Why did Tiberius Gracchus attract so much suspicion from the Roman Senate?
Tiberius Gracchus was a Roman veteran who was elected as a plebeian tribune in 133 B.C. He recognized the need to provide land for other veterans, as many had sold their farms after returning home. Their fields had been neglected and ravaged while they were away, making them difficult to restore to productivity. As a result, many veterans sold their land, expecting to continue serving in the army; however, the Roman army no longer accepted landless men.
Tiberius proposed a land redistribution program in which unused excess land would be taken by the Roman government and redistributed to citizens without land. In doing so, he bypassed the Roman Senate, breaking tradition. Although the Concilium Plebis passed the law and the Senate later approved it, the Senate refused to fund the program. When Tiberius ran for reelection, again defying tradition, violence broke out during the election. He raised his hand to his head as a signal of danger, but it was mistaken as a sign that he sought a crown. This misunderstanding led to a revolt, which ended in Tiberius dying.
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