3/4/12
Goals for this week: Daggers in the Forum: • Chronology of Roman civil strife in 133-78 BC. The Gracchi • What destabilized Rome’s Republic? Rome’s over-expansion, influx of wealth and luxury, land shortages for peasant farmers, increased reliance on slave labor, military reform, trouble with allies, and internal social unrest
• Collapse of 400-yr old system of government.
Tiberius Gracchus: 163-133 BC 133 BC Plebeian family, but very Noble •Tiberius Gracchus as Tribune of the Plebs
• Proposes Agrarian Law: -only 500 iugera of ager publicus allowed per owner -an addi onal 250 iugera to each of owner’s sons -compensa on for lost land -rest of plot distributed to poor (inalienable) -commi ee to supervise • fellow Tribune M. Octavius vetoes law • Octavius then voted out of office by assembly and the law passes. CONSTITUTIONAL???
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Revolu on: 3 Steps Death of Tiberius Gracchus 1. Use Popular Assembly to bypass Senate and • Elec ons for next Tribunate: 133 BC depose a tribune because he vetoes your bill… • Gracchus’ bid for re-elec on opposed 2. When Senate refuses to fund you, force Senate - elec ons delayed to give over windfall of money from Pergamum • Figh ng breaks out to the people (bequest of A alus III of - Gracchus & allies flee to Capitoline Hill Pergamum) • Scipio Nasica (pon fex maximus) leads chase 3. Now that you’ve interfered in Senate’s • Gracchus killed in front of Jupiter’s temple and management of internal AND foreign affairs, next to statues of the kings. you must stay in office so as not to be prosecuted. RUN FOR RE-ELECTION • 300 supporters of Gracchus clubbed to death = uproar and cries of “demagogue-tyrant”
Mo ves for Tiberius Gracchus? S ll More Problems! • Distressed by situa on in Italian countryside? • Land commission con nues and Scipio Nasica leaves Rome • Frightened by reliance on slave-labor? • Many (esp. Italian allies) upset by agrarian law. • Upset with Senate for high-handed treatment when he returned home from Numan a? • Italian allies get Scipio Aemilianus to speak out against agrarian law in 129 BC –but he dies… • Greek ideals and educa on? • In 125 BC, the consul Fulvius Flaccus proposes • Further his career with the People’s favor and get to appease Italian allies by offering them Roman around checks and balances? ci zenship. -- a good guy trying to save mos maiorum? The senate rejects the idea. --or a bad guy trying to subvert them?
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Gaius Gracchus: 154-121 BC BUT Senate decides to beat Gracchus at own game:
• Two tribunates: 123 and 122 BC 122 BC: Livius Drusus, another tribune, vetoes • Program of Reform: Gracchus’ proposals. - Passes law making it illegal to kill a Roman without assembly - Con nues agrarian reform Drusus then trumps Gaius Gracchus by: - Proposes founding of new colonies and builds roads 1) abolishing rent for public lands. - Grain Law: lex frumentaria 2) proposing to found 12 colonies (more than - Transfers the courts from Senators to Equites G. had promised) - Imposes new tax on province of Asia 3) offers La n allies exemp on from scourging - Tries (along with Fulvius Flaccus) to secure ci zenship & or execu on by Roman generals. right to vote for La n Allies Popular favor turns away from Gaius Gracchus.
Death of Gaius Gracchus: 121 BC What just happened??
1) Gaius Gracchus & Fulvius Flaccus allowed to set up Were the Gracchi demagogues? colony at Carthage, but rumors of bad omens… Results? - Wolves disturb boundary stones?? Redefini on of Roman poli cs: new self-consciousness 2) 121 BC: Gracchus NOT re-elected tribune! - Italian allies enraged - Senate summons assembly to repeal authoriza on for - Equites get poli cal force the colony at Carthage & violence breaks out! - People realize their power - Tribunes become the way to get things done 3) Senatus consultum ul mum: ul mate decree - Senate’s weakness revealed 4) Gracchans flee -Realiza on that interests of individual and interests of state -Run to Aven ne Hill & try nego a on w/ consul Opimius not necessarily the same any more 5) Gracchus killed and Temple to Concord erected -End of consensus at Rome and beginning of civil violence
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