Gracchi Research Paper

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AnnaMarie Garlin Magistra Manse Latin 3 4/11/14 The Gracchi Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus was born in approximately 163 B.C.E to Tiberius Gracchus the Elder and Cornelia Africana. Gaius Gracchus, his younger brother, was born in 154 B.C.E. In the 2nd century B.C., the two brothers formed “The Gracchi”. The two, born plebeians, belonged to one of the most influential families in Rome, the Sempronia. Their father was the tribune of the plebs, the praetor, consul and censor. Fatherless from a young age, they were taught democratic views by tutors. As they grew older and gained influence, their goal became to restructure Rome in a way that benefited the underprivileged and unfortunate. At the time, their help was especially welcome as members of the Populare, a political group whose purpose was to serve the people, rather than the aristocracy (like the Optimates). The ideals of the Gracchi leaned towards what people today would call populism or socialism; in fact, they are almost reverently called “the founding fathers” (Fife 1) of the aforementioned political parties. The brothers were perhaps so interested in restoring the rights of the people because of the dichotomy of their plebeian births within a noble line. Although the siblings shared principles, the ways they went about enforcing them were surprisingly quite different. While Tiberius was involved in politics, he also had a strong military background; he was one of the most illustrious younger officers in the Third Punic war. Tiberius brought with him concerns about how economic distress would have consequences within the military. There were strict rules about eligibility to enter the army, and owning land was one of them. Peasants who were driven off of the... ... middle of paper ... ...ar, but Gaius unconstitutionally got re-elected for a second one- after having much of what he planned to have passed, passed. His failure, however, was in trying to grant citizenship to more non-Roman Italians. The Roman Plebeians felt superior to other Italians and jealously guarded their citizenships. With Gaius’s support weakened, the consul Lucius Opimius swooped down and annihilated the last of the Gracchan movement. A mob was raised to kill Gaius Gracchus, and in true Roman fashion, he committed suicide on Aventine Hill before anyone else could get to him. Tiberius lost his life because he put too much trust in the people to back hime up, and Gaius met the same fate because the Roman constitutional system had check and balances specifically designed to keep power from staying in one place for too long. The Populist Gracchan government met a bloody end.

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