RomanWest

Historian sharing Personal Vignettes from Roman History

[RomanWest @RominWest]

@thinkingwest building codes

[RomanWest @RominWest]

granting consuls the power to restore order by any means necessary. Gaius was killed, along with 3,000 of his supporters. The Republic had officially sanctioned political murder.

[RomanWest @RominWest]

The Gracchi Brothers—Tiberius and Gaius—were among the earliest to recognize that Rome’s economic inequality would destroy the Republic. Their attempts to reform land ownership laws ignited a century of violence. Let’s explore their tragic story and what it means for us today. 🧵

[RomanWest @RominWest]

But Gaius's popularity was his undoing. The Senate, terrified by his ability to mobilize the masses, declared him an enemy of the state. In 121 BCE, a *senatus consultum ultimum* (ultimate decree of the Senate) was issued,

[RomanWest @RominWest]

The fall of the Republic wasn’t about Caesar, Sulla, or Marius—it was about wealth inequality. The latifundia system made land ownership impossible for small farmers, and once the middle class collapsed, so did Rome's democracy.

[RomanWest @RominWest]

Augustus’ 'restoration of the Republic' was the most successful PR campaign in history. He didn't restore anything—he just built a monarchy with prettier words.

[RomanWest @RominWest]

@wylfcen Des Moines, Iowa

[RomanWest @RominWest]

@historyinmemes communists have the best facial hair