97:), which included common pasture. By the 2nd century BC, wealthy landowners had begun to dominate the agrarian areas of the republic by "renting" large tracts of public land and treating it as if it were private. This began to force out smaller, private farmers with competition; the farmers were forced to move to the cities for this and a number of other factors including battles making living in rural areas dangerous. Roman cities were not good places to attempt to get jobs; they were also dangerous, overcrowded and messy.
285:. Aemilius had previously been consul in 470 BC at the time of Claudius' trial, and had then been sympathetic to the plebeians' agrarian demands. According the plebeians sought to raise the issue again, hoping Aemilius would act in their interests. Indeed, Aemilius was in favour of agrarian reform again, and thus incurred the odium of the patricians. However the tensions were resolved by Aemilius' colleague Fabius, who proposed a law that a
289:
be planted at Antium, and land there be distributed amongst the plebeians. The measure was passed, and three men were appointed as commissioners to allocate the lands (triumviri coloniae deducendae). They were Titus
Quinctius, the consul of the previous year who had captured Antium from the Volsci;
139:
Verginius spoke publicly against the law, and the plebs became concerned that land was being given to the Latin allies, and also that
Cassius might be seeking to pave the way to regal power. Verginius even suggested he would support the law if it was in favour only of Romans and not Rome's allies.
315:, passed a series of laws attempting to reform the agrarian land laws; the laws limited the amount of public land one person could control, reclaimed public lands held in excess of this, and attempted to redistribute the land, for a small rent, to farmers now living in the cities.
261:
Tensions flared after the conclusion of the foreign conflicts, and as a consequence the plebeians refused to attend the consular elections for 468 BC. Once again conflict at Rome was interrupted by foreign war, which resulted in the consul
174:, although Niebuhr argues that it was impossible that a man who had been thrice consul and twice triumphed should still be in his father's power.) and put his son to death, and subsequently dedicated his son's assets to the goddess
129:, the sixth King of Rome, strictly defining the portion of the patricians in the public land, dividing the remainder amongst the plebeians, and requiring that the tithe be levied from the lands possessed by the patricians.
298:
the consul of 472 BC. Livy reports that in fact few of the plebeians applied for allotment of land at Antium, however reports of conflict on account of the agrarian reforms were absent for many years thereafter.
329:
By 118 BC the sales limits and redistribution efforts had been abolished, and by 111 BC the laws were standardized, confirming the positions of many owners in Italy about their large tracts of land.
147:
In 485 BC once
Cassius had left office he was condemned and executed. Livy says that the method of his trial is uncertain. Livy's preferred version is that a public trial on the charge of
218:
respectively exhorted the plebs to refuse enrolment for military service as a means of encouraging agrarian reform, but the consuls and the other tribunes convinced the plebs otherwise.
291:
462:
252:
159:
55:. In its broader definition, it can also refer to the agricultural laws relating to peasants and husbandmen, or to the general farming class of people of any society.
278:
655:
226:
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to allocate the public lands. However, on the day of the trial
Genucius was found dead, and as a consequence the charges were dismissed.
323:
132:
The proposed law was opposed by the senators (some of whom it seemed were squatting on the public Roman land) and by the other consul
381:
144:
be donated to the plebs, but they rejected this as a political bribe, and suspicion that
Cassius was seeking regal power increased.
125:
and the plebs. Cassius proposed a law to give effect to his proposal. Niebuhr suggests that the law sought to restore the law of
713:
295:
189:
Some seem to have called for the execution of
Cassius' sons also, but according to Dionysius, they were spared by the senate.
155:
141:
255:, a man who was hated by the people. The charge was that he had opposed the agrarian law. However he died before the trial.
467:
106:
718:
170:). The alternative version is that Cassius' own father conducted a private trial (presumably exercising authority as
136:. Their opposition to the law was also based on their concerns that Cassius was seeking to gain too much popularity.
549:
442:
423:
114:
210:
Popular agitation for agrarian reform continued during 484 BC. And again in 481 and 480 BC, when the tribunes
59:
251:
In 470 BC the tribunes Marcus
Duilius and Gnaeus Siccius brought to trial the consul of the previous year,
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627:
612:
597:
582:
567:
536:
518:
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395:
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67:
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for the third time, proposed to distribute that land, together with other public Roman land, amongst the
326:. These reforms, however, were not as successful due to massive unpopularity in the Italian provinces.
694:
674:
312:
225:, and in the following year the tribunes Lucius Caedicius and Titus Statius brought charges against
163:
258:
In 469 BC tensions on account of the agrarian law threatened again, but foreign wars interrupted.
736:
221:
In 476 BC the tribunes
Quintus Considius and Titus Genucius successfully brought charges against
58:
Various attempts to reform agrarian laws were part of the socio-political struggle between the
741:
684:
308:
229:
but he was acquitted. Livy says the charges were motivated by agitation for agrarian reform.
215:
175:
167:
211:
17:
338:
126:
198:
In 159 BC the statue of
Cassius erected on the spot of his house was melted down by the
319:
171:
730:
646:
183:
51:
46:
322:, including the expansion of the laws' area of influence to all of the colonies in
286:
199:
122:
118:
42:
479:
343:
192:
82:
78:
148:
166:, and subsequently by public decree his house was demolished (being near the
659:. Vol. 1 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 383–385.
644:
For a more detailed discussion of public land disposal in ancient Rome, see
245:
63:
38:
81:, agrarian law is the name used to describe the terrain of law relating to
93:
There existed two kinds of land in ancient Rome: private and public land (
152:
105:
Probably the earliest attempt at an agrarian law was in 486 BC. A peace
21:
233:
110:
74:
267:
16:
This article is about land law in
Ancient Rome. For modern laws, see
236:
Gnaeus Genucius brought to trial the consuls of the previous year,
271:
31:
531:
513:
495:
371:
318:
Further reforms in 122 BC were attempted by Tiberius's brother,
140:
To counter him, Cassius promised that the money raised from the
178:, including by dedicating a statue to her with the inscription
671:(English translation), ii. p. 129 foll. (Cambridge, 1832)
281:
was elected consult for the second time, together with
113:
whereby they agreed to cede two-thirds of their land.
463:
Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology
195:expressed his belief in the consul's innocence.
182:. Dionysius states that he was hurled from the
699:Verfassung und Verwaltung des römischen Staates
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436:
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367:
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363:
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292:Aulus Verginius Tricostus Caeliomontanus
162:, at which Cassius was condemned by the
701:, ii. p. 364 foll. (Leipzig, 1882)
355:
303:Gracchan reforms in late 2nd century BC
45:regulating the division of the public
691:, i. p. 96 foll. (Leipzig, 1881)
681:, iii. 2, p. 142 (Leipzig, 1843)
391:
389:
7:
264:Titus Quinctius Capitolinus Barbatus
134:Proculus Verginius Tricostus Rutilus
101:Proposed land distribution in 486 BC
679:Handbuch der römischen Alterthümer
14:
714:The Avalon Project: Agrarian Law
180:""given from the Cassian family"
408:Lectures on the History of Rome
296:Publius Furius Medullinus Fusus
151:was held on the orders of the
1:
719:The Roman Law Library, incl.
480:Lucius Cassius Dio Cocceianus
244:, for failing to appoint the
206:Land distribution in 467 BC
758:
661:This cite as authorities:
550:Dionysius of Halicarnassus
443:Dionysius of Halicarnassus
424:Dionysius of Halicarnassus
294:the consul of 469 BC; and
142:Sicilian corn distribution
115:Spurius Cassius Vecellinus
109:was entered into with the
15:
689:Römische Staatsverwaltung
283:Quintus Fabius Vibulanus
238:Lucius Furius Medullinus
73:In other countries like
656:Encyclopædia Britannica
37:, meaning "land") were
396:Barthold Georg Niebuhr
223:Titus Menenius Lanatus
68:Conflict of the Orders
414:, ed. Schmitz (1848).
153:quaestores parricidii
554:Romaike Archaiologia
447:Romaike Archaiologia
428:Romaike Archaiologia
313:tribune of the plebs
242:Gnaeus Manlius Vulso
402:, vol. ii, p. 166
484:Exc. de. Sentent.
309:Tiberius Gracchus
279:Tiberius Aemilius
227:Spurius Servilius
216:Titus Pontificius
85:and agriculture.
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127:Servius Tullius
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89:Introduction
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449:, viii. 80.
344:Latifundium
307:In 133 BC,
193:Cassius Dio
731:Categories
616:, ii.64-65
350:References
277:In 467 BC
60:patricians
41:among the
30:(from the
737:Roman law
685:Marquardt
522:, 2.43-44
470:, Editor.
246:decemvirs
64:plebeians
742:Land law
410:, p. 89
333:See also
270:city of
268:Volscian
22:Land law
665:Niebuhr
631:, iii.1
601:, ii.63
586:, ii.61
571:, ii.54
234:tribune
200:censors
111:Hernici
83:farming
75:Germany
695:Madvig
675:Becker
625:Livy,
610:Livy,
595:Livy,
580:Livy,
565:Livy,
540:, 2.52
504:, 2.42
311:, the
272:Antium
164:people
107:treaty
43:Romans
721:Leges
324:Italy
176:Ceres
49:, or
47:lands
32:Latin
532:Livy
514:Livy
496:Livy
382:2.41
372:Livy
240:and
214:and
158:and
77:and
62:and
39:laws
35:ager
20:and
653:".
733::
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202:.
186:.
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70:.
24:.
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