75 AD
CAIUS GRACCHUS
153-121 B.C.
by Plutarch
translated by John Dryden
CAIUS Gracchus at first, either for fear of his brother's enemies,
or designing to render them more odious to the people, absented
himself from the public assemblies, and lived quietly in his own
house, as if he were not only reduced for the present to live
unambitiously, but was disposed in general to pass his life in
inaction. And some indeed, went so far as to say that he disliked
his brother's measures, and had wholly abandoned the defence of
them. However, he was not but very young, being not so old
as Tiberius
by nine years; and he was not yet thirty when he was slain.
In some little time, however, he quietly let his temper appear,
which was one of an utter antipathy to a lazy retirement and
effeminacy, and not the least likely to be contented with a life of
eating, drinking, and money-getting. He gave great pains to the
study of eloquence, as wings upon which he might aspire to public
business; and it was very apparent that he did not intend to pass
his days in obscurity. When Vettius, a friend of his, was on his
trial, he defended his cause, and the people were in an ecstasy, and
transported with joy, finding him master of such eloquence that the
other orators seemed like children in comparison, and jealousies and
fears on the other hand began to be felt by the powerful
citizens; and
it was generally spoken of amongst them that they must hinder Caius
from being made tribune.
But soon after, it happened that he was elected quaestor, and
obliged to attend Orestes, the consul, into Sardinia. This, as it
pleased his enemies, so it was not ungrateful to him, being
naturally of a warlike character, and as well trained in the art of
war as in that of pleading. And, besides, as yet he very much
dreaded meddling with state affairs, and appearing publicly in the
rostra, which, because of the importunity of the people and his
friends, he could not otherwise avoid than by taking this journey.
He was therefore most thankful for the opportunity of absenting
himself. Notwithstanding which, it is the prevailing opinion that
Caius was a far more thorough demagogue, and more ambitious than
ever Tiberius had been, of popular applause; yet it is
certain that he
was borne rather by a sort of necessity than by any purpose
of his own
into public business. And Cicero, the orator, relates, that when he
declined all such concerns, and would have lived privately, his
brother appeared to him in a dream, and calling him by his
name, said,
"Why do you tarry, Caius? There is no escape; one life and one death
is appointed for us both, to spend the one and to meet the other in
the service of the people."
Caius was no sooner arrived in Sardinia, but he gave exemplary
proofs of his hight merit; he not only excelled all the young men of
his age in his actions against his enemies, in doing justice to his
inferiors, and in showing all obedience and respect to his superior
officer; but likewise in temperance, frugality, and industry, he
surpassed even those who were much older than himself. It happened
to be a sharp and sickly winter in Sardinia, insomuch that
the general
was forced to lay an imposition upon several towns to supply the
soldiers with necessary clothes. The cities sent to Rome,
petitioning to be excused from that burden; the senate found their
request reasonable, and ordered the general to find some other way
of new clothing the army. While he was at a loss what course to take
in this affair, the soldiers were reduced to great distress;
but Caius
went from one city to another, and by his mere representations he
prevailed with them, that of their own accord they clothed the Roman
army. This again being reported to Rome, and seeming to be only an
intimation of what was to be expected of him as a popular leader
hereafter, raised new jealousies amongst the senators. And, besides,
there came ambassadors out of Africa from King Micipsa to
acquaint the
senate that their master, out of respect to Caius Gracchus,
had sent a
considerable quantity of corn to the general in Sardinia; at
which the
senators were so much offended that they turned the
ambassadors out of
the senate-house and made an order that the soldiers should be
relieved by sending others in their room; but that Orestes should
continue at his post, with whom Caius, also, as they presumed, being
his quaestor, would remain. But he, finding how things were carried,
immediately in anger took ship for Rome, where his unexpected
appearance obtained him the censure not only of his enemies, but
also of the people; who thought it strange that a quaestor should
leave before his commander. Nevertheless, when some accusation upon
this ground was made against him to the censors, he desired leave to
defend himself, and did it so effectually, that, when he
ended, he was
regarded as one who had been very much injured. He made it
then appear
that he had served twelve years in the army whereas others
are obliged
to serve only ten; that he had continued quaestor to the
general three
years, whereas he might by law have returned at the end of one year;
and alone of all who went on the expedition, he had carried
out a full
and had brought home an empty purse, while others, after drinking up
the wine they had carried out with them, brought back the wine-jars
filled again with gold and silver from the war.
After this they brought other accusations and writs
against him, for
exciting insurrection amongst the allies, and being engaged in the
conspiracy that was discovered about Fregellae. But having cleared
himself of every suspicion, and proved his entire innocence,
he now at
once came forward to ask for the tribuneship; in which, though he
was universally opposed by all persons of distinction, yet there
came such infinite numbers of people from all parts of Italy to vote
for Caius, that lodgings for them could not be supplied in the city;
and the Field being not large enough to contain the assembly, there
were numbers who climbed upon the roofs and the tilings of the
houses to use their voices in his favour. However, the
nobility so far
forced the people to their pleasure and disappointed Caius's hope,
that he was not returned the first, as was expected, but the fourth
tribune. But when he came to the execution of his office, it was
seen presently who was really first tribune, as he was a
better orator
than any of his contemporaries, and the passion with which he still
lamented his brother's death made him the bolder in speaking. He
used on all occasions to remind the people of what had happened in
that tumult, and laid before them the examples of their
ancestors, how
they declared war against the Faliscans, only for giving scurrilous
language to one Genucius, a tribune of the people; and
sentenced Caius
Veturius to death, for refusing to give way in the forum to
a tribune;
"Whereas," said he, "these men did, in the presence of you
all, murder
Tiberius with clubs, and dragged the slaughtered body through the
middle of the city, to be cast into the river. Even his friends, as
many as could be taken, were put to death immediately, without any
trial, notwithstanding that just and ancient custom, which has
always been observed in our city, that whenever any one is accused
of a capital crime, and does not make his personal appearance in
court, a trumpeter is sent in the morning to his lodging, to summon
him by sound of trumpet to appear; and before this ceremony is
performed, the judges do not proceed to the vote; so cautious and
reserved were our ancestors about business of life and death."
Having moved the people's passion with such addresses (and
his voice
was of the loudest and strongest), he proposed two laws. The first
was, that whoever was turned out of any public office by the people,
should be thereby rendered incapable of bearing any office
afterwards;
the second, that if any magistrate condemn a Roman to be banished
without a legal trial, the people be authorized to take cognizance
thereof.
One of these laws was manifestly levelled at Marcus Octavius, who,
at the instigation of Tiberius, had been deprived of his
tribuneship. The other touched Popilius, who, in his praetorship,
had banished all Tiberius's friends; whereupon Popilius, being
unwilling to stand the hazard of a trial, fled out of Italy. As for
the former law, it was withdrawn by Caius himself, who said
he yielded
in the case of Octavius, at the request of his mother ...
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