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Often appears with: tiberius gracchus · cleomenes · civil war and rebellion · agis · vettius trial · quintus antyllius · quaestor in sardinia · opimius extraordinary power · opimius · licinia · justice as a virtue · fulvius flaccus
Usually: narrative (3) · reflection (2) · ambition and its cost (2) · betrayal (1) · coming of age (1) · crisis of belief (1) · injustice endured (1) · rivalry (1) · the fall of the great (1) · the stranger's arrival (1)
“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.” Plutarch, Plutarch: Lives of the noble Grecians and Romans · insight
Caius Gracchus stays at home at first, then pursues eloquence; he defends a friend Vettius, is watched by senators, becomes quaestor for Orestes in Sardinia, and is pulled into public service.
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 o…
During a political clash in Rome, Quintus Antyllius taunts Fulvius and is murdered; the Gracchan faction blames itself, Opimius uses the moment to push for revenge, but rain halts action.
for that intimations of this are given in her letters to him. However, it is confidently affirmed by others, that Cornelia did not in the least approve of these actions. When the day came in which Opimius designed to abrogate the laws of Caius, both parties met very early at the capitol; and the consul having performed all the rites usual in their sacrifices, one Quintus Antyllius, an attendant on the consul, carryi…
The senate grants Opimius extraordinary power; armed supporters gather, Fulvius’s men guard their leader while Caius laments his father’s statue, refusing to arm; Licinia urges him to avoid dying pointlessly.
wrongfully, was, however, in a great measure the occasion of it himself,) by these means hoping to undermine him who was the only remaining defender and safeguard of the people. The senators, after some time, withdrew, and presently ordered that Opimius, the consul, should be invested with extraordinary power to protect the commonwealth and suppress all tyrants. This being decreed, he presently commanded the senato…
Plutarch compares the Gracchi with Agis and Cleomenes, contrasting virtue and wealth, differing political reforms, and their courage in civil conflict, arguing Tiberius was most virtuous while Caius fell short of Cleomenes.
would have appeared a crime of a strange nature to him, who esteemed it a piece of covetousness to possess, though never so justly gotten, greater riches than his neighbors. Their political actions, also, and the state revolutions they attempted, were very different in magnitude. The chief things in general that the two Romans commonly aimed at, were the settlement of cities and mending of highways; and, in particu…
Plutarch argues that Tiberius and Caius were driven by glory and honors and that faction and rich-power pushed them into rash quarrels; he concludes Tiberius excelled in virtue, Agis made fewer mistakes, and Caius was less bold than Cleomenes.
who is worthy to be compared with Lycurgus, and it is clear enough that in the public measures of Cleomenes various acts of considerable audacity and lawlessness may be found. Those, therefore, who incline to blame their characters, may observe, that the two Grecians were disturbers even from their youth, lovers of contest, and aspirants to despotic power; that Tiberius and Caius by nature had an excessive desire af…