The Death of the Gracchi

Art Statement

Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus, brothers, were both populist consuls in the Roman Republic who ruled in the second century BCE. Both were elected by a populous tired of political corruption and wealth disparities between the rich and poor. Foreign labour was instilling fear in the native workforce. There was also a rampant political divide and fear-mongering, which led to both Gauis and Tiberius being killed by an angry mob stirred up by the Gracchi’s political enemy, Senator Octavian. Tiberius was killed in 133 BCE, and Gaius was slain in 121 BCE. Less than a century later, in 44 BCE, Julius Caesar was assassinated, and in 27, the Republic officially fell. Can you see the similarities between the Roman Republic and today? Conclusion: In summary, my work revolves around the themes of the human need for purpose and how a fear of death often leads them to follow a false ultimate aim.