tiberius gracchus-第6章

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senate；　seeing　they　could　not　prevail　upon　the　consul　to

espouse　their　quarrel；　had　come　to　a　final　determination

amongst　themselves；　that　he　should　be　assassinated；　and　to

that　purpose　had　a　great　number　of　their　friends　and　servants

ready　armed　to　accomplish　it。　　Tiberius　no　sooner

communicated　this　confederacy　to　those　about　him；　but　they

immediately　tucked　up　their　gowns；　broke　the　halberts　which

the　officers　used　to　keep　the　crowd　off　into　pieces；　and

distributed　them　among　themselves；　resolving　to　resist　the

attack　with　these。　　Those　who　stood　at　a　distance　wondered；

and　asked　what　was　the　occasion；　Tiberius；　knowing　that　they

could　not　hear　him　at　that　distance；　lifted　his　hand　to　his

head；　wishing　to　intimate　the　great　danger　which　he

apprehended　himself　to　be　in。　　His　adversaries；　taking　notice

of　that　action；　ran　off　at　once　to　the　senate　house；　and

declared；　that　Tiberius　desired　the　people　to　bestow　a　crown

upon　him；　as　if　this　were　the　meaning　of　his　touching　his

head。　　This　news　created　general　confusion　in　the　senators；

and　Nasica　at　once　called　upon　the　consul　to　punish　this

tyrant；　and　defend　the　government。　　The　consul　mildly

replied；　that　he　would　not　be　the　first　to　do　any　violence；

and　as　he　would　not　suffer　any　freeman　to　be　put　to　death；

before　sentence　had　lawfully　passed　upon　him；　so　neither

would　he　allow　any　measure　to　be　carried　into　effect；　if　by

persuasion　or　compulsion　on　the　part　of　Tiberius　the　people

had　been　induced　to　pass　any　unlawful　vote。　　But　Nasica；

rising　from　his　seat；　〃Since　the　consul；〃　said　he；　〃regards

not　the　safety　of　the　commonwealth；　let　everyone　who　will

defend　the　laws；　follow　me。〃　　He；　then；　casting　the　skirt　of

his　gown　over　his　head；　hastened　to　the　capitol；　those　who

bore　him　company；　wrapped　their　gowns　also　about　their　arms。

and　forced　their　way　after　him。　　And　as　they　were　persons　of

the　greatest　authority　in　the　city；　the　common　people　did　not

venture　to　obstruct　their　passing；　but　were　rather　so　eager

to　clear　the　way　for　them；　that　they　tumbled　over　one　another

in　haste。　　The　attendants　they　brought　with　them；　had

furnished　themselves　with　clubs　and　staves　from　their　houses；

and　they　themselves　picked　up　the　feet　and　other　fragments　of

stools　and　chairs；　which　were　broken　by　the　hasty　flight　of

the　common　people。　　Thus　armed；　they　made　towards　Tiberius；

knocking　down　those　whom　they　found　in　front　of　him；　and

those　were　soon　wholly　dispersed；　and　many　of　them　slain。

Tiberius　tried　to　save　himself　by　flight。　　As　he　was　running；

he　was　stopped　by　one　who　caught　hold　of　him　by　the　gown；　but

he　threw　it　off；　and　fled　in　his　under…garments　only。　　And

stumbling　over　those　who　before　had　been　knocked　down；　as　he

was　endeavoring　to　get　up　again；　Publius　Satureius；　a

tribune；　one　of　his　colleagues；　was　observed　to　give　him　the

first　fatal　stroke；　by　hitting　him　upon　the　head　with　the

foot　of　a　stool。　　The　second　blow　was　claimed；　as　though　it

had　been　a　deed　to　be　proud　of；　by　Lucius　Rufus。　　And　of　the

rest　there　fell　above　three　hundred；　killed　by　clubs　and

staves　only；　none　by　an　iron　weapon。



This；　we　are　told；　was　the　first　sedition　amongst　the　Romans；

since　the　abrogation　of　kingly　government；　that　ended　in　the

effusion　of　blood。　　All　former　quarrels　which　were　neither

small　nor　about　trivial　matters；　were　always　amicably

composed；　by　mutual　concessions　on　either　side；　the　senate

yielding　for　fear　of　the　commons；　and　the　commons　out　of

respect　to　the　senate。　　And　it　is　probable　indeed　that

Tiberius　himself　might　then　have　been　easily　induced；　by　mere

persuasion；　to　give　way；　and　certainly；　if　attacked　at　all；

must　have　yielded　without　any　recourse　to　violence　and

bloodshed；　as　he　had　not　at　that　time　above　three　thousand

men　to　support　him。　　But　it　is　evident；　that　this　conspiracy

was　fomented　against　him；　more　out　of　the　hatred　and　malice

which　the　rich　men　had　to　his　person；　than　for　the　reasons

which　they　commonly　pretended　against　him。　　In　testimony　of

which；　we　may　adduce　the　cruelty　and　unnatural　insults　which

they　used　to　his　dead　body。　　For　they　would　not　suffer　his

own　brother；　though　he　earnestly　begged　the　favor；　to　bury

him　in　the　night；　but　threw　him；　together　with　the　other

corpses；　into　the　river。　　Neither　did　their　animosity　stop

here；　for　they　banished　some　of　his　friends　without　legal

process；　and　slew　as　many　of　the　others　us　they　could　lay

their　hands　on；　amongst　whom　Diophanes；　the　orator；　was

slain；　and　one　Caius　Villius　cruelly　murdered　by　being　shut

up　in　a　large　tun　with　vipers　and　serpents。　　Blossius　of

Cuma；　indeed；　was　carried　before　the　consuls；　and　examined

touching　what　had　happened；　and　freely　confessed；　that　he

had　done；　without　scruple；　whatever　Tiberius　bade　him。

〃What；〃　replied　Nasica；　〃then　if　Tiberius　had　bidden　you　burn

the　capitol；　would　you　have　burnt　it？〃　　His　first　answer　was；

that　Tiberius　never　would　have　ordered　any　such　thing；　but

being　pressed　with　the　same　question　by　several　others；　he

declared；　〃If　Tiberius　had　commanded　it；　it　would　have　been

right　for　me　to　do　it；　for　he　never　would　have　commanded　it；

if　it　had　not　been　for　the　people's　good。〃　　Blossius　at　this

time　was　pardoned；　and　afterwards　went　away　to　Aristonicus　in

Asia；　and　when　Aristonicus　was　overthrown　and　ruined；　killed

himself。



The　senate；　to　soothe　the　people　after　these　transactions；

did　not　oppose　the　division　of　the　public　lands；　and

permitted　them　to　choose　another　commissioner　in　the　room　of

Tiberius。　　So　they　elected　Publius　Crassus；　who　was

Gracchus's　near　connection；　as　his　daughter　Licinia　was

married　to　Caius　Gracchus；　although　Cornelius　Nepos　says；

that　it　was　not　Crassus's　daughter　whom　Caius　married；　but

Brutus's；　who　triumphed　for　his　victories　over　the

Lusitanians；　but　most　writers　state　it　as　we　have　done。　　The

people；　however；　showed　evident　marks　of　their　anger　at

Tiberius's　death；　and　were　clearly　waiting　only　for　the

opportunity　to　be　revenged；　and　Nasica　was　already　threatened

with　an　impeachment。　　The　senate；　therefore；　fearing　lest

some　mischief　should　befall　him；　sent　him　ambassador　into

Asia；　though　there　was　no　occasion　for　his　going　thither。

For　the　people　did　not　conceal　their　indignation；　even　in　the

open　streets；　but　railed　at　him；　whenever　they　met　him

abroad；　calling　him　a　murderer　and　a　tyrant；　one　who　had

polluted　the　most　holy　and　religious　spot　in　Rome　with　the

blood　of　a　sacred　and　inviolable　magistrate。　　And　so　Nasica

left　Italy；　although　be　was　bound；　being　the　chief　priest；　to

officiate　in　all　principal　sacrifices。　　Thus　wandering

wretchedly　and　ignominiously　from　one　place　to　another；　he

died　in　a　short　time　after；　not　far　from　Pergamus。　　It　is　no

wonder　that　the　people　had　such　an　aversion　to　Nasica；　when

even　Scipio　Africanus；　though　so　much　and　so　deservedly

beloved　by　the　Romans；　was　in　danger　of　quite　losing　the　good

opinion　which　the　people　had　of　him；　only　for　repeating；　when

the　news　of　Tiberius's　death　was　first　brought　to　Numantia；

the　verse　out　of　Homer



Even　so　perish　all　who　do　the　same。



And　afterwards；　being　asked　by　Caius　and　Fulvius；　in　a　great

assembly；　what　he　thought　of　Tiberius's　death；　he　gave　an

answer　adverse　to　Tiberius's　public　actions。　　Upon　which

account；　the　people　thenceforth　used　to　interrupt　him　when　he

spoke；　which；　until　that　time；　they　had　never　done；　and　he；

on　the　other　hand；　was　induced　to　speak　ill　of　the　people。

But　of　this　the　particulars　are　given　in　the　life　of　Scipio。






End