What Motivated Tiberius

This essay will attempt to explain the motives that have led to the rise and fall of the brothers Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus in the late second century B.C. Although very few sources remain of these accounts, which are based mainly on works of the historians Appian and Plutarch, the Gracchi have been the subject of study by several scholars. If on the one hand earlier historians tend to represent them as heroes and revolutionaries, on the other, more recent ones have regarded them as two controversial figures which were politically motivated by personal gains. They proposed and passed a series of legislations and the most controversial one is the agrarian law about the redistribution of the land. It can be argued that their motives have been certainly and thoroughly selfless for the good of the people of Rome in the specific period of history which spans from 133 B.C to 121 B.C. On the contrary, as it will be explained below, their methods have not always been ‘orthodox’. There could be three main areas that will help this essay to conclude if they were truly heroes of the people or political opportunists; the first is to evaluate what their true motives were, the second is to assess if there was an agrarian crisis and the third to establish who the beneficiaries of their legislations were. Overall, as all political figures, the Gracchi have to be taken in the context of the specific roman society of their time.

Tacitus also shows distrust towards Augustus in his exiling and killing of anyone deemed to be a political enemy – a taste which her masterfully called the proscriptions, and advertised to the public as a

Adam Smith explains that wealth was with the landlords and capitalists. This led to a lot of trade between major cities. Once the working class was given power, the fall of these wealthy cities began to occur, thus starting the “fall of the Roman Empire.” The working class, or the slaves, were the majority, and most men according to Smith will never see the benefits of improvements to cultivation or increased productivity. Smith said:

The “human form” has changed through art over long periods of time and how each civilization uses their own style to create these pieces is how art gets its depth. I'm going to be talking about one of each sculpture from every major period and explain how each one has its own flavor and own unique style. I will be talking about the Prehistoric period, Egyptian style, Greek style and Roman styles. I also have a list of vocabulary words i will be pointing out in bold to explain how these are used in sculptures.

Tiberius was 55 when he ruled Rome from his stepfather. Tiberius had turned his back to Rome after Augustus had died. Moved to Capri still ruling Rome and abused the people there. Tiberius died right before they crucified Jesus. Tiberius really did start to abuse his powers and his people and was totally different than Augustus. Tiberius died of natural

(Source 1). "The benefits of life under Augustus were too great to throw away lightly". Octavian kept the people and the Senate happy, they weren't inclined to rebel and Rome was its turmoil, allowing it to flourish and grow to be an empire remembered forever. This peace was made possible by Octavian who became a devoted leader but also listened and controlled the senate very carefully, which his predecessor, Julius Caesar, failed to do. He understood the treatment of the senate would allow the people to adore him because in their hearts it reminded them of the former

In 132 BCE, Tiberius Gracchus was elected tribune of the plebs. Tiberius proposed massive land reform that would break up some plots owned by the wealthy and powerful and give it to poor and landless Roman landlords. Naturally, this legislation was supported by the plebeians and opposed by the wealthy patricians. The Senate was especially opposed to this proposal. Therefore, there was a large clash (relatively unheard of in the past) between the Senate and a tribune. The other consul, Octavius, blocked Tiberius’ proposal using his power as tribune to block any business. Tiberius was able to use his power as tribune to extraordinarily remove Octavius from office. This was unprecedented to use these powers for this purpose and it purported to open the Pandora’s box for other politicians to use their powers in extraordinary ways to subvert Roman republicanism. Tiberius was killed but his brother Gaius came to power as tribune nine years later to carry the mantle for populism. Gaius expanded his populism past land reform into cheap grain and making juries in corruption trials come from the equestrian and not senatorial class. Because

First beginning his reign, Tiberius gradually showed his people that he was in charge. He would only intervene when things were not done properly. Tiberius began to decrease the expenses of public

Tiberius Gracchus and Cicero were two men who were both concerned with wellness of the citizens of Rome; however, they had different opinions on the best way to achieve political advancements. Throughout the different generations of the two men, the same issues plagued Rome, and throughout their lifetimes the separate factions of the senate became more polarized as they continued to disagree about the fate of Rome. Cicero wrote letters to his friends and family which today offer great primary information about what it was like in Rome during the late republic. In our virtual reality game, Saeculum, I get firsthand insight into the issues that plagued Rome when my clients come to me with the issues of land, food, and water. I am tasked with

Agrippina the Younger found inspiration and motivation from her powerful, yet somewhat dysfunctional family. Her mother, Agrippina the Elder, was considered to be a good example of a Roman Mater. Agrippina’s parents were, like most Roman aristocratic couples, were married as a political alliance but unlike most they lived in concordia. Agrippina’s father held many political and military positions and had obtained many victories and was honoured by his emperors. Although in 19AD Germanicus travelled to Egypt and this was said to greatly displease emperor Tiberius as men of senatorial and imperial rank were barred from entering Egypt without permission, and upon his return died of suspected poisoning. Agrippina the Elder publicly blamed and quarrelled with emperor Tiberius and Piso (Tiberius’ appointee to Syria) over her husband’s death and for this she was constantly targeted but she was still popular with the every-day Roman citizens.

Tiberius, who served as emperor from 14 to 37 AD, began his rule after the death of his father-in-law, Augustus. Tiberius was a weak ruler, and he understood that ruling Rome was like “holding a wolf by the ears.” When conflict arose in Europe, Tiberius sent his nephew, Germanicus, to deal with it. Germanicus did his job, and this resulted in Tiberius fearing the newest war-hero. To avoid the issue, Germanicus was appointed governor of the remote eastern provinces by his uncle. After the sudden death of Germanicus, people believed that Tiberius had poisoned him. He denied this, but the accusations never died. When he was in need of advice, Tiberius sought the assistance of Sejanus, a cavalry officer and town cheat. Tiberius sought the

Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus was the son of a Roman aristocrat whose family had regularly held the highest offices of state for the past century. Tiberius achieved much in his life and was a man of high distinction in political circles. He was a man with a prominent background- coming from very powerful families. It seemed also, that many had high expectations of him, and his potential was not seen to its full extent. To a few of us here today, this is a solemn and most momentous occasion. Today I will be critically analysing and assessing the significance of three key areas which have been the crux of historical debate for centuries. Today I will be touching on Tiberius' family background, education, and early career to 134BC, the aims

During the Roman Republic, Ancient Rome was at its very beginnings and a civilization was just being created. Like any other civilization there were different levels of status between classes and several positions of power in which people could obtain. Subsequently, just as there were people of power and wealth, there were also people of little to no power and poverty. The Ancient Romans utilized the institution of slavery to help promote their civilization and became a major factor in the economy of the Roman Republic. In a way slaves helped shape Rome into what it is today. Without slavery in Ancient Rome, history could have been written differently when considering Rome as a powerful city and civilization.

Julius Caesar is perhaps the most well known in the history of Roman Emperors, yet there is no denying that his reign was filled with controversy, no reason more so than his devious rise to power and his mischievous ways of suppressing the senate. There is no doubt that in ruling as a Dictator; Caesar lost the support of the Roman people, who had fought for freedom against an Etruscan King, a role in which Caesar was playing. His death in 44BC coincided with what many believe to be the year in which the Republic completely its eventual ‘fall’ that it had been plummeting to since 133BC, and it is only by looking at the differences in the end of his reign to that of Augustus’ in 27BC that

Following the assassination of Caesar, in accordance with his great uncle's will, Octavius held celebratory games in Caesar's honor. Doing so, at great personal expense, he garnered the overwhelming support of the public as well as Caesar's legions of troops. Due to the huge importance the Roman citizenry placed on games Augustus won the support of the