
Gracchus (died 71 BC) was an influential Roman politician who led the powerful populist faction in the Roman Senate during the 1st century BC. He was the political mentor of Julius Caesar and was rivals with Marcus Licinius Crassus and the patrician class, and, during the Third Servile War of 73-71 BC, Crassus succeeded in engineering his acclamation as dictator in order to save Rome from Spartacus' slave army. After Spartacus' defeat, Crassus proscribed Gracchus and several of his supporters across the empire, and Gracchus committed suicide while awaiting exile to Picenum.
Biography[]
Rise to power[]

A statue of Gracchus
Gracchus was born to the influential Roman Gracchi family, and he was a relative of Gaius and Tiberius Gracchus, the founders of the populist Populares faction in the Roman Senate. Gracchus followed in their footsteps by becoming the leader of the populist faction in the Senate, and he became archenemies with Marcus Licinius Crassus (Rome's wealthiest citizen) and the conservative and aristocratic Optimates. Gracchus befriended the Capuan businessman Lentulus Batiatus and the up-and-coming military officer Julius Caesar, and he often spoke out against the patrician class in the Senate and stood up for the rights of the plebeians. Gracchus was a generous man who treated his servants well, gave women important household positions such as butler and steward, and gave charitably to the poor (including the bird vendor Fimbria). Publicly, Gracchus praised the pagan gods, but he was privately an atheist, as was his protege Caesar.
Servile War[]

Gracchus giving a speech before the Roman Senate
In 73 BC, Crassus bribed the Senate to confirm his brother-in-law Marcus Publius Glabrus as commander of the Rome garrison, thus putting Glabrus in a position to move against Gracchus and the Senate if they conspired against Crassus. However, the outbreak of the Third Servile War allowed for Gracchus to retaliate. He proposed that Glabrus lead six cohorts of the Rome garrison to crush Spartacus' slave army at Mount Vesuvius, and that his protege Caesar be named temporary garrison commander. After Glabrus was defeated in battle and exiled from Rome, Gracchus successfully convinced the Senate to name Caesar permanent garrison commander. When Crassus announced that he would retire from public life in solidarity with his disgraced friend Glabrus, Gracchus warned the Senate that Crassus would be back to seize power as dictator. In 72 BC, he proposed that the Senate dispatch two legions to intercept and destroy Spartacus at the city of Metapontum in the south. The ensuing Battle of Metapontum saw the loss of two legions and 19,000 troops, and Gracchus later decided that the best strategy would be to let Spartacus' slave army escape Italy and disperse into its home regions. Gracchus secretly made a deal with the Cilician pirates, promising not to interfere with their evacuation of Spartacus' army. Doing so would remove Spartacus' threat and thus deprive Crassus of the opportunity to assume dictatorial powers. However, when Gracchus revealed this plan to Caesar, Caesar was alienated from him and went over to Crassus, betraying Gracchus' plan.
Downfall[]

Caesar arresting Gracchus
After the Battle of the Silarius River, Gracchus hired Lentulus Batiatus to rescue Crassus' servant Varinia from his estate to hurt Crassus' pride; he promised Batiatus 1 million sesterces. That same night, however, Caesar and three soldiers arrived at Gracchus' home and demanded that he come with them to the Senate immediately; Gracchus deduced that Caesar had gone over to Crassus, and Caesar insisted that he was serving Rome's interests, not his own. At the Senate, Crassus told Gracchus that he would have his followers executed if they faltered in their loyalty to the new order; Crassus compiled lists of the "disloyal" in every city and province and had the prisons filled with Populares. Gracchus' name was at the top of the list, although Crassus decided that Gracchus' property would remain untouched, he would remain a Senator, he would be exiled to a farmhouse in Picenum, and he could keep his female servants. Crassus informed him that Gracchus would be used as a pawn for him, as he sought to use Gracchus to persuade his peers to accept Crassus' dictatorship and calm plebeian discontent.
Death[]

Gracchus preparing to commit suicide
On the day that Gracchus was to be brought to Picenum, Batiatus delivered Varinia and her son to him, and he immediately granted them freedom papers and gave Batiatus an extra million sesterces to accompany the two to Gallia Aquitania to stay in the care of his cousin, the Governor. A grateful Varinia kissed Gracchus' head, and Gracchus joked that Crassus would have become very jealous to see that. After telling Varinia and Batiatus to leave before the soldiers arrived, Gracchus drew a knife from his desk, went to his bathtub, and slit his wrists, committing suicide rather than become Crassus' pawn.