The Roman Revolution

First Blood

A committee was assembled to consider the constitutionality of Tiberius' request. As it met, the senators were stirring themselves up over in the Senate. A band of Tiberius' followers were in the Forum, in great enough numbers to alarm the good senators. They armed themselves and marched over to the Forum . . . to save the State, they later claimed.

Predictably, given that the senators were armed with clubs and swords, hot words quickly gave way to blows.

Tiberius and 300 of his supporters were killed. The threat was ended.

Tiberius' Land Act was law, but as he had feared, it was essentially ignored. The senators congratulated themselves on having defended the Republic against a fearful peril and set about business as usual.

History of Western Civilization

E.L. Skip Knox
Boise State University

Comments and questions