Tiberius Gracchus is one of the most famous personalities in the history of ancient Rome. He became famous as a legislator, reformer, political and public figure. A significant role in the dissemination of the biography of this figure was played by the circumstances in which Tiberius Gracchus died. The biography of this historical figure will be the subject of our study.
Origin
Tiberius Gracchus belonged to the family Semproniev. This genus, although it was plebeian, but belonged to the nobility class - the ruling elite of the Roman Republic.
The history of the plebeian family Semproniev dates back to the 3rd century. BC e. The first prominent representatives of the Gracchus branch was the great-grandfather of the hero of our story, who was also his namesake. He was honored in 238 BC. e. become a consul of the republic. His eldest son, Tiberius, was a consul already twice - in 215 and in 213. BC e., but he died during the Second Punic War. His second child, Publius, was the grandfather of a reformer.
The son of Publius, who bore the traditional family name Tiberius, was also awarded the title of consul in 177 and 163. BC e. Prior to this, in 187 BC. e., he was a folk tribune.
Publius married Cornelia - a representative of a noble patrician family and daughter of the famous winner of Hannibal - Publius Cornelius Scipio African Elder. In this marriage, 12 children were born. True, only three managed to survive to adulthood: Tiberius Gracchus, which will be discussed below, his younger brother Guy and sister Sempronia.
Birth and youth
There are several versions regarding when Tiberius Gracchus was born in Rome. The most probable are 166, 163 or 162 years. BC e.
Tiberius lost his father early - he died in 154 BC. e. Mother refused to remarry. Although, according to legend, even the representative of the Ptolemies, the royal family of Egypt, got married to her. She decided to devote herself completely to raising children.
At the age of about ten years old, Tiberius joined the priestly college of the Augurs, which was considered very honorable.
Tiberius Gracchus became famous at a young age. He participated in the capture of Carthage during the Second Punic War, acted under the command of his maternal relative Scipio Emilian African. And it was Tiberius in 146 BC. e. managed to be the first of the Romans to climb the walls of this city.
Continuation of military service
Then Tiberius continued his military service in Spain. He was a questor with Guy Gostiliy Mantsin. But the detachment of his commander was surrounded by Iberians. Thanks to the negotiations, in which Tiberius also took part, it was possible not only to withdraw troops from the encirclement, but also to conclude a favorable peace treaty with the Iberians.
However, upon the return of Tiberius to Rome, the Senate refused to ratify this document, since it was drafted without his permission.
Political Situation in Rome
Even in the first half of the 3rd century, the plebeians, to whom the surname Gracchus belonged, were able to achieve recognition of their political rights. The richest of them, together with the patricians, formed the new ruling class of the ancient Roman state - Nobility.
To defend the rights of the plebs, a post of the people's tribune was established . The powers of the stands included not only the ability to convene a national assembly and put forward legislative initiatives, but also the right to veto decisions of the Senate. Only representatives of the plebeian clans could be elected to this position.
Entering the political arena
Meanwhile, Tiberius left military service and decided to devote himself to social and political activities. Already having a certain level of popularity among the people, he took a chance in 134 BC. e. to stand for the election of the people's stands, which he won successfully.
One of the main provisions of the election program of Tiberius Gracchus, thanks to which he found support among the people, was the implementation of land reform.
Reasons for Land Reform
Before Tiberius Gracchus entered the political arena, a rather tense situation developed in the Roman Republic. It was due to the fact that most of the community land fund was actually concentrated in the hands of a limited circle of rich people who, as it were, nominally leased it from the state. The bulk of the Romans during this process became landless, that is, they lost the source of independent income. This led to the impoverishment of citizens, which, in turn, did not allow them to serve in the army, since at that time a property qualification was established for soldiers. Thus, the process of landlessness indirectly negatively affected the defense of the Roman Republic. This, by the way, was one of the main points why the ruin of the farmers disturbed Tiberius Gracchus.
In large latifundia, the work of slaves became increasingly important. And the former landless peasants were forced to go to the cities, replenishing there the layer of declassed, but not lost their political rights, lumpen. It was they who most of all expected the land reform.
The essence of land reform
The land law of Tiberius Gracchus provided for a decrease in the maximum concentration of rented space in the hands of one owner - no more than 500 yugers, which corresponded to 125 hectares. Large landowners, who had more significant plots at their disposal, were obliged to return the surplus to public use. Then these lands were to be distributed among the landless citizens of the Roman Republic - 30 yugers each.
The law of Tiberius Gracchus nevertheless provided for some relief for the rich. So, for each born son, they could retain an additional 250 more land ugers. But still, the total area of the family’s possessions should not have exceeded 1000 yugers.
Tiberius Gracchus proposed the formation of an agrarian commission of three people, which will directly deal with the distribution of land.
At the same time, Gracchus intended to use this law not only to strengthen small farmers and strengthen the army, but also in a personal confrontation with large owners.
Adoption of the bill
The procedure for adopting this bill was a rather complicated process.
Although custom required before enacting any bill the support of the Senate, it was not a firmly established law. Moreover, precedents for circumventing Senate decisions existed earlier. Therefore, Tiberius immediately brought the discussion of the bill to the national assembly.
But another tribune - Octavius, who was vitally interested in maintaining the old order, immediately vetoed the bill. For personal reasons, he was not happy with the law proposed by Tiberius Gracchus. The reformer’s appeal to the Senate did not change the stalemate.
Then Tiberius initiated the removal of Octavius from office as a person acting to the detriment of the people. The tribune, elected instead of Octavius, supported the reforms.
After the bill on agrarian reform was approved by the national assembly, he received the force of law.
Functioning of the law
Immediately, a commission was selected, which was to implement the mechanism of land reform. In addition to Tiberius, it included his brother Guy and father-in-law Appius Claudius Pulhr.
Wealthy senators tried in every possible way to oppose the work of this commission. But despite this, she continued to fulfill her main tasks. One of the main successes in the work of the commission was the division of wealth of the king of Pergamon, Attalus, who bequeathed all his fortune and kingdom to the Roman Republic.
The assassination of Tiberius Gracchus
Meanwhile, opponents of the reforms of Tiberius Gracchus tried to organize the election of another candidate for the position of tribune, when the term of office of the reformer was drawing to a close. They chose a time when most of the farmers on whom the stands were based were engaged in agricultural work and could not get to Rome.
During the assembly in the summer of 133 BC e. A mass brawl ensued, during which many supporters of the reformer were killed. He died and the stands. But the death of Tiberius Gracchus could no longer stop the process that he launched.
The fate of reform
After the death of Tiberius Gracchus, although repressions rained down on his supporters, the agrarian law was not repealed and continued to function.
Instead of the murdered member of the commission was another Gracchus relative - father-in-law Guy Crassus.
But the opposition of the opponents was still quite large, and in 129 BC. e. the commission was supposed to suspend its activities, although by that time it had already done a lot. But the law itself, in fact, continued to operate, only the introduction of it now became part of the powers of the consul.
In 123 BC e. Guy Gracchus tried to continue his brother's democratic endeavors. He prepared a number of laws that were adopted in the interests of a simple plebs. These include grain law, road, judicial, military. The last of them became the forerunner of the famous military reforms of Guy Maria. In addition, Guy Gracchus managed to get a decree on the removal of a colony of farmers called Junonia in northern Africa on the site of the destroyed Carthage. This event was supposed to contribute to the provision of landless representatives of the plebs with land.
But in 121 BC. e. Guy was killed, like his brother, by his opponents. Like the death of Tiberius, this fact could no longer stop the democratic changes that were coming in Roman society. In the future, they spilled over into the Civil War. The apotheosis of the Civil War was the confrontation of Guy Maria and Sulla, Julius Caesar and Pompey, Mark Anthony and Octavian Augustus.
The value of personality
Tiberius Gracchus will forever remain one of the most iconic personalities in the history of Ancient Rome. He was one of the first to introduce laws, which, first of all, were adopted in the interests of the most unprotected layers of citizens. Although all the motives of his behavior are still not completely clear, as some historians consider personal confrontation with the large land owners to be one of the reasons for his violent political activity, nevertheless their positive influence on the democratization of Roman society is not in doubt.
Some researchers believe that it was Tiberius Gracchus who founded that political direction, which in the future was transformed into a democratic party of populists.
It is precisely the beginning of the Gracchus confrontation with large landowners that is sometimes interpreted as the opening of the period of civil wars in the Roman Republic.
One cannot overestimate the benefits that the simple Roman people of Gracchus brought. Tiberius and Guy entered world history forever thanks to their deeds.