the consul was sacrificing, according to custom, one of the lictors taking up the entrails of the beast that was slain in order to remove them, could not forbear crying out to Flac’cus and his party, “Make way, ye factious citizens, for honest men.” 6.  This insult so provoked, the party to whom it was addressed, that they instantly fell upon him, and pierced him to death with the instruments they used in writing, which they then happened to have in their hands. 7.  This murder caused a great disturbance in the assembly.  Gracchus, who saw the consequences that were likely to ensue, reprimanded his party for giving his enemies such advantage over him; and now prepared to lead his followers to Mount Av’entine. 8.  It was there he learned, that a proclamation had been made by the consuls, that whosoever should bring either his head, or that of Flaccus, should receive its weight in gold as a reward. 9.  It was to no purpose that he sent the youngest son of Flaccus, who was yet a child, with proposals for an accommodation.  The senate and the consuls, who were sensible of their superiority, rejected all his offers, and resolved to punish his offence with nothing less than death; and they offered pardon also to all who should leave him immediately. 10.  This produced the desired effect; the people fell from him by degrees, and left him with very inferior forces. 11.  In the meantime, Opim’ius, the consul, who thirsted for slaughter, leading his forces up to Mount Av’entine, fell in among the crowd with ungovernable fury.  A terrible slaughter of the scarcely resisting multitude ensued, and not less than three thousand citizens were slain upon the spot. 12.  Flaccus attempted to find shelter in a ruinous cottage; but, being discovered, was slain, with his eldest son.  Gracchus, at first, retired to the temple of Dian’a, where he resolved to die by his own hand, but was prevented by two of his faithful friends and followers, Pompo’nius and Lucin’ius, who forced him to seek safety by flight.  Thence he made the best of his way across a bridge that led from the city, still attended by his two generous friends, and a Grecian slave, whose name was Philoc’rates. 13.  But his pursuers still pressed upon him from behind, and when come to the foot of the bridge, he was obliged to turn and face the enemy.  His two friends were soon slain, defending him against the crowd; and he was forced to take refuge, with his slave, in a grove beyond the Ti’ber, which had long been dedicated to the Furies. 14.  Here, finding himself surrounded on every side, and no way left of escaping, he prevailed upon his slave to despatch him.  The slave immediately after killed himself, and fell down upon the body of his beloved master.  The pursuers coming up, cut off the head of Gracchus, and placed it for a while as a trophy on a spear. 15.  Soon after, one Septimule’ius carried it home, and taking out the brain artfully filled it with lead, in order to increase its weight, and then received of the consul seventeen pounds of gold as his recompence.