Ti. Gracchus

Ti. Sempronius Gracchus

• Tr. pl. 133
• Tries to solve agrarian crisis
  • Has important senatorial support
  • Commission set up
    • Reclaims land held in excess of legal limit
    • Redistributes such land in small parcels to citizens
  • Objections of landholders greater than anticipated
• Other tr. pl. vetoes proposal
• Troublemaker removed from office by law
  • Subversion of law?
• Attalid kingdom bequeathed to Rome by last king
• Ti. passes law accepting bequest
  • Subverts senate's prerogative of control over foreign policy
• Tries to get himself re-elected
  • Re-election not illegal, but unprecedented
  • Threat to constitution?
    • If he gets re-elected once, why not forever?
• Mob of senators attacks assembly
  • Violence introduced into domestic politics
  • Where will it stop?

War in Asia

• Revolt against Roman rule
• Initial Roman disaster
• Revolt soon suppressed
• Third province without a new praetor