A Manual of Ancient History: Particularly with Regard to the Constitutions, the Commerce, and the Colonies, of the States of AntiquityHeeren, A. H. L. (Arnold Hermann Ludwig)
History
A Manual of Ancient History: Particularly with Regard to the Constitutions, the Commerce, and the Colonies, of the States of Antiquity
Heeren, A. H. L. (Arnold Hermann Ludwig)
Geography, Ancient; History, Ancient
The first agrarian law of Gracchus was confirmed by the people,
notwithstanding the fruitless opposition of his colleague Octavius,
who was deposed; it decreed, that no person should possess above five
hundred acres of land, nor any child above half that quantity. This
law was, in fact, only a renewal of the ancient _lex Licinia_; in the
condition, however, in which Rome now was, it bore much harder upon
the property usurped by the great families, than it did in former
times. Appointment of a committee for dividing the national lands, and
for enquiring also at the same time which were the property of the
state (_ager publicus_) and which were not. New popular propositions
of the elder Gracchus, especially that for the division of the
treasures left by king Attalus of Pergamus, with the view of securing
his continuance in office; great insurrection of the aristocratic
party under Scipio Nasica, and murder of Tiberius Gracchus, on the day
of electing the new tribunes of the people.
3. The fall of the chief of the new party, however, occasioned any thing
rather than its destruction. Not only was there no mention of an
abrogation of the agrarian law, but the senate was obliged to allow the
place in the commission, which had become vacant by the death of
Gracchus, to be filled up; and Scipio Nasica himself was sent out of the
way, under the pretext of an embassy to Asia. The party of the senate
did, indeed, find a powerful support for a short time in the return of
Scipio Aemilianus (_d._ 129) from Spain; but its greatest support was
found in the difficulties of the law itself, which prevented its
execution.
Great revolt of the slaves in Sicily under Eunus, 134-131. This
contributed not a little to keep alive the dissensions, as it showed
the necessity of a reform.
4. Evident endeavours of the tribunes of the people to increase their
power, Gracchus having now awakened them to a sense of it. Not satisfied
with a seat and voice in the senate, Carbo wished that the renewing of
their dignity should be passed into a law. By the removal, however, of
the chiefs of the lower party, upon honourable pretexts, new troubles
were put off for some years.
First establishment of the Roman power in Transalpine Gaul by M.
Fulvius Flaccus, on the occasion of his being sent to the assistance
of Massilia, 128. Southern Gaul became a Roman province as early as
122, in consequence of the defeat of the Allobrogi and Averni by Q.
Fabius, who had been sent against them to support the Aedui, the allies
of Rome. Capture of the Balearian isles by Metellus, 123. Quaestorship
of C. Gracchus in Sicily, 128-125.
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