GRACCHUS, CAIUS SEMPRONIUS, was nine years younger than his elder brother Tiberius, having been born in the year B.C. 154. He had as yet taken no part in public affairs when his brother was murdered, but he soon showed that he did not intend to lead a life of idleness. He cultivated his powers of eloquence, and the senate began to have apprehensions of his succeeding to the power of his brother. They were not therefore sorry when he was appointed quaestor to the consul Aurelius Orestes, B.C. 126, in Sardinia, as it took him away from Rome. He became so great a favourite with the inhabitants of Sardinia, that though they had obtained from the senate an exemption from the burden of clothing his men, he had so much influence with them, that he prevailed on them to send a voluntary supply. On his return to Rome, whither he repaired contrary to orders, he offered himself a candidate for the tribuneship, and was elected B.C. 123, against the wishes of the nobility. He now brought forward a number of laws to increase the authority of the people, of a nature similar to those which his brother had advocated. He proposed to divide the public lands among the poor, to clothe the soldiers at the public expense, without diminution of their pay, and to give to the Italian allies the right of voting at elections; but his most important measure was, that he took the judicial authority from the patricians, and conferred it on the equestrian order. He took great interest also in the constructing of public roads through Italy, and building granaries. He kept up his influence amongst the people by sending colonies of the poorer citizens to Tarentum and Capua; but the senate, fearing that his power would soon no longer be capable of being controlled, tried to draw the people from him by gratifying them in every thing. Caius however was appointed tribune a second time (B.C. 122), without even declaring himself a candidate, and proceeded to Africa to plant a colony at Carthage. During his absence one of his colleagues, Drusus, succeeded in gaining the favour of the people; and this induced Caius to hasten home. The following year the consul Opimius determined to repeal many of the laws which had been passed by Caius; and as the party of the latter mustered in great force, and that of the consul was equally resolute, an engagement took place, in which the friends of Caius were defeated, and he himself killed, to the great grief of the Roman people, whose interests he had laboured to promote. (Plutarch, Life of Caius Gracchus; Liv. Epit. 60, 61.)