A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

290 GRACCHUS. GRACCHUS.
7. TIB. SEMPRONIUS GRACCHUS, the elder son among the Romans who scaled the walls of Carof No. 6. If Plutarch is right, that Tib. Gracchus thage.
was not thirty years old at his death, in B. C. About ten years after his return from this expe133, he must.have been born in B. C. 164; dition, B. C. 137, Tiberius was appointed quaestor,
but we know that he was quaestor in B. C. 137, and in this capacity he accompanied the consul,
an office which by law he could not hold till C. Hostilius Mancinus, to his province of Hispan ia
he had completed his thirty-first year, whence it Citerior, where in a short time he gained both the
would follow that he was born about five years affection of the Roman soldiers, and the esteem
earlier, and that' at his death he was about thirty- and confidence of the victorious enemy. When
five years old. He lost his father at an early age, Mancinus, after being defeated by the Numanbut this did not prevent his inheriting his father's tines, sent messengers to treat with them for a
excellent qualities, and his illustrious mother, Cor- truce and terms of peace, the Spaniards, who had
nelia, made it the object of her life to render her so often been deceived by the Romans in their
sons worthy of their father and of her own ances- negotiations, declared that they would not treat
tors. It was owing to the care she bestowed upon with any one except Tib. Gracchus; for the confithe education of her sons, rather than to their dence they placed in him personally was heightened
natural talents, that they surpassed all the Roman by the recollection of the just and fair treatment
youths of the time. She was assisted in her ex- they had received from his victorious father. Tiertions by eminent Greeks, who exercised great in- berius accordingly was sent to Numantia, and confluence upon the minds of the two brothers, and eluded a peace with the Numantines on equitable
among whom we have especial mention of Dio-. terms. Considering the defeat which Mancinus
phanes of Mytilene, Menelaus of Marathon, and had suffered, the terms were favourable to the
Blossius of Cumae. As the Gracchi grew up, the Romans, and Gracchus saved by it an army of
relation between them and their teachers gradually upwards of 20,000 men from utter annihilation;
became one of intimate friendship, and of the highest but the concessions made to the Numantines were
mutual esteem and admiration. Tiberius was nine nevertheless more than the pride of the Roman
years older than his brother Caius; and although senate could brook. After the conclusion of the
they grew up under the same influence, yet their peace, an incident occurred which gave further proof
natural talents: and dispositions were developed in of the confidence which the Numantines placed in
different ways, so that their characters, though Tiberius. The Roman camp,and allthat it contained,
resembling each other in their main outlines, yet had fallen into the hands of the enemy; and
presented great differences. Tiberius, who was in- when the army had already commenced its retreat,
ferior to his brother in point of talent, surpassed Tiberius discovered that the tablets containing the achim in the amiable traits of his gentle nature: his counts of the moneyhe had had to dispose ofas quaesnoble bearing, the softness of his voice, the sim- tor were lost; and being anxious to recover them,
plicity of his demeanour, and his calm dignity, won that he might not be exposed to annoyances after his
for him the hearts of the people. His eloquence, arrival at Rome, he returned with a few companions
too, formed a strong contrast with the passionate to Numantia. On his arrival he sent to the magisand impetuous. harangues of Caius; for it was tem- trates, and begged of them to restore him the
perate, graceful, persuasive, and, proceeding as it tablets. They were delighted at the opportunity
did from the fulness of his own heart, it found a of doing him a service; they invited him to enter
ready entrance into the hearts of his hearers. If the city, and received him in a manner with which
the two brothers had been of an equal age, and they would have treated their sincerest friend,could have united their efforts, their power would they honoured him with a public banquet, restored
have been irresistible; but as it was, each had to to him the tablets, and when he left, they gave
fight single-handed, and each fell a victim to the him permission to take with him, as a rememselfishness of the oligarchy, and the faithlessness brance, any thing he might please. But Tiberius
and shortsightedness of the people, whose rights took only some incense, which he wanted for a
they had undertaken to defend. sacrifice.
When Tib. Gracchus had: arrived at the age When Mancinus and Tiberius returned to Rome,
of manhood, he was elected augur, and App. the feelings which there prevailed formed a great
Claudius, who otherwise was not free from the contrast to each other; for while the friends and
haughtiness and selfishness so peculiar to his family, relatives of the soldiers who had served in Spain were
showed his esteem for Tiberius by offering him the rejoiced at their safe return, and looked upon Grachand of his daughter Claudia;and most historians, chus as their saviour, the senate and the rest of the
according to Plutarch, related, that as App. Clau- people regarded the treaty with Numantia as a disdius had made the engagement without his wife's grace to the Roman name. The odium of the treaty,
consent, she exclaimed, on being informed of it, however, was thrown on Mancinus alone, who of
"Why in such a hurry, unless you have got Tib.' course was the only responsible person. He was
Gracchus for our daughter's husband?" stripped naked, and with his hands bound, he was
When P. Scipio Africanus the younger, who delivered up to the Numantines, that the treaty
was married to a sister of the Gracchi, undertook might thus, be annulled (B. C. 136). Tiberius, for
the command against Carthage, Tib. Gracchus the first time, enjoyed the admiration of the
accompanied him, and was a witness of the fearful people, who rewarded his good services in the
fall of that city. Tiberius thus received the affair'with affection and gratitude. P. Scipio
first practical lessons in military affairs from the Africanus, the brother-in-law of Gracchus, and then
most illustrious general of the time, in whose tent at the head of the aristocracy, took an active part
he lived, and whose friendship he enjoyed. The in the proceedings against Mancinus, without
contemporary historian, Fannius, even related, that attempting either to save him or to get the treaty
Tiberius, who surpassed all other soldiers in with Numantia ratified. It would seem that even
courage and attention to discipline, was the first as early as this time, Scipio and the whole body