2001 ah n gaius fleischer

8/11/2019 2001 AH N Gaius Fleischer

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Constituents

The city of Rome

Annexed territory in Latium,

S.Eturia and Campania and

through Sabine territory to the

Adriatic

The 27 colonies and the

small garrisons

Latin towns that werent

absorbed by Rome

New Latin colonies !

they were given land for

farming but were primarily

military in function (on non-

Roman territory)

150 communities

(Greeks, Etruscans and

Italians)

Bound to Rome by

treaties

Rightsan

dDuties

Two classes of citizens-

Full citizens !with political

and private rights, usually lived in

or near to Rome so they could

attend assemblies

Citizens without political

rights !had private rights but

couldnt vote

Both groups were subject to

taxation and military service in the

legions

Private rights of

commerciumand

connubium

Self-government

Could move to Rome

and become citizen if a sonof military age remained in

the colony

Service (not in Roman

legions) in separate

divisions

Self-government

No taxes to Rome (not

placed under Roman

magistrates)

Foreign policy controlled

by Rome

Liable for military quota

(service in separate

divisions)

G proposed to extend citizenship to the Latin allies and the Latin status to the Italian allies

He failed in this because Fannius undermined the bill by working on the selfish interests of the

voters in Rome and their jealousy of the allies

The nobility feared that an influx of new voters might disturb their control of the assemblies

The Equites wanted to avoid giving any advantages to their Italian commercial rivals

The pleb didnt want to share the benefits of citizenship !cheap grain and entertainment

It was also perhaps vetoed by Livius

The Senates SCU

SCU !senatus consultum ultimun

This was a resolution which allowed the consuls had to make sure that the republic suffered no

harm

This warned the magistrates that the Senate regarded the situation as critical and although it didnt

increase their constitutional powers, it reassured them that they had the Senates moral support

The significance of the Gracchi

Difficult to assess the Gracchi because of sources (biased)

The reforms of the Gracchi were long over-due and their programs were genuine attempts to deal

with Romes problems


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They were frustrated with the conservatism and selfishness of the oligarchy and so adopted

methods which threatened the balance between the senate, the magistrates and the people which had

existed for a very long time !in this way they can be regarded as revolutionary

They probably interpreted the problems too simply and they failed to see that the Roman society

had changed

S also failed to see these changes and reacted to the Gracchi s actions in the only way they could

- violence

GAIUS GRACCHUSLAWS

Equestrian

Reform Aim of G Results Long-term effects

The juries in lawcourts were to be

made up of Equites

not senators

To gain favourwith Equites for his

allies legislation

To give the

Equites a share in gov

and weaken power of

senate

To stop the juries

lenience towards

corrupt governors

(members of their own

class)

Gave Equitessome political power

Made provincial

governors at the

mercy of the Equites

(so many governors

turned a blind eye to

them)

Equites became a 3

rd

political force in Rome

Within 10 yrs most

had aligned themselves

with either the senate or

the people for their own

political gain

Control of courts was

an issue of contention for

next 50yrs and hostility

between classes

The contract for

the collection of taxes

in Asia was auctioned

by censors

Only the Equites

had the capital to bid They paid a lump

sum then collected

the taxes + profit from

the provincials

To finance his

social reforms

Gain support of

Equites

To avoid creating

a board of financialofficials

To protect

provincials from

exploitation by

governors

Gave Equites

opportunities to make

enormous profits

(legally and illegally)

Inadvertently created

more injustice and caused

provincials misery and

suffering as the Equites

exploited them

A law was passed

against judicial

corruption

This made the


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bribery of juries a

criminal offence

Only applicable to

the senators, not the

Equites because it

was passed before

the courts were

transferred to the

latter

Senate "Consular Provinces


The consularprovinces had to be

allocated prior to the

consular elections

(previously had been

decided after their

year of office)

To preventnsenators from

rewarding their friends

with favourable

provinces

To improve

efficiency in provinces

The senate stillchoose the provinces

to be allocated, since

they knew what was

needed in foreign

affairs

Didnt improve

efficiency in the provinces

Urban and Rural Plebs


The state bought

grain supplies and

stored in public

warehouses

The gov would

sell a monthly ration

to citizens at a low

price

Relieve growing

poverty and hunger of

urban mob

To reduce the

annual fluctuations in

corn process

Prevent private

profiteering Provide

employment (building

of warehouses)

To detach plebs

from patrons

Alleviated the

hunger of the poor

Gave G the

support of the urban

mob, for a short time

Probably

contributed to the

mobs refusal to

support citizenship for

allies

These measures were

perverted by politicians

who used it as a political

bribe and dole

Not Gs fault

Proposition of

colonies in Italy and

overseas

To relieve

overcrowded cities of

poor and unemployed

To continue his

Colonies did

alleviate the poor and

crowded conditions

This was the

beginning of a new type of

colony !urban and

commercial


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brothers policy of

rehabilitating the

peasantry

To attract those

with capital to

establish industries

This was the

forerunner or later

overseas settlements of

Romans under Caesar

Construction of

an extensive system

of secondary roads

Employment

Improve

communications

Help farmers get

grain to markets

Roads which had

been previously built

for strategic purposes

now provided direct

communication

between fertile areas

and facilitated Italianagriculture

These became part of

the extensive network of

Roman roads which

served the empire

Soldiers were to

be provided with

clothes by state

Youths under 17

werent allowed to

enlist

To improve

conditions in the army

Helped the

peasantry who made

up the bulk of the

legions

This was the

forerunner of further army

reforms introduced by

Marius

Courts with

powers of capital

appeal were declared

illegal unless they

were set up by the

people

Made retroactive

To avenge his

brothers death by

challenging the

senates action of

putting his supporters

to death without a trial

Polpilius, the

consul of 132 who

presided over the

tribunal which tried Ts

followers, was

impeached and exiled

Reaffirmed the ancient

principle that a citizens life

was under protection of

the assembly

Extend

citizenship to the

Latin allies and Latinstatus to the Italian

allies

To solve a

potentially dangerous

situation which wasembittering political life

Recognise and

acknowledge support

given by allies

To gain the allies

support in his attempts

top further weaken the

senate

Vetoed by Livius

Drusus and opposed

by most sections ofsociety

Nobility feared that

they would disturb

their control over the

assemblies

Equites didnt

want to give away any

advantages to their

Italian commercial

The allies eventually

took their citizenship by

waging war on Romewhich almost destroyed

the Roman state


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rivals

Any magistrate

who was deposed

from office by the

people should be

disqualified from

further office

To avenge his

brothers death, aimed

specifically at Octavius

Cornelia

persuaded him to drop

it (supposedly)

N/A

2001 ah n gaius fleischer

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