Editing Spurius Cassius Vecellinus (section)

==Trial and execution==
{{main|Agrarian law#Proposed land distribution in 486 BC}}
After concluding the treaty with the Hernici, Cassius proposed the first agrarian law at Rome, arguing for the land to be distributed amongst the plebs and the Latin allies.  Cassius' colleague, Verginius, and the patricians strongly opposed the law.  Debate and discord ensued, and the plebs turned against Cassius, suspecting him of aiming at regal power.<ref name=Livy-2.41/>

In 485 BC once Cassius had left office he was condemned and executed.  Livy says that the method of his trial is uncertain.  Livy's preferred version is that a public trial on the charge of [[perduellio|high treason]] was held on the orders of the [[Quaestor#Quaestores parricidii|quaestores parricidii]] [[Caeso Fabius Vibulanus (consul)|Caeso Fabius]] and [[Lucius Valerius Potitus (consul in 483 and 470 BC)|Lucius Valerius]], at which Cassius was condemned by the [[Century Assembly|people]], and subsequently by public decree his house was demolished (being near the [[Terra (mythology)#Temple|temple of Tellus]]).  The alternative version is that Cassius' own father conducted a private trial (presumably exercising authority as [[pater familias]]) and put his son to death, and subsequently dedicated his son's assets to the goddess [[Ceres (mythology)|Ceres]], including by dedicating a statue to her with the inscription "given from the Cassian family".<ref name=Livy-2.41/><ref>Cicero, ''[[De re publica|De Republica]]'', ii. 27, 35, ''[[Philippicae]]'', ii. 44, ''[[Laelius de Amicitia]]'', 8, 11, ''Pro Domo Sua'', 38.</ref><ref>[[Valerius Maximus]], ''Factorum ac Dictorum Memorabilium libri IX'', vi. 3. § 1.</ref><ref>[[Pliny the Elder|Gaius Plinius Secundus]], ''[[Natural History (Pliny)|Historia Naturalis]]'', xxxiv. 6. s. 14.</ref>

Dionysius states that he was hurled from the [[Tarpeian Rock]].<ref>Dionysius of Halicarnassus, ''Romaike Archaiologia'', viii. 68-80.</ref>

Niebuhr argues that it was impossible that a man who had been thrice consul and twice triumphed should still be in his father's power.<ref name=Niebuhr-2.166/>

[[Cassius Dio]] expressed his belief in the consul's innocence.<ref>[[Cassius Dio]], ''Exc. de. Sentent.'', 19, p. 150.</ref>

In 159 BC the statue of Cassius erected on the spot of his house was melted down by the [[Roman censor|censors]]. Some seem to have called for the execution of Cassius' sons also, but according to Dionysius, they were spared by the senate.<ref>Dionysius of Halicarnassus, ''Romaike Archaiologia'', viii. 80.</ref><ref>''Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology'', William Smith, Editor.</ref>