Page:Roman Constitutional History, 753-44 B.C..djvu/198

184 acres of land each in one of these colonies. If the public domain did not suffice, certain moneys which the democrats had perhaps already recovered for the state were to be spent on the purchase of more land. Lastly, the poor citizens at Rome were now to receive a certain quantity of grain each month at about one cent a peck in place of nine cents. Marius was to have charge of the allotment of lands and the founding of colonies, and he was authorized to receive three Latins into each colony and to confer citizenship upon them. During the Cimbrian war he had, by the way, arbitrarily conferred citizenship on two Italian cohorts. With such powers he might expect to remain the chief man of the state for an indefinite time.

The aristocrats opposed these bills with might and main. They made use of tribunician intercession and even of violence. But Saturninus ignored the intercession, repelled violence by violence, and carried the laws. The efforts of the democratic party seemed to be successful.

Death of Saturninus and Glaucia. — The condition of affairs soon changed, however. Marius and his associates had not been able to conciliate the knights, who were naturally conservative and disliked violence and riots. They had to face a united opposition of the nobles and the moneyed aristocracy. Besides, Marius, who was incapable in politics, did not agree with his reckless and violent confederates. He swore to observe the agrarian law, with a reservation which practically annulled his oath and called in question the validity of the law; and his attitude in other respects was ambiguous. Saturninus and Glaucia abandoned him and planned schemes of their own. Saturninus secured a reëlection to the tribunate for 99, and Glaucia, though legally not eligible, became a candidate for the consulship. They repeated the expedient of the preceding year, and caused the murder of Gaius Memmius, a competitor for the