A source-book of ancient history - The Search For Mecca

Gaius Gracchus as Administrator 423
wearied, but with wonderful activity and labor he effected
every single object as if he had for the time no other occupation;
so that even those who thoroughly feared and
hated him were amazed at the rapidity and perfect execution
of all that he undertook. But the people looked
with admiration on the man himself, as they saw him
attended by crowds of building contractors, artificers,
ambassadors, soldiers, and learned men, to all of whom he
was easy of access.
And while he maintained his dignity,
he was affable to all, and adapted his behavior to the condition
of every individual, and so proved the falsehood
of those who called him tyrannical or arrogant or violent.
In this way he showed himself more skilful as a popular
leader in his dealings with men than even in his speeches
from the rostra.
But Gaius busied himself most about the building of His public
, . . , ...
roads with a view to utility,
.
, ^ roads,
convenience, and ornament.
The roads were made in a straight line through the coun-
caiushraetry,
partly of quarried stone and partly with tight-rammed
masses of earth. By filling up the depressions, and by
throwing bridges across those parts which were traversed
by winter torrents or deep ravines, and by raising the road
on both sides to the same uniform height, the whole line
was made level, and presented a pleasing appearance. He
also measured all the roads by miles— the Roman mile is
not quite eight stadia—and he fixed stone blocks to mark
the distances.
He placed other stones at shorter distances
from one another on each side of the road, that people
might easily mount their horses from these blocks without
other assistance.
Gaius Gracchus is held to have been a powerful and
strenuous orator. No one disputes it. But how is it to be
borne, that in the eyes of some he appears more stern,
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