In their youth, the two of them had too large of an age gap to undertake similar activities and goals, forcing Gaius to develop his own sense of self, separate from that of his brother.
However, he still became a prominent figure and a respectable man like many in the Gracchi family history. Although he was young, he still had aspirations and began involving himself with politics at an early age, and he quickly rose to much higher powered positions. Gaius was said to have been a very energetic and ambitious individual, which helped him easily stand for the Tribune in BCE when he became increasingly hostile with military influence Oman, Although he was already a leading figure, when Tiberius had his downfall, Gaius became more vindictive, feeling as though there was nobody taking charge of power in any aspect and so he felt it necessary to take the task up on his own; for after all, he was a Gracchi Oman, When Tiberius was in Spain on his quaestorship he realized the desperate need for reorganization to be made in many areas, from agriculture and economics, to rises in slavery, and even unemployment issues that plagued Romans; luckily Tiberius had the Senate in support of trying to fix these problems Scullard, Due to his family history, Tiberius had success in his early ventures into political positions, which led to him becoming an important and influential individual, and he soon set out to better his nation and the quality of life of his fellow citizens.
The first real motivation for reform that Tiberius experienced was during his journey to Spain in the year BCE to serve his quaestership, where he saw firsthand the large problems that plagued his people, and he realized the need for reform Scullard, He made careful observation of the large estates that were worked by a large slave population rather than by peasants, and realized this could be a serious issue for the Republic Sullard, Furthermore, shortly after his arrival in Spain, Tiberius was forced to negotiate the surrender of Hostilius Mancinus and his troops to the Spanish forces.
This can be considered an important influence on how Tiberius decides to work with the Senate in the future. As stated, Tiberius was very involved with political endeavors at a very early age.
Boren, Henry C. The Gracchi. New York: Twayne Publishers, Inc, Sites at Penn State. Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus As a young adult, Tiberius Gracchus went through ten years of mandatory military training as part of his early education. Source: Boren, Henry C. According to Appian, a slightly different version of events is presented. Tiberius Gracchus only moved to have Marcus Octavius removed from office after a vote was put to the Assembly.
In Appian's version, after 17 of the 35 tribes voted in favor of Tiberius, Tiberius implored Octavius to step aside lest he be deprived of his office. When Octavius refused, the 18th tribe votes in favor of Tiberius, giving him the majority and the resolution, which included both his land law and the abrogation of Octavius' office, passed.
It was only after this, according to Appian, that Octavius slinked away unnoticed and was replaced as tribune by Quintus Memmius. Having passed his law, Tiberius was lauded as a founding hero not just of a single city or race, but as the founding hero of all the Italians, who had come to endure immense poverty and deprivation, denied of their rightful land because of their military services and having lost work because of the influx of slaves, who were loyal to no man while citizens were loyal to the state.
In Appian's account, Tiberius Gracchus is seen as a popular hero, and there is not any account given regarding Tiberius' justification for deposing Octavius.
The Senate gave trivial funds to the agrarian commission that had been appointed to execute Tiberius' laws. This commission was composed entirely of members of Tiberius' family, including Appius Claudius, his father-in-law, Tiberius and his brother Gaius.
This, of course, did little to soothe the bitterness between the Gracchi and the Senate, and the Senate and conservatives took every opportunity to hamper, delay and slander Tiberius. Tiberius saw his chance and immediately used his tribunician powers to allocate the fortune to fund the new law. This was a direct attack on Senatorial power, since it was the Senate which was traditionally responsible for the management of the treasury and for decisions regarding overseas affairs.
The opposition of the Senate to Tiberius Gracchus' policies increased. Quintus Pompeius addressed the Senate and said that he "was a neighbour of Tiberius, and therefore knew that Eudemus of Pergamum had presented Tiberius with a royal diadem and a purple robe, believing that he was going to be king in Rome. Such fears tipped the Senate from hatred and paranoia into committing the first outright bloodshed in Republican politics.
Tiberius Gracchus' overruling of the tribunician veto was considered illegal, and his opponents were determined to prosecute him at the end of his one year term, since he was regarded as having violated the constitution and having used force against a tribune. In one standoff between Tiberius and Titus Annius, a renowned orator, Annius argued that if a colleague of Tiberius stood to defend him and Tiberius disapproved, he would simply in a passion physically remove the man.
Tiberius realized that his actions against Octavius had won him ill repute among the Senate and even among the People. After the death of a friend of Tiberius, rumors circulated that the man had been poisoned.
Seizing the opportunity to win sympathy with the People, Tiberius dressed in mourning clothes and paraded his children in front of the Assembly, pleading for the protection of him and his kin.
To support this he posited that other sacrosanct office holders were seized when they violated their duties, such as Vestal Virgins or the Roman kings, done so the state would benefit from their removal. Tiberius continued to plead with the People, lamenting that he feared for his safety and that of his family, and moved them so much that many camped outside his house to ensure his protection.
When the People assembled on the Capitol, Tiberius set out, despite many inauspicious omens. While the tribes were being assembled, a skirmish broke out on the outskirts of the crowd as Tiberius' supporters were attempting to block a group of his opponents from entering into the area to mingle about.
A sympathetic senator, Fulvius Flaccus, was able to make his way to Tiberius to warn him that the Senate was seated and plotting to kill him, having armed slaves and their men since they could not convince the consul to do the deed.
Tiberius, trying to shout above the din, gestured to his head to signal his life was in danger, but his opponents took this as a sign requesting for a crown and ran back to the Senate to report the signal. When the Senate heard this, outrage spread among them. Tiberius' cousin, Publius Cornelius Scipio Nasica , the newly elected Pontifex Maximus, saying that Tiberius wished to make himself king, demanded that the consul take action.
When he refused, Nasica girded his toga over his head, shouting "Now that the consul has betrayed the state, let every man who wishes to uphold the laws follow me! His fellow tribune, Publius Satyreius, dealt the first blow to his head. More than supporters, including Tiberius, were slain by stones and staves, but none by sword, and their bodies thrown into the Tiber. This, according to Plutarch, was the first outbreak of civil strife in Rome.
Following the massacre, many of Tiberius' supporters were sent into exile without a trial, while others were arrested and executed, including being sewn up in a bag with poisonous vipers. When threatened with impeachment, Nasica was reassigned to Asia to remove him from the city.
The People made no attempt to conceal their hatred of him, accosting him publicly, cursing him and calling him a tyrant. Nasica wandered, despised and outcast, until he died shortly later near Pergamum. Later, following the murder of his brother, statues of both were placed throughout the city in prominent locations, where they were worshiped as heroes of the People, sometimes even being sacrificed to as if they were gods. This offended Octavius, who then entered into a conspiracy with Scipio Nasica and Scipio Aemilianus to assassinate Tiberius.
Nasica would benefit from this because Tiberius had bought some land from a place that Nasica wanted. Because of this, Nasica lost out on sesterces. Nasica would often bring this up in the senate to mock Tiberius.
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