the gracchi brothers things begin to approach the fan
TRANSCRIPT
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.