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

Speeches of
Gaius Gracchus,
quoted
by Gellius
X. 3.
Comment of
Gellius.
The body in
the litter.
Speech of
Gracchus; ib.
424 The Revolution
Now I
Mistreatment
of
more spirited, more copious than Marcus Tullius?
Italians by was reading lately a speech of Gracchus upon the statutes
the Romans.
published, in which with all the odium possible he complains
that Marcus Marius, and other persons of distinction
from the municipal towns of Italy, were injuriously
whipped with rods by the magistrates of the Roman people.
His words upon this subject are as follows: "The
consul lately came to Theanum Sidicinum; he said his
wife wished to bathe in the men's bath. To Marcus
Marius, the quaestor of Sidicinum, the task was assigned
that they who were bathing should be driven forth. The
wife reports to her husband that the baths were not given
up to her soon enough nor were they sufficiently clean.
A post was accordingly fixed down in the market-place,
and Marcus Marius, the most illustrious man of his city,
was led to it; his garments were stripped off, and he was
beaten with rods. When the inhabitants of Cales heard
this, they passed a decree that no one should presume to
bathe when Roman magistrates were there. At Ferentinum,
also, our praetor for a reason of the same sort ordered
the quaestors to be seized. One threw himself from
the wall, the other was taken and scourged."
In a matter so atrocious, in so lamentable and distressing
a proof of public injustice, what has he said, either in
a full or an incisive way, or so as to excite tears or commiseration?
What has he spoken expressive of exuberant
indignation, or in a spirit of solemn and striking remonstrance?
There is indeed a brevity and terseness and a
teUing simplicity in his speech, such as we usually find in
the cleverness of the comic stage.
In another place likewise Gracchus speaks thus: "One
example I will show you of the licentiousness and intemperance
of our young men. A few years ago a young man