tiberius gracchus-第4章

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Octavius；　however；　would　by　no　means　be　persuaded　to

compliance；　upon　which　Tiberius　declared　openly；　that　seeing

they　two　were　united　in　the　same　office；　and　of　equal

authority；　it　would　be　a　difficult　matter　to　compose　their

difference　on　so　weighty　a　matter　without　a　civil　war；　and

that　the　only　remedy　which　he　knew；　must　be　the　deposing　one

of　them　from　their　office。　　He　desired；　therefore；　that

Octavius　would　summon　the　people　to　pass　their　verdict　upon

him　first；　averring　that　he　would　willingly　relinquish　his

authority　if　the　citizens　desired　it。　　Octavius　refused；　and

Tiberius　then　said　he　would　himself　put　to　the　people　the

question　of　Octavius's　deposition；　if　upon　mature

deliberation　he　did　not　alter　his　mind；　and　after　this

declaration；　he　adjourned　the　assembly　till　the　next　day。



When　the　people　were　met　together　again；　Tiberius　placed

himself　in　the　rostra；　and　endeavored　a　second　time　to

persuade　Octavius。　　But　all　being　to　no　purpose；　he　referred

the　whole　matter　to　the　people；　calling　on　them　to　vote　at

once；　whether　Octavius　should　be　deposed　or　not；　and　when

seventeen　of　the　thirty…five　tribes　had　already　voted　against

him；　and　there　wanted　only　the　votes　of　one　tribe　more　for

his　final　deprivation；　Tiberius　put　a　short　stop　to　the

proceedings；　and　once　more　renewed　his　importunities；　he

embraced　and　kissed　him　before　all　the　assembly；　begging；

with　all　the　earnestness　imaginable；　that　he　would　neither

suffer　himself　to　incur　the　dishonor；　nor　him　to　be　reputed

the　author　and　promoter　of　so　odious　a　measure。　　Octavius；　we

are　told；　did　seem　a　little　softened　and　moved　with　these

entreaties；　his　eyes　filled　with　tears；　and　he　continued

silent　for　a　considerable　time。　　But　presently　looking

towards　the　rich　men　and　proprietors　of　estates；　who　stood

gathered　in　a　body　together；　partly　for　shame；　and　partly　for

fear　of　disgracing　himself　with　them；　he　boldly　bade　Tiberius

use　any　severity　he　pleased。　　The　law　for　his　deprivation

being　thus　voted；　Tiberius　ordered　one　of　his　servants；　whom

he　had　made　a　freeman；　to　remove　Octavius　from　the　rostra；

employing　his　own　domestic　freed　servants　in　the　stead　of　the

public　officers。　　And　it　made　the　action　seem　all　the　sadder；

that　Octavius　was　dragged　out　in　such　an　ignominious　manner。

The　people　immediately　assaulted　him；　whilst　the　rich　men　ran

in　to　his　assistance。　　Octavius；　with　some　difficulty；　was

snatched　away；　and　safely　conveyed　out　of　the　crowd；　though　a

trusty　servant　of　his；　who　had　placed　himself　in　front　of　his

master　that　he　might　assist　his　escape；　in　keeping　off　the

multitude；　had　his　eyes　struck　out；　much　to　the　displeasure

of　Tiberius；　who　ran　with　all　haste；　when　he　perceived　the

disturbance；　to　appease　the　rioters。



This　being　done；　the　law　concerning　the　lands　was　ratified

and　confirmed；　and　three　commissioners　were　appointed；　to

make　a　survey　of　the　grounds　and　see　the　same　equally

divided。　　These　were　Tiberius　himself；　Claudius　Appius；　his

father…in…law；　and　his　brother；　Caius　Gracchus；　who　at　this

time　was　not　at　Rome；　but　in　the　army　under　the　command　of

Scipio　Africanus　before　Numantia。　　These　things　were

transacted　by　Tiberius　without　any　disturbance；　none　daring

to　offer　any　resistance　to　him；　besides　which；　he　gave　the

appointment　as　tribune　in　Octavius's　place；　not　to　any　person

of　distinction；　but　to　a　certain　Mucius；　one　of　his　own

clients。　　The　great　men　of　the　city　were　therefore　utterly

offended；　and；　fearing　lest　he　should　grow　yet　more　popular；

they　took　all　opportunities　of　affronting　him　publicly　in　the

senate　house。　　For　when　he　requested；　as　was　usual；　to　have　a

tent　provided　at　the　public　charge　for　his　use；　while

dividing　the　lands；　though　it　was　a　favor　commonly　granted　to

persons　employed　in　business　of　much　less　importance；　it　was

peremptorily　refused　to　him；　and　the　allowance　made　him　for

his　daily　expenses　was　fixed　to　nine　obols　only。　　The　chief

promoter　of　these　affronts　was　Publius　Nasica；　who　openly

abandoned　himself　to　his　feelings　of　hatred　against　Tiberius；

being　a　large　holder　of　the　public　lands；　and　not　a　little

resenting　now　to　be　turned　out　of　them　by　force。　　The　people；

on　the　other　hand；　were　still　more　and　more　excited；　insomuch

that　a　little　after　this；　it　happening　that　one　of　Tiberius's

friends　died　suddenly；　and　his　body　being　marked　with

malignant…looking　spots；　they　ran；　in　tumultuous　manner；　to

his　funeral；　crying　aloud　that　the　man　was　poisoned。　　They

took　the　bier　upon　their　shoulders；　and　stood　over　it；　while

it　was　placed　on　the　pile；　and　really　seemed　to　have　fair

grounds　for　their　suspicion　of　foul　play。　　For　the　body　burst

open；　and　such　a　quantity　of　corrupt　humors　issued　out；　that

the　funeral　fire　was　extinguished；　and　when　it　was　again

kindled；　the　wood　still　would　not　burn；　insomuch　that　they

were　constrained　to　carry　the　corpse　to　another　place；　where

with　much　difficulty　it　took　fire。　　Besides　this；　Tiberius；

that　he　might　incense　the　people　yet　more；　put　himself　into

mourning；　brought　his　children　amongst　the　crowd；　and

entreated　the　people　to　provide　for　them　and　their　mother；　as

if　he　now　despaired　of　his　own　security。



About　this　time；　king　Attalus；　surnamed　Philometor；　died；　and

Eudemus；　a　Pergamenian；　brought　his　last　will　to　Rome；　by

which　he　had　made　the　Roman　people　his　heirs。　　Tiberius；　to

please　the　people；　immediately　proposed　making　a　law；　that

all　the　money　which　Attalus　left；　should　be　distributed

amongst　such　poor　citizens　as　were　to　be　sharers　of　the

public　lands；　for　the　better　enabling　them　to　proceed　in

stocking　and　cultivating　their　ground；　and　as　for　the　cities

that　were　in　the　territories　of　Attalus；　he　declared　that　the

disposal　of　them　did　not　at　all　belong　to　the　senate；　but　to

the　people；　and　that　he　himself　would　ask　their　pleasure

herein。　　By　this　he　offended　the　senate　more　than　ever　he　had

done　before；　and　Pompeius　stood　up；　and　acquainted　them　that

he　was　the　next　neighbor　to　Tiberius；　and　so　had　the

opportunity　of　knowing　that　Eudemus；　the　Pergamenian；　had

presented　Tiberius　with　a　royal　diadem　and　a　purple　robe；　as

before　long　he　was　to　be　king　of　Rome。　　Quintus　Metellus　also

upbraided　him；　saying；　that　when　his　father　was　censor；　the

Romans；　whenever　he　happened　to　be　going　home　from　a　supper；

used　to　put　out　all　their　lights；　lest　they　should　be　seen　to

have　indulged　themselves　in　feastings　and　drinking　at

unseasonable　hours；　whereas；　now；　the　most　indigent　and

audacious　of　the　people　were　found　with　their　torches　at

night；　following　Tiberius　home。　　Titus　Annius；　a　man　of　no

great　repute　for　either　justice　or　temperance；　but　famous　for

his　skill　in　putting　and　answering　questions；　challenged

Tiberius　to　the　proof　by　wager；　declaring　him　to　have　deposed

a　magistrate　who　by　law　was　sacred　and　inviolable。　　Loud

clamor　ensued；　and　Tiberius；　quitting　the　senate　hastily；

called　together　the　people；　and　summoning　Annius　to　appear；

was　proceeding　to　accuse　him。　　But　Annius；　being　no　great

speaker；　nor　of　any　repute　compared　to　him；　sheltered　himself

in　his　own　particular　art；　and　desired　that　he　might　propose

one　or　two　questions　to　Tiberius；　before　he　entered　upon　the

chief　argument。　　This　liberty　being　granted；　and　silence

proclaimed；　Annius　proposed　his　question。　　〃If　you；〃　said　he；

〃had　a　design　to　disgrace　and　defame　me；　and　I　should　apply

myself　to　one　of　your　colleagues　for　redress；　and　he　should

come　forward　to　my　assistance；　would　you　for　that　reason　fall

into　a　passion；　and　depose　him？〃　　Tiberius；　they　say；　was　so

much　disconcerted　at　this　question；　that；　though　at　other

times　his　assurance　as　well　as　his　readiness　of　speech　was

always　remarkable；　yet　now　he　was　silent　and　made　no　reply。



For　the　present　he　dismissed　the　assembly。　　But　beginning　to

understand　that　the　course　he　had　taken　with　Octavius　had

created　offense　even　among　the　populace　as　wel