grak'us, a Roman family of the Sempronian gens, several members of which became famous. TIBERIUS SEMPRONIUS GRACCHUS became consul in 177 B. C. and again in 163. He married Cornelia, a daughter of Scipio Africanus and was the father of the two most celebrated Gracchi, TIBERIUS SEMPRONIUS (about 163-133 B. C.) and CAIUS SEMPRONIUS (159-121 B. C.). The brothers lost their father early, but received from their mother, Cornelia, a careful education. In 133 B. C. Tiberius was elected to the tribuneship. His first efforts were directed to a reform of the Roman land system, by the restoration or enforcement of the old Licinian law, which enacted that no one should possess more than five hundred acres of the public lands and that the remainder should be equally divided among the plebeians. This law, which was called after him the Sempronian, he revived, but with the introduction of several softening clauses. He was violently opposed by the aristocracy and by the tribune Marcus Octavius, whose veto retarded the passage of the bill. Tiberius, however, by exerting all the prerogatives of his office, managed to pass his bill. But fortune turned against him; he was accused of having violated his office and of aspiring to be king, and at the next election for the tribuneship he was killed. Ten years after the death of Tiberius, the younger Gracchus obtained the tribuneship. In the discharge of his office he first of all renewed his brother's law and revenged his memory by expelling many of his most violent enemies from the city. Several popular measures gained him great favor with the people, but the intrigues of the nobles ultimately caused his fall.