What Gracchus had in his mind in proposing the measure was not wealth, but an
						increase of efficient population. Inspired greatly by the usefulness of the
						work, and believing that nothing more advantageous or admirable could ever
						happen to Italy , he took no account
						of the difficulties surrounding it. When the time for voting came he
						advanced many other arguments at considerable length and also asked them
						whether it was not just to divide among the common people what belonged to
						them in common; whether a citizen was not worthy of more consideration at
						all times than a slave; whether a man who served in the army was not more
						useful than one who did not; and whether one who had a share in the country
						was not more likely to be devoted to the public interests. He did not dwell
						long on this comparison between freemen and slaves, which he considered
						degrading, but proceeded at once to a review of their hopes and fears for
						the country, saying that the Romans had acquired most of their territory by
						conquest, and that they had hopes of occupying the rest of the habitable
						world, but now the question of greatest hazard was, whether they should gain
						the rest by having plenty of brave men, or whether, through their weakness
						and mutual jealousy, their enemies should take away what they already
						possessed. After exaggerating the glory and riches on the one side and the
						danger and fear on the other, he admonished the rich to take heed, and said
						that for the realization of these, hopes they ought to bestow this very land
						as a free gift, if necessary, on men who would rear children, and not, by
						contending about small things, overlook larger ones; especially since they
						were receiving an ample compensation for labor expended in the undisputed
						title to 500 jugera each of free land, in a high state of cultivation,
						without cost, and half as much more for each son of those who had sons.
						After saying much more to the same purport and exciting the poor, as well as
						others who were moved by reason rather than by the desire for gain, he
						ordered the scribe to read the proposed law. Marcus Octavius, another tribune, who had been induced by those in possession
						of the lands to interpose his veto (for among the Romans the tribune's veto
						always prevailed), ordered the scribe to keep silence. Thereupon Gracchus
						reproached him severely and adjourned the comitia to the following day. Then
						he stationed a sufficient guard, as if to force Octavius against his will,
						and ordered the scribe with threats to read the proposed law to the
						multitude. He began to read, but when Octavius again vetoed he stopped. Then
						the tribunes fell to wrangling with each other, and a considerable tumult
						arose among the people. The leading citizens besought the tribunes to submit
						their controversy to the Senate for decision. Gracchus seized on the
						suggestion, believing that the law was acceptable to all well-disposed
						persons, and hastened to the senate-house. There, as he had only a few
						followers and was upbraided by the rich, he ran back to the forum and said
						that he would take the vote at the comitia of the following day, both on the
						law and on the magistracy of Octavius, to determine whether a tribune who
						was acting contrary to the people's interest could continue to hold his
						office. And so he did, for when Octavius, nothing daunted, again interposed,
						Gracchus distributed the pebbles to take a vote on him first. When the first
						tribe voted to abrogate the magistracy of Octavius, Gracchus turned to him
						and begged him to desist from this veto. As he would not yield, the votes of
						the other tribes were taken. There were thirty-five tribes at that time. The
						seventeen that voted first angrily sustained this motion. If the eighteenth
						should do the same it would make a majority. Again did Gracchus, in the
						sight of the people, urgently importune Octavius in his present extreme
						danger not to prevent this most pious work, so useful to all Italy , and not to frustrate the wishes so
						earnestly entertained by the people, whose desires he ought rather to share
						in his character of tribune, and not to risk the loss of his office by
						public condemnation. After speaking thus he called the gods to witness that
						he did not willingly do any despite to his colleague. As Octavius was still
						unyielding he went on taking the vote. Octavius was forthwith reduced to the
						rank of a private citizen and slunk away unobserved. This was an unconstitutional proceeding. Under
							Roman law a tribune could not be deprived of his office during his
							official term. 
					 Quintus Mummius was chosen tribune in his place, and the agrarian law was
						enacted. The first triumvirs appointed to divide the land were Gracchus
						himself, the proposer of the law, his brother of the same name, and his
						father-in-law, Appius Claudius, since the people still feared that the law
						might fail of execution unless Gracchus should be put in the lead with his
						whole family. Gracchus became immensely popular by reason of the law and was
						escorted home by the multitude as though he were the founder, not of a
						single city or race, but of all the nations of Italy . After, this the victorious party returned to the
						fields from which they had come to attend to this business. The defeated
						ones remained in the city and talked the matter over, feeling bitterly, and
						saying that as soon as Gracchus should become a private citizen he would be
						sorry that he had done despite to the sacred and inviolable office of
						tribune, and had opened such a fountain of discord in Italy . CHAPTER II New Election of Tribunes -- Riot on the Capitoline Hill --Death of Gracchus At the advent of summer the notices for the election of tribunes were given,
						and as the day for voting approached it was very evident that the rich were
						earnestly promoting the election of those most inimical to Gracchus. The
						latter, fearing that evil would befall if he should not be reelected for the
						following year, summoned his friends from the fields to attend the comitia,
						but as they were occupied with their harvest he was obliged, when the day
						fixed for the voting drew near, to have recourse to the plebeians of the
						city. So he went around asking each one separately to elect him tribune for
						the ensuing year, on account of the danger he had incurred for them. When
						the voting took place the first two tribes pronounced for Gracchus. The rich
						objected that it was not lawful for the same man to hold the office twice in
						succession. The tribune Rubrius, who had been chosen by lot to preside over
						the comitia, was in doubt about it, and Mummius, who had been chosen in
						place of Octavius, urged him to turn over the comitia to his charge. This he
						did, but the remaining tribunes contended that the presidency should be
						decided by lot, saying that when Rubrius, who had been chosen in that way,
						resigned, the casting of lots ought to be done over again for all. As there
						was much strife over this question, Gracchus, who was getting the worst of
						it, adjourned the voting to the following day. In utter despair he clothed
						himself in black, while still in office, and led his son around the forum
						and introduced him to each man and committed him to their charge, as if he
						were about to perish at the hands of his enemies. The poor were moved with deep sorrow, and rightly so, both on their own
						account (for they believed that they were no longer to live in a free state
						under equal laws, but were reduced to servitude by the rich), and on account
						of Gracchus himself, who had incurred such danger and suffering in their
						behalf. So they all accompanied him with tears to his house in the evening,
						and bade him be of good courage for the morrow. Gracchus cheered up,
						assembled his partisans before daybreak, and communicated to them a signal
						to be displayed in case of a fight. He then took possession of the temple on
						the Capitoline hill, where the voting was to take place, and occupied the
						middle of the assembly. As he was obstructed by the other tribunes and by
						the rich, who would not allow the votes to be taken on this question, he
						gave the signal. There was a sudden shout from those who saw it, and a
						resort to violence in consequence. Some of the partisans of Gracchus took
						position around him like body-guards. Others, having girded themselves,
						seized the fasces and staves in the hands of the lictors and broke them in
						pieces. They drove the rich out of the assembly with such disorder and
						wounds that the tribunes fled from their places in terror, and the priests
						closed the doors of the temple. Many ran away pell-mell and scattered wild
						rumors. Some said that Gracchus had deposed all the other tribunes, and this
						was believed because none of them could be seen. Others said that he had
						declared himself tribune for the ensuing year without an election.