Tiberius Gracchus

Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus (163-133 BCE) was a popular roman Politician under the Roman Republic.
His younger brother was Gaius Gracchus, both attempted to Reform the Roman Agrarian Laws.

He became Tribune of the Plebs in 133 BCE and attempted to Reform the Agrarian Laws in favour of the poor.
The Roman Senate objected and created a riot in which he was killed. Ten years later his brother Gaius Gracchus reattempted the same Reforms but with the same fatal result.

The Crisis:

The purchase of small farms and Public Land by the big Latifundia was forcing small farmers off the land and into the slums of Rome creating a social crisis. Also, as these farmers no longer held property they didn’t qualify to join the Legion, so Rome was experiencing a shortage of soldiers.

The solution:

To resolve this crisis, Tiberius Gracchus proposed a Reform of the Agrarian Laws which would give Roman citizens a minimum amount of land to live on.
1. Gracchus proposed to enforce the Sexto-Licinian Laws (367 BCE) which limited the cultivation of Public Land by an individual to 500 jugera.
2. He also proposed an extension to graze livestock on other areas of the Public Land, so that in addition to the maximum of 100 cattle already permitted, an additional 500 sheep would be allowed.
3. Also, each son in the household would be permitted an additional 250 jugera.
4. Land exceeding these limits should be confiscated and redistributed (after payment to the owner) to the poor.