43.16
The
revision of the register of the equites was strict and drastic. Many were
degraded from the order, and this action was resented by the whole body of
the equites. The ill-will thus evoked was further aggravated by an edict
which the censors published forbidding anyone who had leased the public
taxes or private contracts from the censors C. Claudius and Tiberius
Sempronius from attending the present sale or becoming partner or associate
in any transaction there. In spite of their frequent protests, the former
tax-farmers had been unable to induce the senate to place any restrictions on
the censorial powers. At last they got a tribune of the plebs, P. Rutilius, who
was hostile to the censors on personal grounds, to champion their cause. The
censors had ordered a client of his, a freedman, to pull down a wall which
faced a public building in the Via Sacra, because it had been built on ground
belonging to the State. The owner appealed to the tribunes. As no one but
Rutilius interposed his veto the censors sent men to distrain his goods and
imposed a fine. A sharp dispute arose, and when the former tax-farmers had
recourse to the tribune, a measure was suddenly brought forward by this one
tribune providing that the public and private contracts which had been leased
out by C. Claudius and Tiberius Sempronius should be cancelled and all the
business done over again, so that everybody might have an equal chance to
tender for and work the lease. The tribune fixed a day for the discussion of
this proposal in the Assembly. When he appeared, the censors stood forward
to oppose the measure. There was silence while Gracchus was speaking, but
Claudius met with interruptions and disturbance, and he ordered the usher to
call for silence that he might be heard. The tribune declared that by doing
this he had withdrawn the Assembly from his control and impugned his
authority, and at once left the Capitol where the Assembly had met. The next
day he created a serious disturbance. First of all, he pronounced the property
of Tiberius Gracchus to be forfeited to the gods because in fining and
distraining upon a man who had appealed to a tribune, he had not yielded to
his veto and had impugned his authority. He formally impeached C. Claudius
because he had withdrawn the Assembly from his control, and he declared
that he should bring both censors to trial for high treason, and requested C.
Sulpicius to convene the citizens in their centuries to hear and adjudicate on
the case. The censors offered no opposition to the people passing judgment
on them as soon as possible, and September 24 and 25 were fixed upon as
the days for the trial. On this they went up to the Hall of Liberty, sealed up
the civic registers, closed the office, dismissed their staff and gave out that
they would not deal with any public business whatever until the people had
given their verdict. The case of Claudius was taken first. Eight out of the
twelve centuries of equites and several other centuries of the first class
sentenced him to a fine. No sooner was this known than the leading
patricians put off their gold rings in the sight of the people and laid aside
their robes, so that they might make a suppliant appeal to the plebs. It is said,
however, that the change of mind was mainly due to Tiberius Gracchus.
When shouts arose from the plebs on all sides that "Gracchus was in no
danger," he took a solemn oath and declared that if his colleague were
condemned he would not wait for his own trial, but would be his companion
in exile. So little hope, however, had Claudius of acquittal that only eight
centuries were wanted to secure his condemnation. Claudius was acquitted,
and then the tribune said that he would not keep Gracchus waiting any
longer.
