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these latifundia, the forerunner in many ways to ate, he brought directly to the people legislation The small
modern, industrial farms both here and abroad. to restore public lands—lands that were often
Wealthy senators or their patrician friends owned illegally owned or occupied by senators and yeoman farms
these large farms, which were worked by slave wealthy businessmen—to the poor, landless Ro- and their
gangs. The owners often exerted considerable man citizens. While the people overwhelmingly workers could
power in and over the Roman political system, supported and passed his measure, the senate
manipulating and at times even paralyzing the blocked the  nancing needed to carry out the not compete
senate and government from dealing with the mandates of the bill. Tiberius again bypassed against the
nation’s problems. The small yeoman farms the senate, funneling the bequest of the king slave gangs
and their workers could not compete against the of Pergamum to provide the needed  nancing
slave gangs of the latifundia and were forced for his reforms. When he sought reelection as of the
to abandon their homes and property to seek tribune his adversaries, under the pretext that latifundia and

employment in the cities, decimating the small, he was seeking to become king, incited a mob were forced to

rural communities that once lled the Italian to kill him and many of his supporters.
countryside. Gaius Gracchus was not deterred by his abandon their
The loss of the small farms resulted in brother’s demise. However, he decided that only homes and

more and more people owing into the already a dictator could remedy the political gridlock and lands to seek
crowded cities. These rootless newcomers helped powerful special interests that now controlled the
drive up unemployment, crime, vice and the need Roman government. Having learned from his employment
for government handouts, all of which further brother’s mistakes, he  rst sought to gain broader in the cities,

strained the nation’s resources and nances dur- popular support among Rome’s other classes for decimating
ing a time of mounting external and economic his reforms, to counteract the strength of the
pressures. As people left the countryside, more senate and special interests, by securing land the small, rural
and more land became available for the latifundia for small farmers, courting the special interests communities
to acquire creating a terrible cycle of low com- with favorable laws, providing food and clothing that once filled
modity prices forcing population displacement, for the poor and offering citizenship to Rome’s
followed by urban overcrowding and decay, and allies. the Italian

nally to even greater burdens on the Roman His efforts were not enough and he found countryside.
cities and government. Rome went from a nation himself a tool of the very groups he had hoped
of many small, independent, and self-sufcient to bend to his own purposes. After Gaius failed

landowners to a nation controlled by a few rich to gain reelection to the of ce of tribune for a
and powerful “landlords,” with large portions of third term, and thus  nding himself at the mercy
the population trapped in government-supported of his numerous enemies, some of his followers
poverty or latifundia slavery. began to riot. The Roman senate authorized
Two young men, the Gracchi brothers, the consul Opimius to do whatever was needed
sought to check the growth of the latifundia and to quell the disturbance. Opimius mobilized
restore the yeoman farmers. The older brother, the Roman army to put down the mob, killing
Tiberius Gracchus, became a tribune of the plebs thousands of Gaius’ supporters. Gaius himself
in 133 BC (see below). Circumventing the sen- narrowly escaped and was chased through the
2
THE OFFICE OF TRIBUNE

The office of tribune was established to protect the rights of the plebeians against the patricians and thus to provide
a check against the powers of the primarily patrician Roman senate. Ten tribunes were elected each year and they were
sacrosanct (that is, protected from harm) during their term. By custom, they were only allowed to serve as tribune for a
single one year-term.
The tribune occupied a potentially powerful role in the Roman political system. For instance, through the power of
veto, a tribune could bring the entire government to a complete halt and override the decision of any other magistrate.
He could lay legislation directly before the people, bypassing the senate. Unfortunately, few tribunes during the waning of
the republic used their power to protect the liberty of the people, often using the office instead as a mere stepping-stone
to greater power, influence and wealth on their way up the cursus honorum, the Roman political ladder.

SUMMER 2008 Wise Traditions 53