the Gracchus Brothers essays

the Gracchus Brothers essays With his brother, Gaius Gracchus (153-121 BC), Tiberius Gracchus, (163-133 BC), was brought up under special care of his mother, Cornelia, daughter of Scipio Africanus the Elder. In 146 BC he took part in the capture and destruction of Carthage, on which occasion he is said to have been the first Roman to scale the city wall. In 137 BC he acted as financial administrator to the army of Gaius Hostilius Mancinus in Spain. There in the ancient Spanish city of Numantia Tiberius saved from destruction an army of 20,000 Romans, which had been defeated. They were at the mercy of the Numantines who would only negotiate with Tiberius because they trusted his father. Upon his return to Rome Tiberius became a champion of the cause of the common people and the impoverished farmers. He was elected tribune of the people in133 BC, and despite opposition from the aristocracy led by his cousin, Scipio Africanus the Younger, he obtained legislation providing more equal distribution of public lands am ong the small farmers. A committee of three, consisting of Tiberius, his brother Gaius, and his father-in-law Appius Claudius Pulcher, was appointed to carry out the new law. When the term of his tribuneship expired, Tiberius presented himself for re-election. With this declaration he had upset the Senate, which thought that holding the office of tribune for two successive years was unlawful. A rumour followed that he was seeking dictatorial power. His enemies demanded his immediate death and formed a riot in which Tiberius was murdered, along with his 300 followers, and his body thrown into the Tiber River. At the time of hi brothers death, Gaius was serving with the Roman army in Spain. He returned to Rome a year or two later and attained a position in financial administration in 126 BC he was sent to Sardinia, then in a state of rebellion. Even though the Roman Senate wanted to keep Gaius from Rome by extending his term as financial administrat...