After he had made this resolution, Gracchus went on his way with happy thoughts. Soon no chained slaves would be seen toiling in the fields, but citizen farmers, like Cincinnatus of old, would live on their own land and till their own fields. And he, Tiberius Gracchus, would have freed his country from a great evil. The dreams of the young Roman that night were happy dreams. When the time came for Tiberius to return to Rome, his mind was still full of reform. No sooner did he reach home, than he told to his noble mother his plans for helping the slaves and the poorer citizens of Rome, and begged for her advice. Cornelia was full of interest in all that her son had to tell. She was pleased that he should wish to help the oppressed, and she knew that it was she herself who had taught him to be thus pitiful. ‘I have been called the daughter of Scipio, but in days to come I shall be known as the mother of the Gracchi,’ she told Tiberius, for Cornelia believed that both her boys would be honoured by the country they sought to serve. So in 133 B.C. Tiberius offered himself as one of the people’s tribunes. He was young, it was true, but already the citizens knew that he was their friend, and he was elected without difficulty. CHAPTER LXXX TIBERIUS AND HIS FRIEND OCTAVIUS The Senate and the wealthy landowners were displeased that Gracchus had been chosen as one of the tribunes. They knew that he was eager for reforms, which they had no wish to see carried out. But Tiberius was too wise not to try to please those in authority. So his first measure was not so sweeping as his opponents had expected it to be. The young reformer even said, that those who would lose great estates, if the old Licinian laws were enforced, should have compensation. But although the landowners had not expected this concession, they were very angry with Tiberius, and they did all that they could to make the people misunderstand him. If his wishes were made laws, the lot of the poor would only become more difficult, they told the plebeians, who did not know what to believe. Then, lest the people should begin to think that the landowners knew better than he what was for their good, Tiberius determined to tell them plainly what he thought about their struggles and their poverty. In the Assembly of the people his fervent words rang out.