In a sterile year the payers of vectigalia would be best off.  Again, if a rich province like Asia did not pay tribute in proportion to other provinces, a re-adjustment of its taxes would not seem to the Romans unfair; and perhaps auction at Rome would after all be less mischievous than a hole-and-corner arrangement in the provinces.  If the sheep were to be fleeced, they would not be shorn closest in the capital. [Sidenote:  Measure for the relief of publicani.] To another of his provisions at all events no one could object—­the one which gave relief to such publicani as had suffered loss in collecting the revenue.

[Sidenote:  Alleged privileges conferred on the equites.] Gracchus had thus raised the equites above the Senate at Rome in the courts of justice, and opened a golden harvest to them in the provinces.  It is conjectured that he also gave them the distinction of a golden finger-ring and reserved seats at the public spectacles.  Two classes were thus gratified, the city poor and the city rich. [Sidenote:  Caius attempts to conciliate the farmer class and the Italians.] But Gracchus had to deal also with those of the country class in whose favour his brother’s agrarian law had been passed, and with those who had resented the law.  To provide for the former he renewed the operation of his brother’s law, which had been suspended by Scipio’s intervention, and probably took away its administrations from the consuls and restored it to triumvirs; and as that might be insufficient, he began the establishment of many colonies in various parts of the peninsula; and even beyond it at Carthage, to which he invited colonists from all parts of Italy.  To compensate and benefit the latter he proposed to give them the franchise, so as to secure them from such outrages as that of Teanum.  For though such of them as belonged to Roman colonies or municipia possessed the franchise already, the mass of the Latins and Italians did not possess it.  There are different accounts of this measure; but Appian says that he wished to give the Latini the Jus Suffragii and Jus Honorum, and to the rest of the Italians the Jus Suffragii only.  But here he reckoned without his host. [Sidenote:  Feeling at Rome.] The boons of colonies and cheap bread, and the prospect of a slice out of the public land occupied by Italians, were all not strong enough to overcome the deep, ingrained prejudice against extending the franchise.  Rich and poor Romans met here on the common ground of narrow pride, and the offence caused by this wise project probably paved the way for the tribune’s fall.