tiberius gracchus-第2章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



fortune　to　serve　in　the　war　against　the　Numantines；　under　the

command　of　Caius　Mancinus；　the　consul；　a　person　of　no　bad

character；　but　the　most　unfortunate　of　all　the　Roman

generals。　　Notwithstanding；　amidst　the　greatest　misfortunes；

and　in　the　most　unsuccessful　enterprises；　not　only　the

discretion　and　valor　of　Tiberius；　but　also；　which　was　still

more　to　be　admired；　the　great　respect　and　honor　which　he

showed　for　his　general；　were　most　eminently　remarkable；

though　the　general　himself；　when　reduced　to　straits；　forgot

his　own　dignity　and　office。　　For　being　beaten　in　various

great　battles；　he　endeavored　to　dislodge　by　night；　and　leave

his　camp；　which　the　Numantines　perceiving；　immediately

possessed　themselves　of　his　camp；　and　pursuing　that　part　of

the　forces　which　was　in　flight；　slew　those　that　were　in　the

rear；　hedged　the　whole　army　in　on　every　side；　and　forced　them

into　difficult　ground；　whence　there　could　be　no　possibility

of　an　escape。　　Mancinus；　despairing　to　make　his　way　through

by　force；　sent　a　messenger　to　desire　a　truce；　and　conditions

of　peace。　　But　they　refused　to　give　their　confidence　to　any

one　except　Tiberius；　and　required　that　he　should　be　sent　to

treat　with　them。　　This　was　not　only　in　regard　to　the　young

man's　own　character；　for　he　had　a　great　reputation　amongst

the　soldiers；　but　also　in　remembrance　of　his　father　Tiberius；

who；　in　his　command　against　the　Spaniards；　had　reduced　great

numbers　of　them　to　subjection；　but　granted　a　peace　to　the

Numantines；　and　prevailed　upon　the　Romans　to　keep　it

punctually　and　inviolably。



Tiberius　was　accordingly　dispatched　to　the　enemy；　whom　he

persuaded　to　accept　of　several　conditions；　and　he　himself

complied　with　others；　and　by　this　means　it　is　beyond　a

question；　that　he　saved　twenty　thousand　of　the　Roman

citizens；　besides　attendants　and　camp　followers。　　However；

the　Numantines　retained　possession　of　all　the　property　they

had　found　and　plundered　in　the　encampment；　and　amongst　other

things　were　Tiberius's　books　of　accounts；　containing　the

whole　transactions　of　his　quaestorship；　which　he　was

extremely　anxious　to　recover。　　And　therefore；　when　the　army

were　already　upon　their　march；　he　returned　to　Numantia；

accompanied　with　only　three　or　four　of　his　friends；　and

making　his　application　to　the　officers　of　the　Numantines；　he

entreated　that　they　would　return　him　his　books；　lest　his

enemies　should　have　it　in　their　power　to　reproach　him　with

not　being　able　to　give　an　account　of　the　monies　entrusted　to

him。　　The　Numantines　joyfully　embraced　this　opportunity　of

obliging　him；　and　invited　him　into　the　city；　as　he　stood

hesitating；　they　came　up　and　took　him　by　the　hands；　and

begged　that　he　would　no　longer　look　upon　them　as　enemies；　but

believe　them　to　be　his　friends；　and　treat　them　as　such。

Tiberius　thought　it　well　to　consent；　desirous　as　he　was　to

have　his　books　returned；　and　was　afraid　lest　he　should

disoblige　them　by　showing　any　distrust。　　As　soon　as　he

entered　into　the　city；　they　first　offered　him　food；　and　made

every　kind　of　entreaty　that　he　would　sit　down　and　eat

something　in　their　company。　　Afterwards　they　returned　his

books；　and　gave　him　the　liberty　to　take　whatever　he　wished

for　in　the　remaining　spoils。　　He；　on　the　other　hand；　would

accept　of　nothing　but　some　frankincense；　which　he　used　in　his

public　sacrifices；　and；　bidding　them　farewell　with　every

expression　of　kindness；　departed。



When　he　returned　to　Rome；　he　found　the　whole　transaction

censured　and　reproached；　as　a　proceeding　that　was　base；　and

scandalous　to　the　Romans。　　But　the　relations　and　friends　of

the　soldiers；　forming　a　large　body　among　the　people；　came

flocking　to　Tiberius；　whom　they　acknowledged　as　the　preserver

of　so　many　citizens；　imputing　to　the　general　all　the

miscarriages　which　had　happened。　　Those　who　cried　out　against

what　had　been　done；　urged　for　imitation　the　example　of　their

ancestors；　who　stripped　and　handed　over　to　the　Samnites　not

only　the　generals　who　had　consented　to　the　terms　of　release；

but　also　all　the　quaestors；　for　example；　and　tribunes；　who

had　in　any　way　implicated　themselves　in　the　agreement；　laying

the　guilt　of　perjury　and　breach　of　conditions　on　their　heads。

But；　in　this　affair；　the　populace；　showing　an　extraordinary

kindness　and　affection　for　Tiberius；　indeed　voted　that　the

consul　should　be　stripped　and　put　in　irons；　and　so　delivered

to　the　Numantines；　but　for　the　sake　of　Tiberius；　spared　all

the　other　officers。　　It　may　be　probable；　also；　that　Scipio；

who　at　that　time　was　the　greatest　and　most　powerful　man　among

the　Romans；　contributed　to　save　him；　though　indeed　he　was

also　censured　for　not　protecting　Mancinus　too；　and　that　he

did　not　exert　himself　to　maintain　the　observance　of　the

articles　of　peace　which　had　been　agreed　upon　by　his　kinsman

and　friend　Tiberius。　　But　it　may　be　presumed　that　the

difference　between　them　was　for　the　most　part　due　to

ambitious　feelings；　and　to　the　friends　and　reasoners　who

urged　on　Tiberius；　and；　as　it　was；　it　never　amounted　to　any

thing　that　might　not　have　been　remedied；　or　that　was　really

bad。　　Nor　can　I　think　that　Tiberius　would　ever　have　met　with

his　misfortunes；　if　Scipio　had　been　concerned　in　dealing　with

his　measures；　but　he　was　away　fighting　at　Numantia；　when

Tiberius；　upon　the　following　occasion；　first　came　forward　as

a　legislator。



Of　the　land　which　the　Romans　gained　by　conquest　from　their

neighbors；　part　they　sold　publicly；　and　turned　the　remainder

into　common；　this　common　land　they　assigned　to　such　of　the

citizens　as　were　poor　and　indigent；　for　which　they　were　to

pay　only　a　small　acknowledgment　into　the　public　treasury。

But　when　the　wealthy　men　began　to　offer　larger　rents；　and

drive　the　poorer　people　out；　it　was　enacted　by　law；　that　no

person　whatever　should　enjoy　more　than　five　hundred　acres　of

ground。　　This　act　for　some　time　checked　the　avarice　of　the

richer；　and　was　of　great　assistance　to　the　poorer　people；　who

retained　under　it　their　respective　proportions　of　ground；　as

they　had　been　formerly　rented　by　them。　　Afterwards　the　rich

men　of　the　neighborhood　contrived　to　get　these　lands　again

into　their　possession；　under　other　people's　names；　and　at

last　would　not　stick　to　claim　most　of　them　publicly　in　their

own。　　The　poor；　who　were　thus　deprived　of　their　farms；　were

no　longer　either　ready；　as　they　had　formerly　been；　to　serve

in　war；　or　careful　in　the　education　of　their　children；

insomuch　that　in　a　short　time　there　were　comparatively　few

freemen　remaining　in　all　Italy；　which　swarmed　with　workhouses

full　of　foreign…born　slaves。　　These　the　rich　men　employed　in

cultivating　their　ground；　of　which　they　dispossessed　the

citizens。　　Caius　Laelius；　the　intimate　friend　of　Scipio；

undertook　to　reform　this　abuse；　but　meeting　with　opposition

from　men　of　authority；　and　fearing　a　disturbance；　he　soon

desisted；　and　received　the　name　of　the　Wise　or　the　Prudent；

both　which　meanings　belong　to　the　Latin　word　Sapiens。



But　Tiberius；　being　elected　tribune　of　the　people；　entered

upon　that　design　without　delay；　at　the　instigation；　as　is

most　commonly　stated；　of　Diophanes；　the　rhetorician；　and

Blossius；　the　philosopher。　　Diophanes　was　a　refugee　from

Mitylene；　the　other　was　an　Italian；　of　the　city　of　Cuma；　and

was　educated　there　under　Antipater　of　Tarsus；　who　afterwards

did　him　the　honor　to　dedicate　some　of　his　philosophical

lectures　to　him。　　Some　have　also　charged　Cornelia；　the　mother

of　Tiberius；　with　contributing　towards　it；　because　she

frequently　upbraided　her　sons；　that　the　Romans　as　yet　rather

called　her　the　daughter　of　Scipio；　than　the　mother　of　the

Gracchi。　　Others　again　say　Spurius　Postumius　was　the　chief

occasion。　　He　was　a　man　of　the　same　age　with　Tiberius；　and

his　rival　for　reputation　as　a　public　speaker；　and　when

Tiberius；　at　his　return　from　the　campaign；　found　him　to　have

got　far　beyond　him　in　fame　and　influence；　and　to　be　much

looked　up　to；　he　thought　to　outdo　him；　b