GRACCHUS, grak'fis, Tiberius Sempro nius and Gaius Sempronius, two Roman statesmen: b. about 163 ac. and 159 B.c.; d. 133 B.C. and 121 B.c. In their attempts to ob tain reforms favorable to the commons, they awakened popular commotions of which they themselves became the victims. Tiberius served under the command of his brother-in law, the younger Scipio, at the siege of Carthage, and was the first man to mount the walls. He was subsequently qumstor to the army of the consul Mancinus, who at that time waged war against the Numantines in Spain. After the defeat of Mancinus, he concluded a treaty with the Numantines, which, without be ing disgraceful to the Romans, secured to the Numantines their independence. This treaty, however, was opposed by the aristocratic party and repudiated by the Senate. Tiberius, never theless, upheld by the populace, in 133 B.c. was elected tribune of the plebs, and sought to re form the condition of the poorer citizens who were without land, and since the great estates of the wealthy were cultivated by slaves, also largely without employment. He endeavored to attain his object by the revival of the Licin ian Rogations. It had been decreed, on the proposition of the tribune, Licinius Stolo, °that no one should possess more than 500 acres (jugera, each 28,000 square feet) of the public domain (ager publicus), and that the overplus should be equally divided among the plebeians? This law, which was now called the Gracchan, the Sempronian, or by way of emi nence the Agrarian Law, he revived, but with the introduction of several softening clauses. The proposition of Tiberius Gracchus was met with the most determined opposition by the ruling party. To counteract his plans the Sen ate gained over one of the tribunes, Marcus Octavius; and when Tiberius, after having, ac cording to custom, exposed his law 19 days to the public view, proceeded to take the votes of the assembled people upon it, Octavius inter posed with his veto, and thus seemed at once to have defeated the whole undertaking. Ti berius now exerted all the prerogatives of his office, sealed up the treasury•and forbade all the authorities the discharge. of their several offices. He saw, however, that this was of no service to his plan. He therefore took a step till then unheard of in Roman history. At the next assembly of the people he obtained the expulsion of Octavius from office, as faithless to the cause of the people. The bill was thus passed, and a committee consisting of Tiberius himself, his brother Gaius and his father-in Appius Claudius, appointed to carry out its various provisions. All the difficulties which stood in the way of the law now appeared in their full light. Even the preparatory business of ascertaining which was the public land, and which private property, was found to have its full share. Outcries and complaints were made from every part of Italy. When June of the following year came on, in which the tribunes for the next year were to be elected, Tiberius, who had endeavored to regain the favor of the people by some new propositions, offered himself again as a candidate for the office. The aristocrats used every effort to
prevent his election, and the .ferment in Rome was carried to the highest pitch. One election day went by without any election being made. On the next a vast multitude beset the forum, and the Senate assembled in the neighboring temple of Faith (Fides). Tiberius strove in vain to speak, and was killed in the tumult which followed. The place of the murdered Tiberius was filled by Licinius Crassus, father in-law of Gaius Gracchus; and on his death Carbo, Fulvius Flaccus and Gaius Gracchus constituted the committee appointed for the enforcement of the law.
In this way the parties had struggled with varying success, when, in 123 the younger Gracchus, who, as qumstor, had been with the army in Sardinia, obtained the tribuneship. With more varied and shining talents than his brother, he united a stormy eloquence, which carried away his hearers. In the dis charge of his office as tribune he first of all renewed his brother's law, which had mean while fallen into disuse, and revenged his mem ory by expelling many of his most violent enemies from the city. At the same time he carried through a law °that every month corn should be sold to the poor at a low fixed rate,' and by another law effected some alleviitions in the rigor of the military service, and en sured for the soldiers clothing, besides their pay. The people were animated with an un limited enthusiasm for their favorite; his enemies were terrified and weakened; hence he obtained the renewal of his office for the following year with ease. His attempt to in troduce 300 knights into the Senate failed; but on the other hand, at his proposal the admin istration of justice was taken from the Senate and transferred to the equestrian order. This gave rise to a new political power in the Ro man commonwealth, which, holding a station intermediate between the Senate and the peo ple, had a most powerful influence in its sub sequent history. The Senate now resorted to a new but sure means of destroying Gaius. Livius Drusus, a tribune gained over to their interests, had the art to withdraw the affections of the populace from Gaius by making greater promises to them, and thus obtained a superior popularity for himself and the Senate. Hence it resulted that Gaius did not obtain a third tribuneship, and Opimius, one of his bitterest enemies, was chosen to the consulate. In the ensuing civil disturbances Gaius was slain by his slave, at his command. Consult Beesly, The Gracchi: Marius and Sulla> (London 1878) ; Mommsen, of Rome,' Vol. IV (New York 1903-05); Oman, Ro man Statesmen of the Later Republic) (Lon don 1902); Underhill, Lives of the Gracchi) (London 1892).