GRACCHUS, GAIUS SEMPRONIUS B.c.), younger brother of Tiberius, was a man of greater abilities, bolder and more passionate, although possessed of considerable powers of self-control, and a vigorous and impressive orator. When 20 years of age he was appointed one of the commissioners to carry out the distribution of land under the provisions of his brother's agrarian law. At the time of Tiberius's death, Gaius was serving under his - brother-in-law Scipio in Spain, but probably returned to Rome in the following year 032). In 131 he supported the bill of G. Papirius Carbo, the object of which was to make it legal for a tribune to offer himself as candidate for the office in two consecutive years, and thus to remove one of the chief obstacles that had hampered Tiberius. The bill was then rejected, but appears to have subsequently passed in a modified form, as Gaius himself was re-elected without any disturbance. Possibly, however, his re-election was illegal, and he had only succeeded where his brother had failed. For the next few years nothing is heard of Gaius. Public opinion pointed him out as the man to avenge his brother's death and carry out his plans, and the aristo cratic party, warned by the example of Tiberius, were anxious to keep him away from Rome. In 126 Gaius accompanied the consul L. Aurelius Orestes as quaestor to Sardinia, then in a state of revolt. Here he made himself so popular that the senate in alarm prolonged the command of Orestes, in order that Gaius might be obliged to remain there in his capacity of quaestor. But he returned to Rome without the permission of the senate, and, when called to account by the censors, defended himself so suc cessfully that he was acquitted of having acted illegally. The dis appointed aristocrats then brought him to trial on the charge of being implicated in the revolt of Fregellae, and in other ways unsuccessfully endeavoured to undermine his influence. Gaius then decided to act; against the wishes of his mother he became a candidate for the tribuneship, and was elected for the year 123.
Legislative Work.—The following is a summary of his legis lation, apart from special measures aimed at his brother's oppo nents. He revived his brother's agrarian law, which, although it had not been repealed, had fallen into abeyance, and stabilised the price of corn in Rome. He founded the first over-sea colony at Iunonia, on the site of Carthage, with a citizen status. He also remodelled the voting system of the comitia centuriata in such a way as to reduce the influence of the aristocrats. A further group of laws aimed at strengthening the hands of the equites, to whom he gave the right to farm the taxes of Asia, and at the same time he provided that the members of the quaestiones perpetuae, which included the court that dealt with extortion in the provinces, should be drawn from the equites. These measures raised Gaius to the height of his popularity, and during the year of his first tribuneship he may be considered the absolute ruler of Rome. His legislation also involved him in an immense amount of admin istrative work, at which according to Plutarch he was very suc cessful. Store-houses were built for the state-controlled corn (Horrea Semproniana), roads built and improved in the country districts to facilitate transport, and so on. He was chosen tribune for the second time for the year 122. To this period is probably to be assigned his proposal that the franchise should be given to all the Latin communities, and that the status of the Latins should be conferred upon the Italian allies. This proposal would have saved the Social War, but of course lost him favour with his own supporters, and the senate put up Livius Drusus to out bid him with proposals never meant to be carried out. On his return from superintending the organisation of his new colony he failed to secure the tribunate again, and the new consul, L. Opimius, at once proposed the abandonment of Iunonia. A riot during the voting resulted in Gaius being proclaimed a public enemy—the consuls were given plenary powers, and Gaius, who escaped over the Tiber, was found dead next day.