The Gracchi brothers

Brothers who served as Roman tribunes, pushed for land reform, and were killed one after the other.

Life

Grandson of Scipio Africanus

Tiberius Gracchus and Gaius Gracchus were grandsons of Scipio Africanus. As Rome expanded, much of the land was swallowed up by the nobility, small farmers were ruined, and the supply of recruits dried up.

Land reform

In 133 BCE Tiberius became tribune and pushed through an agrarian law limiting how much public land one person could hold and distributing the surplus to the poor; while seeking re-election he was beaten to death by Senate nobles. From 123 BCE Gaius served twice as tribune and pursued broader reforms: cheap grain for the urban poor, greater power for the equestrian order, and citizenship for Rome's Italian allies.

Brother killed

In 121 BCE the Senate declared a state of emergency; Gaius killed himself in the clashes, and thousands of his followers were killed.

Legacy

The reforms and murders of the Gracchi brothers opened a century of civil strife in the Roman Republic; from then on, political violence became part of Roman life.

Did you know? Plutarch paired them with the Spartan reformers Agis and Cleomenes.

Key dates

• 133 BCETiberius becomes tribune; is killed
• 123 BCEGaius became tribune
• 121 BCEGaius killed