121 BC, Roma hanging from a ledge
Citizens unhappy, jobs scarce, slaves are teeming
Wealthy Patricians too fat to care, with their hedge
They’re too busy with their political scheming

THE EXPANSION

Carthage gone, Spain conquered, foot in North Africa
Macedon and Persia defeated to yield Greece
Empire grows. Gaul and Liguria thrown back
North Italy, east Adriatic, slaves galore
Engine of conquest unleashed, powered by the slave market
Rome becomes wealthy Empire. Foreign labour disrupts
Economic disparity grows. Citizen soldiers back home
After long and hard campaigns, find themselves gone bankrupt

2. THE BROTHERS GRACCHI, TIBERIUS

In this angry storm are born the brothers Gracchi
Sons of Cornelia, grandsons of Africanus Scipi (Oh)
Plebian dynamite. Revolution is born!

Tiberius, first over the wall of Carthage
He wisely surrenders in Spain, saving his men (lives vs pride’s dressage)
Tried for cowardly surrender, the plebs he wins over (with speech and pen)
Getting his first taste of the power of the mob (populism begins to glower)
He gets himself elected tribune of the plebs (the might of his gob)
And begins a new campaign, his hardest one yet (Roman tradition ebbs)
for the equitable distribution of wealth (he’s all set)
The beasts of Italy have caves to stay, he says, (and in better health)
While common Romans have only the sun and air (but only during the day)
His reform is vetoed by a bought off colleague (how unfair)
The power thus abused, sets dangerous precedent (and deep intrigue)
All his legislations vetoed, Tiberius fights (with no antecedent)
He vetoes everything, forcing Rome to a halt (for the common man’s rights)
Giving them a taste of their own medicine (with a nasty tinge of salt)

3. THE VETO

A senator tries to pass a law, “Veto,” Tiberius cries
Allocation of funds for… VETO!
Magestr… VETO!
Lex At… VETO!
Hello…VETO!
Friends, Romans… VETO!

VETO!!!

Tiberius bends the law, plebian votes cast
That remove rival colleague from tribune office,(nearly his breath’s last)
Mob uncontrollable. They almost kill the man (his name may be Octavius)
Who dared block Tiberius! After the pop vote (Octi to safety ran)
Finally victory! Tiberius’ reforms are passed. (Tiberius gloats)

Tiberius continues in his quest. He knows
That he will be killed without the power of office (magisterium bestows)
He runs for tribune again, something unheard of (twice in a row, this)
He makes big promises to the people. (from his magical loft)
The senate spreads rumours that he wants to be king (A dangerous ripple)
Voting does not commence. Violence ensues… (Mourners sing)
Tiberius and his followers are killed (thrown into Tiber’s deadly blue)

The sacrosanct tribune has been murdered, (133bc)

4. THE BROTHERS GRACCHI, GAIUS

Gaius is a passionate man… Perhaps too much so
He gets so emotional during speeches (That Gaius, ho ho ho!)
That he makes a slave sit behind (While rhetoric screeches)
and pluck a lyre to quiet his mind
Whenever he gets too fired up on the rostra

A very different man from his late brother (Why so, Mother Cornelia?)

As quaestor in Sardinia, he looks after his men
The senate is wary of another Gracchi demagogue (They fear Gracchi kin)
They trick him with technicalities to stay away from Rome(remain in fog)
But you can’t pin a son of Cornelia down (he misses home)

He returns to Rome, breaking from honoured tradition,
Defending self against senatorial plots (with legal oration)
Gaius runs for tribune! The people really love him. (he’s no lout)
He uses his brother’s memory to great effect (plebian stim)
Passing retroactive laws to punish brother’s killers (vengeful reflect)
More populist reforms, and now even wooing the Knights (they’re big billers)
The grain dole, giving Italians the vote, etc (all sorts of new rights)
Without even running he becomes tribune again (plans for a tribe Italia)

5. LIVIUS DRUSUS AND THE RISE OF POPULISM

The senators start playing the Gracchi populist game
Gaius goes to Carthage. And when he returns to Rome(else his fire is tame)
Finds the people have been set against him by senate lies(bye palantine home)
Gaius moves to the slums, to try and regain his power (he never shies)
He barely loses his election for third term as tribune(no water in shower)
He goes to the people and claims electoral sabotage(to be legally immune)
His men kill a senator. Rome now under martial law(civil war on front yard)

Gaius is caught,decapitated head filled with lead and thrown into the river
And so the seeds of Destruction for the Republic are sown to grow and flower.

Image: François Topino-Lebrun – The Death of Gaius Gracchus

(Phew… I usually don’t spend more than a few minutes writing a poem. This one took me a couple of hours…)