Tiberius Gracchus
(Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus)
163–132 BC |
The Gracchi brothers, Tiberius and Caius, were social reformers who tried to obtain more rights for the landless peasants of Rome. They were strongly resisted by the wealthy landowning class, who did not want to give up their privileges. In 133 B.C. Tiberius was elected tribune, and worked to pass laws that would reduce the concentration of wealth and lands in the hands of a few nobles. The patricians bribed the other tribune Octavius, so that no legislation could pass. The issue became critical when Attalus III, the king of Perganum, died and bequeathed a great deal of property to Rome. There was much at stake when Tiberus ran for tribune again the following year, and the patricians postponed the elections. They eventually incited a riot against Tiberius and his followers, and in the tumult that followed, Tiberius was killed and thrown into the river.
Key events during the life of Tiberius Gracchus:
| Fought at the siege of Carthage. | |
| Fought in the Numantian wars in Spain; became alarmed at the lopsided distribution of wealth. | |
| As tribune, fought for laws which would grant more land and wealth to the lower classes. | |
| Killed in a riot instigated by his patrician opponents. |
Other Resources
| Of Tiberius Gracchus in | Stories from Roman History by Lena Dalkeith |
| Noble Brothers in | Tales of the Romans: The Children's Plutarch by F. J. Gould |
| Death of Tiberius Gracchus in | The Story of the Romans by H. A. Guerber |
| Gracchi in | Famous Men of Rome by John H. Haaren & A. B. Poland |
| Tiberius Gracchus in | Our Young Folks' Plutarch by Rosalie Kaufman |
| Tiberius and His Friend Octavius in | The Story of Rome by Mary Macgregor |
| Gracchi and Their Fall in | Historical Tales: Roman by Charles Morris |
| The Gracchi in | Plutarch's Lives W. H. Weston by |
| Tiberius Gracchus in | Plutarch's Lives W. H. Weston by |
Image Links | ||
|---|---|---|
 The young Gracchi and their mother Cornelia in Augustus—His Life and Work |
Cornelia and her jewels in Famous Men of Rome |
 Cornelia and her Sons in the Streets of Rome in Greatest Nations - Rome |
| Mother of the Gracchi. Highly revered Roman matron. | |
| Continued reforms of his brother, but was undermined by the senate. | |
| Octavius | Tribune who served with Tiberius. Bribed by patricians to veto all reform efforts. |
| Attalus III | King of Perganum. Died and left much property to Rome, precipitating crisis for reformers. |