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How Did Tiberius Gracchus Contribute To The Downfall Of The Roman Republic?

584 Words3 Pages

The assassination of Tiberius Gracchus is the pivotal event that triggered the downfall of the Roman Republic, reigniting the power struggle between the aristocracy and common people and leading to the erosion of the Republic’s core ideals. The Republic was established following the tragic death of Lucretia, who took her life after being raped by Sextus Tarquinius. Lucretia’s suicide showed the aristocracy the potential of centralized authority to violate a women’s autonomy, instilling a fear of tyranny in the Republic. However, through his reforms, Tiberius Gracchus brought to light the divisions between the elite and disenfranchised masses, exemplified by his critique of the aristocracy’s hypocrisy: “‘The enemy must not be allowed near our …show more content…

This caused the Senate and Aristocracy to gravitate back to the tyrannical ideas they held before the formation of the Republic, and this erosion of the Republic’s core ideals catalyzed its downfall. Gracchus’ assassination established a precedent in Roman politics for using impulsive action to enact change. When Tiberius demanded the tiara on behalf of the Roman people, Nasica ordered that the consul kill him, a command which the consul refused to carry out. Plutarch portrays Nasica’s decision to commit the murder as a capricious act: “Nasica leapt to his feet and said ‘Since the consul is a traitor to Rome, if any of you protect the constitution, follow me’”. Nasica’s decisiveness and courageous action in rallying a crowd against the consul’s will shows both his audacity and impulsiveness. While the Republic continued on, Tiberius’ murder established a precedent for resolving conflicts with spur-of-the-moment violence. Following in Nasica’s footsteps, the conspirators band together to murder Caesar by stabbing him twenty-three times. Just minutes before they commit Caesar’s murder, Cassius and Brutus are still building up the courage to commit such an

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