242 ' The Republic. R O 
Asia. Arrived at a height of power unparalleled in the annals 
of the world, Rome was now disturbed in her internal 
administration in a more serious manner that had ever yet 
happened. Though the Licinian law had declared that no 
one person should possess more than 500 acres of land, 
it was, in great numbers of instances, broken through, and 
no one had successfully attempted to correct this infraction of 
the laws. 
At length Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus took upon himself 
the task of reforming these abuses. This young patrician 
was deemed the most accomplished youth in Rome. His 
extraordinary talents were heightened by a noble air, an 
engaging countenance, and all those natural graces of nature 
which recommend merit. He married the daughter of 
Appius Claudius, who had been formerly consul and censor, 
and was then prince of the senate. He continued for some 
time in the sentiments both of his own and his wife’s family, 
and supported the interests of the patricians; but without 
openly attacking the popular faction. He was the chief 
author and negociator of a peace with the Numantines, which 
the senate disannulled, and condemned the consul, the quee- 
stor, and all the officers who had signed it, to be delivered 
up to the enemy. The people, however, out of esteem for 
Gracchus, would not suffer him to be sacrificed. He now 
attached himself zealously to the cause of the people, stood 
for and obtained the tribuneship, and soon after, with the 
approbation of his father-in-law Appius Claudius, of P. 
Crassus, the pontifex maximus, and of Mutius Scsevola, the 
most learned civilian in Rome, proposed a new agrarian law. 
This, as he first drew it up, was very mild: for it only 
enacted, that those who possessed more than 500 acres of 
land should part with the overplus; and that the full value of 
the said lands should be paid them out of the public treasury. 
The lands thus purchased by the public were to be divided 
among the poor citizens; and cultivated either by themselves 
or by freemeu, who were upon the spot. Tiberius allowed 
every child of a family to hold 250 acres in his own name, 
over and above what was allowed to the father. Nothing 
could be more moderate, since by the Licinian law, he might 
have absolutely deprived the rich of the lands they unjustly 
possessed, and made them accountable for the profits they 
had received from them during their long possession. But 
the rich patricians exclaimed against it, and were continually 
mounting the rostra one after another, in order to dissuade 
the people from accepting a law, which, they said, would 
raise disturbances that might* prove more dangerous thau the 
evils which Tiberius pretended to redress by the promulgation 
of it. They also endeavoured to ruin his reputation. They 
gave out that he aimed at monarchy; and published pre¬ 
tended plots laid for crowning him king. But the people, 
without giving ear to such groundless reports, encouraged 
and supported their tribune. 
When the day came on which this law was to be accepted 
or rejected by the people assembled in the comitium, Gracchus, 
after haranguing the mighty crowd which an affair of such 
importance had brought together, and exciting their minds 
to that warmth and emotion which was necessary, ordered the 
law to be read. • 
One of the tribunes, by name Marcus Octavius Caecina, 
having been gained over by the patricians, declared against 
the proceedings of his colleague; and pronounced the word 
which had been always awful in the mouth of a tribune of the 
people, Veto, “ I forbid it.” As Octavius was a man of an 
unblameable character, and had hitherto been very zealous 
for the publication of the law, Gracchus was greatly surprised 
at this unexpected opposition from his friend. However, he 
kept his temper, and only desired the people to assemble 
again the next day to hear their two tribunes, one in defence 
of, the other in opposition to, the law proposed. The people 
met at the time appointed; when Gracchus, addressing 
himself to his colleague, conjured him by the mutual duties 
of their function, and by the bonds of their ancient friend¬ 
ship, not to oppose the good of the people, whom they were 
bound in honour to protect against the usurpation of the 
M E. The Republic. 
great. But Octavius, either out of shame, or from a principle 
of honour, continued immoveable in the party he had 
embraced. 
Gracchus, therefore, had recourse to another expedient; 
which was to suspend all the magistrates in Rome from the 
execution of their offices. It was lawful for any tribune to 
take this step, when the passing of the law which he proposed 
was prevented by mere chicanery. After this, he assembled 
the people anew, and made a second attempt to succeed in 
his design. When all things were got ready for collecting 
the suffrages, the rich privately conveyed away the urns in 
which the tablets were kept. This kindled the tribune’s 
indignation, and the rage of the people. The comitium' was 
like to become a field of battle, when two venerable senators, 
Manlius and Fulvius, very seasonably interposed; and 
throwing themselves at the tribune’s feet, prevailed upon him 
to submit his law to the judgment of the conscript fathers. 
This was making the senatorsjudges in their own cause: but 
Gracchus thought the law so undeniably just, that he could 
not persuade himself that they would reject it; and if they 
did, he knew that the incensed multitude would no longer 
keep any measures with them. 
The senate, who wanted nothing but to gain time, affected 
delays, and came to no resolution. There were indeed some 
among them, who were for paying some regard to the com¬ 
plaints of the tribune; but the far greater part would not 
hear of any composition whatsoever. Hereupon Gracchus 
brought the affair anew before the people, and earnestly in- 
treated his colleague Octavius to drop his opposition, in 
compassion to the many unfortunate people for whom he 
interceded. But still Octavius was inflexible. Hereupon 
Gracchus resolved to deprive Octavius of his tribuneship, 
since he alone obstinately withstood the desires of the whole 
body of so great a people. Having therefore assembled the 
people, he told them, that since his colleague and he were 
divided in opinion, and the republic suffered by their divi¬ 
sion, it was the province of the tribes assembled in comitia 
to re-establish concord among their tribunes. “ If the cause 
I maintain (said he) be, in your opinion, unjust, I am ready 
to give up my seat in the college. On the contrary, if you 
judge me worthy of being continued in your service in this 
station, deprive him of the tribuneship who alone obstructs 
my wishes. As soon as you shall have nominated one to 
succeed him, the law will pass without opposition.” Having 
thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly, after having sum¬ 
moned them to meet again the next day. 
And now Gracchus, being soured with the opposition he 
had met with from the rich, and from his obstinate colleague, 
and being well apprised that the law would pass in any form 
in which he should think fit to propose it, resolved to revive 
it as it was at first passed, without abating any thing of its 
severity. There was no exception in favour of the children 
in families; or reimbursement promised to those who should 
part with the lands they possessed above 500 acres. The next 
day the people being assembled, and Octavius, continuing 
obstinate, he was deposed, and the law passed as Gracchus 
had reframed it. 
The people appointed triumvirs to hasten its execution. In 
this commission the people gave Gracchus the first place; 
and he had interest enough fo get his father-in-law Appius 
Claudius, and his brother Caius Gracchus, appointed his 
colleagues. These three spent the whole summer in tra¬ 
velling through all the Italian provinces, to examine what 
lands were held by any person above 500 acres, in order to 
divide them among the poor citizens. When Gracchus 
returned from his progress, he found, by the death of his 
chief agent, that his absence had not abated either the hatred 
of the rich, or the love of the poor, toward him. As it 
plainly appeared that the deceased had been poisoned, the 
tribune took this occasion to apply himself again to his pro¬ 
tectors, aud implore their assistance against the violence and 
treachery of his enemies. The populace, more attached after 
this accident to their hero than ever, declared they would 
stand by him to the last drop of their blood ; and thus their 
zeal 
