{"id":8970,"date":"2023-10-21T05:00:13","date_gmt":"2023-10-21T04:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.learnancientrome.com\/?p=8970"},"modified":"2023-10-21T05:00:13","modified_gmt":"2023-10-21T04:00:13","slug":"who-were-the-gracchi-brothers-of-ancient-rome","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.learnancientrome.com\/who-were-the-gracchi-brothers-of-ancient-rome\/","title":{"rendered":"Who Were The Gracchi Brothers Of Ancient Rome"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Gracchi Brothers of ancient Rome have become emblematic of the fight for social justice in Rome. The brothers, Tiberius and Gaius, have come to symbolize the tumultuous time period between 133 BC and 121 BC, in which the Roman Republic was transitioning from a republic dominated by an elite class of patricians to a democracy for all its citizens.<\/p>\n

The brothers’ main claim to fame was their agrarian reform. Under the rule of Rome’s ruling class, the patricians, much of the Italian countryside had been subject to land seizure and mass privatization. The reform of the Gracchi Brothers was aimed at return the land to its rightful owners, the people, and enable them to make a living off their farms.<\/p>\n

The reform however, was met with strong opposition. The patricians saw the reform as a threat to their power and their wealth so they attempted to stop it. This resulted in a civil war that ultimately saw both brothers killed. Despite the tragic outcome of their reforms, they began to move the Roman Republic in the direction of a democracy.<\/p>\n

Today the legacy of the brothers lives on, not only in Rome where their statues are a reminder of their deeds, but in its legal system as well. For example, the agrarian laws which were passed by the brothers have become a cornerstone of Roman law as well as its legal system. This demonstrates that their legacy drove lasting change in Roman society.<\/p>\n