ABSTRACT
By 133 BC, the changes resulting from the Punic wars and Rome's rapid expansion overseas were producing serious problems and discontent among a number of groups. At the same time, aristocratic political competition was intensifying. Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus and his brother Gaius tried to deal with some of these problems and advance themselves. The struggle over Tiberius Gracchus' land bill has often been simplistically portrayed as a struggle between Tiberius, on the one hand, and the Roman senate. Tiberius appears as some kind of ideologically motivated democratic liberal or radical reformer in the modern mold. The senate merely represents the corporate interest of a wealthy landed oligarchy seeking to protect its financial interests without any regard for the social and economic problems of Rome. The careers of the Gracchi reveal a major reason why the reforms necessary for preserving the stability of the Roman Republic were extremely difficult to make.
