Roman Reformers
Tiberius Gracchus
Became a tribune in 133
B.C.
 Wanted to divide up
public lands and give to
poor
 Vetoed by another
tribune
 Eventually, Senate staged
a riot and had him and
his followers killed
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Gaius Gracchus
Tiberius’s younger brother, Tribune in
123 B.C.
 Had government take over sale of
wheat and sell it to the poor below
market price.
 Eventually, 1/3 Romans were
receiving wheat for free
 Senate felt threatened and in 121 B.C.
had him killed
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Gaius Marius
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General who became consul in
107 B.C.
first lower class Roman to be
elected to such a high office
Set up professional army,
everyone could join.
Offered pay, land, pensions,
and items
Helped by providing jobs, hurt
by making soldiers loyal to
general rather than the
government
Lucius Sulla
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General who opposed Marius; Sulla
took his army and seized the city
Civil War broke out, in the end
Sulla made himself dictator of
Rome
Believed power of Senate was key
to end Rome’s troubles
Senators had more duties, power
of Tribunes weakened
Generals could not have more than
one year at a time
Pompey
Part of Triumvirate,
Believed in a republic
ruled by upper class
senators
 After Crassus’s death,
he was murdered
giving Caesar full
control
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Julius Caesar
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Well-educated politician who became a soldier
Named governor of Roman province in 58 B.C.
Conquered Northern France, Belgium, and
invaded Britain
In 50 B.C. Senate ordered Caesar to break up
his legions and return home; Instead by 46
B.C. he became dictator of Rome
Redistributed state lands in Italy and founded
new colonies overseas
Gave land to thousands of ex-soldiers who had
none
Built roads, drained marshes for land use
Julius Caesar
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In 50 B.C. Senate
ordered Caesar to break
up his legions and return
home; Instead by 46 B.C.
he became dictator of
Rome
Redistributed state lands
in Italy and founded new
colonies overseas
Gave land to thousands
of ex-soldiers who had
none
Built roads, drained
marshes for land use
Julius Caesar
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Keep the poor and
the idle from turning
into unhappy and
angry mobs.
Doubled the size of
the Senate
Gave business a
chance to become
senators.
Cut back on activities
of the publicans
Julius Caesar
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Gave citizenship to Greeks, Spaniards,
Gauls
Adopted a new calendar based on the
Egyptian calendar, called it the Julian
calendar, similar to what is still used
today!
Killed him as they were afraid he was
going to make himself king
Mark Antony
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Member of another
triumvirate with
Octavian and
Marcus Lepidus
Took command of
Rome’s territories
in the East
Caesar’s closest
follower and a
popular general
Octavian
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Caesar’s grand
nephew and
adopted son
Took charge of the
West
The triumvirate
began to fight,
Octavian won and
was sole ruler of
Rome