Plutarch's Lives (Volume 4) (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: THE LIFE OF CAIUS GRACCHUS. Whether it was that Caius Gracchus was afraid of his enemies, or wanted to make them more obnoxious to the people, at first he left the forum, and kept close in his own house; like one who was either sensible how much his family was reduced, or who intended to make public business no more his object: insomuch that some scrupled not to affirm that he disapproved and even detested his brother's administration. He was, indeed, as yet very young, not being so old as Tiberius by nine years; and Tiberius at his death was not quite thirty. However, in a short time;t appeared, that he had an aversion, not only to idleness and effeminacy, but to intemperance and avarice: and he improved his powers of oratory, as if he considered them as the wings on which he must rise to the great offices ' of state. These circumstances showed that he would not long continue inactive. In the defence of one of his friends named Vettius, he exerted so much eloquence, that the people were charmed beyond expression, and borne away with all the transports of enthusiasm. On this occasion he showed that other orators were no more than children in comparison. The nobility had all their former apprehensions renewed, and they began to take measures among themselves to prevent the advancement of Caius to the tribunitial power. It happened to fall to his lot to attend Orestes the consul in Sardinia in capacity of quaestor. This gave his enemies great pleasure. Cams, however, was not uneasy on the event: for he was of a military turn, and had as good talents for the camp as for the bar. Besides, he was under some apprehension about taking a share in the administration, or of appearing on the rostra, and at the same time he knew that he could not resist the importunities of the ...