Editing Gracchi brothers (section)

==== Agrarian reforms ====
[[File:Gracchan land distributions.svg|thumb|right|upright=1.25|Map of Gracchan land distributions. In red, distributions are attested to by archaeological finds of the boundary stones ({{lang|la|cippi}}). In yellow, {{lang|la|cippi}} are very likely.]]
[[File:Gracchan land commission inscriptions, CIL vol 1 (2nd edn, 1918) p 514.png|thumb|right|upright=1.25|This page in the revised edition of the ''[[Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum]]'' describes a number of columns documenting the work of Tiberius' land commission and its membership at various times. His brother Gaius and father-in-law Appius Claudius Pulcher appear multiple times. ]]
[[File:C. Minucius Augurinus, denarius, 135 BC, RRC 242-1.jpg|thumb|right|Denarius of Gaius Minucius Augurinus, 135&nbsp;BC, depicting the ''columna Minucia'', which itself showed a grain distribution by [[Lucius Minucius Esquilinus Augurinus|Lucius Minucius Augurinus]]. It shows that grain distribution was already a hot topic several years before Tiberius' tribunate. He or his brother Tiberius probably replaced Octavius as tribune in 133.{{sfn|Crawford|1974|pp=273–76}} ]]

The main goal of Tiberius' agrarian proposal was three-fold:
* establish a commission to investigate, survey, and catalogue the land owned by the state,
* limit the amount of public land any one possessor could hold to about 500 {{lang|la|[[Jugerum|jugera]]}}, possibly up to 1,000 {{lang|la|jugera}} for those with two children,{{sfn|Roselaar|2010|p=230}} and
* privatise all remaining land by distributing it to poor Roman citizens (Italians were excluded).{{sfn|Roselaar|2010|p=230}}<ref>{{harvnb|Mackay|2009|p=39|ps=. "These clauses apparently make it clear that land was distributed only to Roman citizens and not to the Italian allies", also dismissing Appian's claims to the contrary. }}</ref>

The purpose of the reform was to stimulate population growth and expand the number of people who would meet the property qualifications for service in the Roman army.{{sfn|Roselaar|2010|pp=227, 231}} The inclusion of the limit of 500 {{lang|la|jugera}} was for the purpose of painting the law as a return to {{lang|la|[[mos maiorum]]}} and the [[Sextian-Licinian rogations]] so to avoid any charges of novelty.{{sfn|Roselaar|2010|p=231}} Whether the Sextian-Licinian rogations in fact had such a clause is unclear; what mattered to Tiberius and his allies was that they believed it did.<ref>{{harvnb|Roselaar|2010|p=100}} documents scholarly disagreement as to when a 500 jugera maximum was in fact implemented. Suggested dates range from 300–133&nbsp;BC, with the last date implying that no such prior law existed.</ref>

Land distributed was likely done so with a prohibition on alienation and a {{lang|la|vectigal}} (rent). Alienation was prohibited to prevent recipients from simply reselling the land. The {{lang|la|vectigal}} served to allow the land to revert to the state if a citizen walked away from the allotment; reversion would then allow the state to settle someone else on the land.{{sfn|Roselaar|2010|p=235}} The {{lang|la|veteres possessores}} (old possessors) also would receive security of tenure over their lands, up to the 500 or 1,000 {{lang|la|jugera}} limit.{{sfn|Roselaar|2010|p=236}}

Tiberius was supported in his endeavour by likeminded aristocrats who also viewed the perceived problem of rural depopulation seriously – among those in support of the proposal were the consul of 133&nbsp;BC, [[Publius Mucius Scaevola (pontifex maximus)|Publius Mucius Scaevola]], and Scaevola's brother, [[Publius Licinius Crassus Dives Mucianus]], – he may have been put up to pass the proposals by those allied statesmen.{{sfn|Mackay|2009|p=38}} He was also successful in rallying large numbers of rural plebs to Rome to vote in favour of the plan.{{sfnm|Roselaar|2010|1p=224|Lintott|1994b|2p=66|ps=, "Gracchus' proposal brought him enormous public support. A contemporary historian... claimed that he was escorted by not less than 3,000—4,000 men".}} The proposals were likely not appealing to the urban plebs, who would not have had the agricultural skills necessary to capitalise on the programme.{{sfn|Roselaar|2010|p=224}}

He was opposed in the assembly by one of the other tribunes, [[Marcus Octavius]]. There were largely three grounds for opposition: first, the dispossession would harm the ruling classes of both Rome and the Italian allies; second, the law unfairly dispossessed people who had put money into the improvement of the land; third, that dispossession also would unsettle dowries pledged against the land and inheritances made under the assumption tenure was secure.{{sfn|Mackay|2009|pp=40–41}} When the vote arrived and Octavius interposed his tribunician veto, the matter was brought before the senate, but no settlement was reached. Unwilling to back down, Tiberius – unprecedentedly – had the assembly depose Octavius from office and vote the legislation through.{{sfn|Mackay|2009|pp=41–43}}