GRACCHUS. 



Taken time, even if Tiberius Grasfliiis were the mam" In 

 conformity with the Roman cuftom, Tiberius paffed his 

 routh in military fcrvice ; firft in Africa, under his brother- 

 in-law, the younger Seipio, where he obtained great credit 

 in the army, bcinc; equally beloved by thofe above and thofe 

 below him'. HeVas made queltor, in the Numantian war, 

 to the conful C. Hoftilius Mancinus. This was in the year 

 B. C. 137 : the campaign was unfortunate, and the Roman 

 Tcneral was under the necellity of negociating a treaty of 

 peace with the enemy. The Numantines, who had been 

 betrayed in a former treaty by the Romans, refufed to nego- 

 ciate, unlefs it were with Tiberius Gracchus, with whofe 

 character for probity and Rrift honour they were well ac- 

 quainted. This being admitted, a jjeace was immediately 

 concluded. The treaty, though as favourable as, from 

 <iicumilancef, could be expccied, was received by the 

 Romans with great indignation : tliey determined to annul 

 it, and to deliver thofe, who had beju inltrumental in making 

 it, into the hands of the Numantines. The conful was 

 accordingly given up to them, naked and in chains, and it 

 is probable that Tiberius Gracchus would have ftiared the 

 lame fate had not a powerful intereil been exerted in hi,s 

 favour A fenfe of the iniullice of the fenate on this occa- 

 fion, and refentment of the dithonour they liad thrown upon 

 his treaty, was fuppofed to be a principal caufe of the fub- 

 fequent hollilities in which he engaged againit that body. 

 The condition of the Romans, at this period, afiorded a 

 good opportunity for the exertions of patriotifm ; for the 

 great mafs of the louer clades of citi/.ens were in a (late of 

 abjeft poverty. Lxlius the Wife, the friend of Seipio, 

 had attempted to introduce fome remedy for this evil, but 

 the ferious oppofition of men in power had deterred him 

 from the execution of his plan- Tiberius Gracchus reiolvcd to 

 take up the caufe. He was accordingly elicted a tribune of 

 the people, and propofed a revival of the Licinian law, \\4th 

 certain modifications, which greatly foftcned its operations. 

 (See AciKAKi.vx L.\w.) It offered a full compenfation 

 out of the treafury for all tlie laud above the 500 acres 

 allowed, which any one might be obliged to refign to the 

 public, and permitted every child of a family to hold 250 

 acres above the 500 held in the father's name. This propofal 

 •jvas received, as it might be expeClcd, by the fuperior orders, 

 wliofe rights and properties were to be affected by it : they 

 ivere determined to ftand by one another in refitting the 

 innovation. On the other hand, Grncehus loft no lime in 

 roufing the people to a knowledge and affertion of 

 tlieir claims as men and members oi fociety. His fpeeches 

 ■were addreffed to tiieir interetls and their feelings : his 

 arguments were fpecious and highly dangerous to the peace 

 of thofe whofe wealth was become the objec^t of popular 

 difcuflion. In one of his harangues, lie ex-claimed, " The 

 wild beatls have their caves and dens, but the brave men 

 who filed their blood in the caufe of tiieir country have 

 nothing free but the air and the light. It is a mere mockery 

 when tiieir generals exhort them to light for their fepulchres 

 and houlhold gods, when, perhaps, not a man among them 

 is poffeffed of a donieilic altar, or fepulciire, of his anceftors. 

 The private men bleed and die to fecurc tlie luxuries of the 

 great, and they are denominated the matters of t!ie world, 

 while they are not owners of a foot of ground." At length, 

 after mueli tumult in the ftate, the Agrarian law was paffed, 

 and Appius Claudius, Tiberius Gracchus, and his younger 

 brother Caius, were appointed couimiffioners to carry its 

 provifions into execution. In his progrefs in the bufi- 

 nei's he was embarraffed with many obftacles, and, on his 

 part, he took meafures effectually to thwart the purpofes of 



the great ; and, by new laws whicli he got enafted, he ren- 

 dered the property of all the old famihes infecure. The 

 difficulties which occurred in carrying the new law into 

 effeft were fufpended by the death of Attains, king of 

 Pergamus, who made the Roman people liis heirs. Grac- 

 chus procured a law for the diftribution of his treafures 

 amont; the poorer citizens, and for the difpofal of the reve- 

 nues of Pergamus, not by the fenate, but by the affcmblv 

 of the people. Thefe mealurcs gave him a great degree of 

 influence among the citizens, and he conceived the defign 

 of fecuring the powers of which he felt himfelf poffeffed, by 

 raifing his father-in-law to the confulate, his brother to the 

 tribunelhip, and continuing to himfelf the fame office an- 

 other year. He alfo planned other regulations for abridging- 

 the authority of the patricians, and throwing more weight 

 into the popular fcale. The day of election was approach- 

 ing, and the feiiators refolved to make a ttand agalnft the 

 innovations which he propofed, and a confpiracy was openly 

 formed to take away the life of Tiberius Gracchus. Of this 

 he v.-as informed by a friendly fenator, as he was proceeding 

 to tlie capitol. He, neverthelefs, advancei!, and his party 

 prepared to repel force by force. In the uproar, he at- 

 tempted to fpeak, but his voice could not be heard. He 

 made iigns to his friends, by raifing his hand to his head, to 

 iliew that his life was in danger. This fignal was inffantly 

 interpreted by his enemies as a demand of the regal crown, 

 and Seipio Nafica, the inveterate enemy of Gracchus, cried 

 out " Since we are betrayed by our conful, let thofe who 

 love the republic follow me." A general contett now com- 

 menced. The adherents of Gracchus were quickly dif- 

 perled, and himlelf was difpatchcd with a thoufand blows. 

 Not lefs than 300 per-Oans were ilain in this commotion, and 

 the bodies of the dead, even that of Gracchus himfelf, were 

 ignominioufly thro>vn iiito the Tiber. Several of his friends 

 were afterwards banilhed, and not a few ])ut to death, with- 

 out the form even ot trial, and the fenate paffed an act of 

 indemnity for all thofe who were concerned in the maffacrc. 

 The people, however, indignant againtt his enemies, droTc 

 Nafica trom Italy, and would never permit him to return. 

 With relpect to Tiberius Gracchus, his cliaracter has been 

 celebrated either as that of a martyr to liberty, or as a 

 victim to lawleis ambition, according to the different prin- 

 ciples of thole who have commented on his actions. Many 

 have thrown on his memory reflections as unmanly as they 

 are fevere. It feems to be acknowledged on all hands that 

 he poffeffed great talents, and was etteemed for his private 

 worth. That he was a man of am.bition none will denv, 

 and it may be that a love of popularity iuggetted tlie great 

 meaiuree which he propoled ; neverthelefs, tlie liittorian 

 may be fafely followed, who fays, that he was actuated by 

 the bell intentions, but that he profecuted liis dciign with 

 too much violence. 



Gn.vcciics Caius, brother to Tiberius, but his junior 

 by nine years, enjoyed the fame advantages of education 

 with his brother, Axhich he fo well improved as to be- 

 com.e one of the ableil orators of his time. Cicero fays of 

 him, that he kno-.vs not if he had his equal in eloquence, 

 aud recommends his compolltions, th.ough unnnilhed, to the 

 ttudy of youth. After the tragical end of his brother, 

 Caius paffed lonie time in retirement, cultivating his rhetori- 

 cal talents, and fecretly preparing to act his part on the theatre 

 oi tiie public. In tlie year 126 B. C. lie accompanied the 

 conful Aurelius Oreftes to Sardinia as his quellor, and ob- 

 tained great app'aufe, as well for his humanity and tempe- 

 rance, as for a ftricl; attention to tlie duties of liis office. 

 The lenate (hewed evident figns ot jealoufy ou account of 



the 



