Roman Republic Downfall

Setting Up For Failure Rome enlarged its territory Government became very unstable Major discontent amongst lower classes Breakdown in military rule

Economic Turmoil As Rome grew, gap between rich and poor widen! Aristocracy lived on huge estates Thousands of enslaved people  forced to work on estates 100 BCE, 1/3 of pop. = enslaved people

Turmoil Cont. Many of small farmers were loosing their farms because they could not pay their taxes. Two brothers tried to help the poor Tiberius & Gaius Gracchus

Tiberius was one of the 10 Tribunes in 133 BCE Tiberius was one of the 10 Tribunes in 133 BCE. He knew some of the senators had been using their own power to confiscate farmers land for their own use.

So Tiberius limited the amount of land officials could use & he moved many poor farmers from the cities to public land & put them back to work farming.

Tiberius was eventually murdered Tiberius was eventually murdered. Gaius became a Tribune in 123 BCE & he tried to increase the power of the Assembly of Tribes.

Gaius used public funds to buy grain & then sold the grain to the poor at a low cost. Helped the poor, but drained Rome’s treasury. Gaius was also killed.

Military Upheaval As republic grew unstable, military leaders seized power for themselves Recruited soldiers from the poor by promising land They fought for pay & owed loyalty just to their commander Replaced the citizen-soldier who was loyal to the republic Now possible for military leader to take over by force

Rome 117 A.D.