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The Brothers Gracchi - IV: Enter Gaius - Extra History

🕑 Added 2016-08-26 09:46:56 +0000 UTC

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Extra History

Yup totally agree. I think that's the real lesson for today (I'm planning to talk a bit about this in lies). Democracy can't survive politicians undercutting its basic principles even _with_ the best intentions. Also! I'm going to pop off and check 1:42 ; ) -JP

Extra History

You can also view it as the move from the citizen soldier (essentially called to action by draft) to the professional soldier. It not only creates the breach in loyalty that you pointed out but also changes the rational for engaging in wars.

Connor Raikes

The difficult thing is that the reforms that the Gracchi were advocating were well-intentioned and perhaps even well thought out. The problem was how they advocated for those positions, and how much their agenda shook up the political system in ways they didn't intend. 1:42 Shouldn't you use the singular Gracchus, not the plural Gracchi? I'm not entirely sure...

Jim McGeehin

Not *just* that, but they were a contributing factor. However, the Marian reforms also did a great job in revolutionizing the military engine of Rome , enhanced readiness and effectiveness, and provided much opportunity to the capites censi. We shouldn't think of them purely as the seeds of Rome's destruction.

Michael Jebbett

The seeds of despotism are often sown well in advance, well before most would recognize them for what they will become. The phrase "Road to hell paved with good intentions" comes to mind.

QuakeRiley

Don't forget that you can directly link a lot of the infighting of the empire and ultimate fall of the west to the Marian reforms.

Byron Becker

Pff, if anyone will be emperor it'll be Walpole! All hail our glorious emperor Walpole!

noah

From this moment forward I shall be the emperor!

Warrior of Virtue

Destroy might be going a bit far. I don't think anyone wanted to get rid of the Senate, at least not at this point, they wanted to put limits on the Senate's power.

Jim McGeehin

The idea of the Republic falling because of the state funding the equipment deserves consideration. The landless poor, the capites censi, were among those who the Graachi brothers were attempted to aid in their reforms, and about 20 years after the tale that's being told right now, Gaius Marius would enact the Marian reforms, fully funding the Roman legions and thus, making the position of legionnaire very attractive to the often unemployed capites censi. Dependent on their general for land and spoils, the new legions became the personal armies of powerful warlords and military strongmen, ultimately eroding the power of the Senate as the monopoly on violence became centralized in the hands of individuals rather than the nation itself.