that he saved the Roman Army in Spain
against the Numantines in Iberia, or modern day Spain (Plutarch, Life of Tiberius
Gracchus). Tiberius himself was known as a gentle speaker who showed care for all
Romans. In the year 133 BC, he was elected to the office of tribune. Tribunes were the
representatives of the common folk of Rome. They could bring up ideas for laws and
had one veto over the senate for any law that they felt would harm the people (TribuneLivius)
Before and during Tiberius’ life. Many citizens of Rome had fled the country to
get jobs. However, once they arrived in Rome they still couldn't find a job. With time just
doing no
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work they thought about their own situation and became angry. This is what
would form the basis of support for reform in Rome (DeWitt, Portnow, Jones The Brothers
Gracchi - 1: How Republics Fall).
During his tenure as Tribune, Tiberius wished to pass a new agrarian reform to
give land to veterans who had lost their farms while fighting in wars and to the poor
landless people in Rome (Land Ownership in Rome). The main point of this law was to
limit people from owning more than 500 jugera. One jugera is equal to 3000 square feet
(Histories of Appian). Tiberius supported the new laws by saying that:
The wild beasts that roam over Italy, have every one of them a cave or lair to lurk
in; but the men who fight and die for Italy enjoy the common air and light, indeed, but
nothing else; houseless and homeless they wander about with their wives and children.
And it is with lying lips that their imperators exhort the soldiers in their battles to defend
sepulchers and shrines from the enemy; for not a man of them has an hereditary altar,
not one of all these many Romans an ancestral tomb, but they fight and die to support
others in wealth and luxury, and though they are styled masters of the world, they have
not a single clod of earth that is their own (Plutarch, Life of Tiberius Gracchus).
With this speech, Tiberius produced emotions so powerful that it increased
support for the new law. This speech was so powerful because it showed the
unfairness of it all. The veterans had put their lives on the line for Rome, yet they came
back with nothing as only the wealthy had gained from the wars.
The wealthy landowners in Rome saw this as a strike against their power, so
they did whatever they could to stop the passage of Tiberius’ land reform. This included
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bribing and calling the laws “non Roman”. However, there was popular support, so the
commoners in Rome still supported Tiberius (Extra History Part 3).
However, another tribune, Marcus Octavius, started to block any laws Tiberius
attempted to send through the Senate. They would debate long and hard to convince
the other to change their minds. At this moment there were two things said to have
happened. Firstly, Plutarch states of the situation that:
“Although both strove together with the utmost earnestness and rivalry, neither
abused the other or let fall a single word about the other which anger made unseemly.
For not only "in Bacchic revelries," as it appears, but also in the exercise of rivalry and
wrath, a noble nature and a sound training restrain and regulate the mind” (Plutarch,
Life of Tiberius).
With Cassius Dio, he considers them as terrible people who were ruining the
Republic. He stated that:
“Thereafter there was no semblance of moderation; but zealously vying, as they
did, each to prevail over the other rather than to benefit the state, they committed many
acts of violence more appropriate in a despotism than in a democracy, and suffered
many unusual calamities appropriate to war rather than to peace” (Cassius Dio, Roman
History).
With such different thoughts on the subject there must be an idea for why there is
two differing viewpoints. It is by looking at them we find that Cassius Dio despises what
Tiberius stands for. He finds that Tiberius was on a noble path until lead astray by
power. With a hatred of this very man, Cassius Dio might be not writing the truth, but a
construct to support the notion of Tiberius being villainous.
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Voting for land reforms began without issue until the voting urns were stolen
away by the people who would lose the most from the vote. Since the rich had taken the
voting urns, the issue was sent to the Senate. Due to the Senate largely being noble the
law became bogged down. Upon realizing that it would never pass through the Senate,
Tiberius begged for Octavius to resign. Four times Tiberius beseeched him to resign,
four times he refused. When the vote came down Octavius was removed from office.
(Plutarch, Life of Tiberius)
The reforms would eventually pass through with the support of the people. With
Octavius’ removal from office, the Senate did little to oppose Tiberius. Tiberius with
support from the people or they would be like Octavius (Plutarch, Life of Tiberius). Soon
afterward the law passed. Tiberius did whatever he could to raise the power of the poor.
This included adding judges who were not senators and reducing the time for military
service. Tiberius did this to further improve the Roman system to better suit the poor.
No doubt these laws also increased his own political power, but in his mind it was most
likely to allow him to offer aid as he was known as a humble man.
With his term as tribune over, he wished to run yet again. During the
voting the people crowded around their champion. While they crowded around him
Tiberius gestured to his head to signify that the Senators were coming to kill him.
Previously there had been threats to his life that made him dread re-election. Fearing a
fight slaves, and other friends of Tiberius made makeshift clubs to defend themselves.
Upon the day of re-election, the Senate organized a group that were warned by people
on the edge of the crowd that were unable to hear what Tiberius had said (Extra History
Part 3). The Senate was said to have misunderstood the message as Tiberius putting a
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crown over his head. However, the Senate saw an opportunity to slay their biggest
adversary. To think that they wouldn’t strike with such favorable circumstances was just
preposterous.
Most of the Senate wished to deal with Tiberius, but one consul had no
will to slay Tiberius without a trial as it would be unlawful. The other Consul Scipio
Nasica rose up and spoke:
"Since, then, the chief magistrate betrays the state, do ye who wish to succour
the laws follow me" (Plutarch, Life of Tiberius).
With the Senate rallied against Tiberius, they went into the crowd and fought
Tiberius’ supporters. Once the fighting ended Tiberius was clubbed to death.
Subsequently, his body was tossed in the Tiber River which meant he didn’t deserve a
proper burial. This event is one of the first acts of political violence in the Roman
Republic. Consequently, many other acts of political discord would occur.
It would take nine years until another Gracchus would rise and fall just as
hard as the one before him. His name was Gaius, the younger brother of Tiberius.
Gaius Gracchus supported the same reforms as his brother, but he was none the less
another man. His oratory was fiery so much that he would have a person play a harp if
his voice became too loud and booming (Extra History Part 4 Enter Gaius). Before his
brother’s death, Gaius didn’t want to take part in the politics of Rome. Gaius was forced
into the position of governor of Sardinia to quell an uprising on the island in order to help
a friend (Plutarch, Life of Gaius). Previously, Cornelia sent a letter after Tiberius’ death
to Gaius saying:
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You will say that it is a beautiful thing to take vengeance on enemies. To no one
does this seem either greater or more beautiful than it does to me, but only if it is
possible to pursue these aims without harming our country. But seeing as that cannot
be done, our enemies will not perish for a long time and for many reasons, and they will
be as they are now rather than have our country be destroyed and perish (Cornelia
Africana, Letter).
The letter had importance as it shows the Gracchii put the people of Rome ahead
of themselves. In turn, this furthers the idea of their education providing an important
role to create the two brother’s ideas for helping the people in Rome to live a better life.
.
Soon afterward Gaius’ term as Governor ended, he ascended to the same
position as his brother, tribune, due to his actions as governor in Sardinia. Gaius as
tribune passed many laws including distribution of wheat by state granaries in order to
sell wheat cheaply to those in need (Background to the Grain Law), soldiers not having
to personally pay for uniforms, and largest of all was to allow the middle class in Rome
to be judges (Extra History Part 4). All of these laws would soon pass due to the Senate
waiting to strike at Gaius (Appian, The Civil Wars).
Gaius had achieved a second term as tribune due to the laws passing
through the government. Afterwards Gaius took a stand to enfranchise the Italian allies
outside of Rome and establish Roman colonies throughout the Mediterranean by
enfranchising all of Italy, It would improve relations between different parts of Italy. With
better relations it would create a more unified republic. Many, including poor in Rome,
scorned this new law. The other Tribune, Drsus, convinced by the Senate vetoed the
law. In turn Drsus took a lighter version of the law to gain Gaius’ supporters. Once
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Gaius realized what had happened was too late. The poor had found a new champion
for a short time, and the Senate had found a way to pass laws that Tiberius proposed to
attract Tiberius’ supporters. Soon after Tiberius death, the laws passed in order to strike
at Tiberius would later be repealed (Extra History Part 5).
Having lost many of his supporters they took to the streets of Rome(Tiberius
Gaius Gracchus). The problem for them is that it soon became an armed revolt. At the
time the Senate had passed a new law that the Senate could declare anyone an enemy
of the state and execute them without a trial (Appian, The Civil Wars). This would only
set up more civil strife for the Roman Republic later on as they could murder anyone
that they felt threaten by. The consul at the time was severely unpopular, he declared
martial law and gathered up 3,000 armed troops and led them to where Gaius was
positioned with his supporters. Gaius himself was unarmed with nothing but the clothes
on his body, before he left home his wife begged him not to leave saying:
Not to the rostra, O Caius, do I now send thee forth, as formerly, to served as
tribune and law-giver, nor yet to a glorious war, where, shouldst thou die (and all men
must die), thou wouldst at all events leave me an honoured sorrow; but thou art
exposing thyself to the murderers of Tiberius, and thou doest well to go unarmed, that
thou mayest suffer rather than inflict wrong; but thy death will do the state no good. The
worst has at last prevailed; by violence and the sword men's controversies are now
decided. If thy brother had only fallen at Numantia, his dead body would have been
given back to us by terms of truce; but as it is, perhaps I too shall have to supplicate
some river or sea to reveal to me at last thy body in its keeping. Why, pray, should men
longer put faith in laws or gods, after the murder of Tiberius?
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" While Licinia was thus lamenting, Plutarch then said “Gaius gently freed himself
from her embrace and went away without a word, accompanied by his friend’s”
(Plutarch, Life of Gaius).
By not saying a word as he left it showed that he understood what he was giving
his life for and that he was willing to still proceed and go anyway into the perilous
situation that he foresaw in his future. He was determined to fight for the cause even
though his very life was at stake.
During the fighting Gaius was led back away to a wooden bridge that crossed the
Tiber. It was there that the Roman soldiers caught Gaius and his servant. Two varying
accounts are given first that Gaius ordered his servant to kill him or second, the servant
fell on top of Gaius to deflect any blows upon his master until he himself was dispatched
(Plutarch, Life of Gaius). Gaius’ head would be cut off and his body and thrown in the
Tiber River just as his brother was(Extra History Part 5 The Final Fall).
During the tenure of the Gracchus Brothers, the economic condition of the
Roman Republic was dire. Rome had been struggling for a while with the increasing
wealth gap between the aristocrats and the commoners (Don Nardo, Fall of the Roman
Empire). The main reason for this is that the citizen soldiers gained little plunder in war
and returned to their farms and shops to find them rundown or taken away(How
Inequality, Diversity And Empire Brought Down The Roman Republic).Thus the rich
were able to gain vast swaths of land from the average citizens.
The Roman economy itself was stagnant for a while with most just barely getting
basic needs such as food, water, and shelter (Poverty in the Roman World). The
Gracchus brothers saw this and attempted to correct the issue by issuing land to the
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poor. If the poor received the land and kept it, then the citizen’s life needs would be met
with living standards going up. This would include less squalor in the cities due to more
money in the hands of common Romans. Once their life needs would be met, the
friction between the social classes within Rome would lessen for a time.
Not only did the Gracchii brothers attempt to fix Rome's economic problems, but
they wished to fix what they saw as a corrupt government sitting idly by as there was an
abuse of power (Outlines of Roman History). One of these reforms was to not allow only
senate members to be judges. The reason behind the law being that many senate
members would rule in cases for their own prosperity. Had reforms been passed, many
more would follow to fix the dilemma. The issues within the government help weaken
the foundation of Rome by bad administration, heighten the ensuing power struggles,
and an increased tension between the social classes.
Even though the Gracchi brothers didn’t accomplish their goal, they took a stand
for the poor and weak of Rome. Their stand was an important one that would have fixed
many of the issues leading to the collapse of Rome.
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Annotated Bibliography
Primary Sources
Africana, Cornelia. Letter to Gaius Gracchus. 122 bce. MS. Italy, Rome.
This source provided a “first-hand”
letter to Gaius from his mother soon
after Tiberius death. It provided that
the two brother were raised to better
their country, and to not be petty
against others for revenge if it
harmed the country as a whole
Secondary Sources
Appian. The Histories of Appian. Comp. Bill Thayer. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Penelope University of
Chicago. Web. 3 Nov. 2016.”
With this source, it provided me with
more information on Tiberius’ land
reforms such as limiting land
ownership to 500 jugera. It also talked
about the general social strife within
Rome at the time.
Cavanaugh, Jeffrey. "How Inequality, Diversity And Empire Brought Down The Roman Republic."
MintPress News. MintPress, 09 Apr. 2014. Web. 30 Sept. 2016.
This source was helpful as it talked
about how the downfall of Rome
came from the separation between
social classes in Rome, which let me
further connect the fight for social
reform to the fall of Rome.
Garnsey, Peter, and Dominic Rathbone. "The Background to the Grain Law of Gaius Gracchus."
Journal of Roman Studies 75 (1985): 20-25. Cambridge Core. Web. 2 Nov. 2016.
This source provided me with that
some reforms that Gaius passed were
the construction of state granaries
and the price of grain for the regular
sale to citizens.
Gracchus the Elder - Prequel: In His Footsteps - Extra History. By Scott DeWitt, James Portnow,
and Dan Jones. Perf. Floyd. Www.youtube.com. Google, 10 Sept. 2016. Web. 14 Oct.
2016.
This source was important to my
project as it talked about the past of
Tiberius and Gaius’ father. It gave me
Tiberius Gracchus’ success in politics
and militarily and his support for
some land reform that would be
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passed down to his sons.
Lendering, Jona. "Tribune." Livius. Livius, 2002. Web. 19 Oct. 2016.
This source was important as it talked
about the office of the tribune and the
powers that it held.
"L3H • Roman History Part I — Ch.9 The Gracchi Brothers." L3H • Roman History Part I — Ch.9
The Gracchi Brothers. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Oct. 2016.
This source talked about the two
brothers seeing how important the
poor were to the development of
Rome that they wished to help them.
Nardo, Don. The Fall of the Roman Empire. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven, 1998. Print.
This book was important as it talked
about the economic condition of the
Roman Empire and the issues that
lead to the fall of Rome. It also talks
about how the civil strife within Rome
weakened it for the subsequent fall.
Osborne, Robin, and Margaret Atkins. "Poverty in the Roman World." EHnet. Economic History
Services, July 2008. Web. 04 Oct. 2016.
This source helped me with my
project as it talked about the
stagnation of the the Roman economy
and how it hindered Rome.
Plutarch. "Life of Caius." Comp. Bill Thayer. Parallel Lives. N.p.: n.p., n.d. N. pag. Penelope. Web.
6 Oct. 2016.
In this source there was a description
of Caius’’ life. It gave his personality
with his fiery oratory, his career before
Tribune, how he was elected to tribune
twice, and his death. It also provided
many stories about Gaius that may or
may not be true.Lastly it gave first
hand sayings of Gaius and his
Plutarch. “Life of Tiberius.”. Comp. Bill Thayer. Parallel Lives N.p.: n.p., n.d. Penelope. Web. 6 Oct.
2016.
In this source there was a description
of Tiberius’ life. It had his care under
his mother, his rise to tribune, and
ultimately his death to the hands of the
ultimately his death to the hands of the
senators. It also provided many
speeches from both parties between
Tiberius and the Senators.
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Richardson, J. S. "The Ownership of Roman Land: Tiberius Gracchus and the Italians." The
Journal of Roman Studies 70 (1980): 1-11. JSTOR. Web. 19 Oct. 2016.
This source was important as it talks
about the importance of the gain law
from Tiberius for citizens.
The Brothers Gracchi - 4: Enter Gaius. By James Portnow, Scott DeWitt, and Dan Jones. Perf.
Daniel Floyd. Www.youtube.com. Google, 27 Aug. 2016. Web. 5 Oct. 2016.
This video was helpful as it talked
about how Gaius had gained the
support to the middle class by allowing
them to be judges.
The Brothers Gracchi - 1: How Republics Fall. By James Portnow, Scott DeWitt, and Dan Jones.
Perf. Daniel Floyd. Www.youtube.com. Google, 6 Aug. 2016. Web. 5 Oct. 2016
This video was helpful as it talked
about the many citizens of Rome went
about the many citizens of Rome went
to Rome in order to get jobs. However
once there, they were unable to get a
job. Consequently they became angry.
It also talked about the past of Cornelia
Who was the mother of the brothers
The Brothers Gracchi - 2: Populares. By James Portnow, Scott DeWitt, and Dan Jones. Perf.
Daniel Floyd. Www.youtube.com. Google, 13 Aug. 2016. Web. 5 Oct. 2016.
This video was helpful as it talked
about how the Senators and rich
landowners used bribes and many
arguments in order to try to halt the l
laws being passed by Tiberius.
The Brothers Gracchi - 3: Ochlocracy. By James Portnow, Scott DeWitt, and Dan Jones. Perf.
Daniel Floyd. Www.youtube.com. Google, 20 Aug. 2016. Web. 5 Oct. 2016
This video was helpful as it talked
about the time before the second
election of Tiberius dealing with false
reports and misinterpreted what had
happened.
The Brothers Gracchi - 5: The Final Fall - Extra History. By James Portnow, Dan Jones, and Scott
DeWitt. Perf. Daniel Floyd. Www.youtube.com. Google, 3 Sept. 2106. Web. 6 Oct. 2016.
This video was helpful as it talked about
how the senate had proposed Gaius’
laws as their own laws in order to gain
the common people's support.
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