In Rome at this time there lived two brothers called the Gracchi. They were both great orators and rose to high positions in Rome. They saw their city was in a bad way on account of the many poor that were flocking to it.
The Gracchi tried to change this by taking away from the very rich landowners a part of their land and giving it to the poor. The Gracchi wanted to make farmers out of the poor. This plan roused the anger of the rich. They raised riots against the brothers and both men were killed. Rome never forgot the Gracchi, and even in our time they are looked upon as noble men laboring for the good of their country.
SUGGESTIONS INTENDED TO HELP THE PUPIL
The Leading Facts. 1. What Italy looks like on the map. 2. Romulus and Remus. 3. The founding of Rome; the six kings. 4. A republic with "consuls" and "senators." 5. The story of Horatius; of Cincinnatus. Our Cincinnatus. 6. The first quarrel, and the removal to the second hill. 7. The capture of Rome by the Gauls; the Gauls become Romans. 8. Rome and Carthage rivals. 9. Quarrel over Sicily. 10. Hannibal takes a great oath. 11. Hannibal's army. 12. How it reached Italy and how long it remained. 13. Hannibal's victory at Cannae. 14. The Romans invade Carthage and defeat Hannibal at Zama. 15. How Rome defeated the phalanx. 16. Romans before conquests a simple people. 17. Effect on the Romans of conquering the world. 18. Second great contest between rich and poor. 19. The Gracchi to the rescue. 20. Death of the Gracchi and why they are remembered.
Study Questions. 1. Why did the Romans believe the story of Romulus and Remus? 2. Tell the story of Horatius and Cincinnatus. Which do you like best? 3. Tell the origin of the word "veto." 4. Who was Hannibal and how could he stay so long in Italy with his army? 5. Who built Carthage? 6. Describe the battle of Cannae. 7. Why did the Romans scatter salt over the ground where Carthage stood? 8. How did Rome overcome the Macedonian phalanx? 9. What bad effect did the world conquest have upon Rome? 10. Tell the story of the Gracchi.
Suggested Readings. Tappan, The Story of the Roman People, 1-122; Yonge, Young Folks' History of Rome, 13-202; Harding, The City of the Seven Hills, 7-165; Lang, The Red Book of Heroes, 43-94; Guerber, The Story of the Romans; Mace-Tanner, Old Europe and Young America, 74-93.
THE ROMAN REPUBLIC BECOMES THE ROMAN EMPIRE
Conditions that favored Caesar
283. The Rise of Julius Caesar. When a country is torn by quarrels between rich and poor, very often some great man rises, seizes the government, and rules the country himself. He may use the army in compelling all parties to submit quietly to his rule. So it was in Rome.