The gracchus brothrs

The gracchusbrothrs

Overview • The period of Roman Republic, from 509 to 27 BC, witnessedRome's growth from city-state to superpower of the ancientMediterranean world. • By the middle of the second century BC, Romehad established colonies in Africa and Greece as well as throughout theItalian Peninsula.

Con’td • However, growth also produced social tensions andconflict, as the privileged and poor struggled to come toterms with changes broughtabout by Rome's increasing power, wealth,and prestige. • Two brothers of the patrician class, Tiberius Gracchus and GaiusGracchus, known as the Gracchi,attempted to institute reforms aimed at closing the gap between rich andpoor, between the powerful and disenfranchised. • Their efforts metwith some success but at great cost. Both brothers were killed duringviolent clashes, and the social strife they hoped to remedy ultimately led Rome toward civil war. • The Rise and Fallhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wODHnZ77iE&list=PLjm6SfO6-6WjjU_xYqMLeujjUPViCTwMj

Growing Gap between Rich and Poor • Much of the early republic's military success depended on citizen-soldiers, mostly peasant farmers who fought for Rome when needed and then returned home to work their land. • End of Punic Wars, thousands of conquered people were brought back to Rome to work as slaves on large estates, owned by wealthy aristocratic families. • Soldiers, who had been required to leave their lands to fight in the wars, returned home to discover that they could not compete with the larger holdings worked by slave labor. • Also, much of the farmland had been devastated in the fighting.

Con’td Imported grain from Rome's colonies lowered the price farmers could get for domestically grown grain, forcing many small landowners to sell their property to those who owned the large estates. Former peasant farmers moved to cities—Rome in particular—where they eventually became a large class of unemployed, urban poor.

Tiberius Gracchus

Tiberius Gracchus Struggles to Implement Land Reform • Roman aristocrats =land ownership was most socially acceptable and prestigious form of wealth • After some political maneuvering, however, the land reform bill was passed. Unfortunately for Tiberius, he had made numerous enemies in the process. • When Tiberius decided to break with convention and stand for reelection, his enemies became further enraged. After one particularly fractious meeting, several senators left the Roman Senate in anger. Shortly thereafter, a riot broke out in the Roman Forum, and Tiberius was clubbed to death, apparently by a mob organized by his enemies in the Senate. Sympathizing with the peasant farmers Tiberius began calling for land reform. Plan =redistribute public land, which had been taken over by Roman aristocrats, and divide it evenly among landless laborers, who would then also serve in the Roman Army. In 133 BC, was appointed tribune, and he set about drafting his bill. He enjoyed public support but met with powerful resistance from many senators and members of the wealthy elite. VidepCliphttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8SaB7O2JRM (Murder of Tiberius Gracchus - Ancient Rome – BBC)

Gaius Gracchus

Gaius Gracchus Pushes for Further Reforms • Gaius' most controversial plan was to grant Roman citizenship to the Latin's, native people of Italy who never had enjoyed the rights of citizens. • Minimal support for this reform,despite the fact that the Latin's had long been loyal allies, fighting alongside Roman soldiers during the wars that had brought riches and glory to Rome. • Senate took the opportunity in 121 BCE to pass a law that would stop the colonization of Carthage, which Gaius had supported. • In protest, Gaius and his followers organized a demonstration. The Senate responded by issuing a decree that, in effect, declared Gaius an enemy of the state and sanctioned the use of armed force against him. That action led to the murder of thousands of supporters of Gaius on Aventine Hill. Gaius died when he ordered his servant to kill him with his own knife suicide? Tiberius' younger brother Gaius became tribune in 123 BCE and continued to push for reforms aimed at improving the lives of peasant farmers, the urban poor, and common foot soldiers. Gaius was a skillful politician and a powerful speaker who was able to garner support for a number of measures, including programs for storing surplus grain for distribution to the poor, supplying clothing for soldiers, and reforming the judiciary. Just as his brother had done, Gaius incurred the enmity of several powerful members of the Senate, who felt threatened that their power and authority were being undermined.

Let’s see this in animation http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmiAl374b0Q

Aftermath • The Gracchi recognized the dangers to the Roman Republic that were posed by the concentration of wealth, land, and power into the hands of a few. • Their attempts to remedy the situation through the democratic programs were bitterly opposed by the Senate. • In the years that followed the deaths of the Gracchi, the ruling classes continued to focus their attention on increasing their wealth and power, which served only to increase growing social tensions. • This paved the way for the eventually dictatorship and Empire of Rome.

Youtubehmwk! • Watch “Rome - The Rise and Fall of an Empire - Part IV – Tiberius”  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=La5aqJZqkrE • 40:06 min.

The gracchus brothrs