Marcus Livius Drusus (reformer) facts for kids

Marcus Livius Drusus (born around 124 BC – died 91 BC) was an important Roman politician. He is best known for his big plans to change laws during his time as a tribune of the plebs in 91 BC. A tribune was a special official who represented the common people of Rome.

During his year in office, Drusus suggested many new laws. One of his most important ideas was to offer Roman citizenship to Rome's allies in Italy. These allies were people living in Italy who fought for Rome but didn't have the same rights as Roman citizens.

His plans did not succeed. Drusus was later murdered by an unknown person in late 91 BC. Many people believe his death and the failure of his reforms directly led to the Social War. This was a big war between Rome and its Italian allies.

Early Life and Wealth

Marcus Livius Drusus was born sometime before 122 or 124 BC. His father was also named Marcus Livius Drusus. His father had been a tribune, a consul (a top Roman official), and a censor (another important official). Drusus's father died when Drusus was still young, in 109 BC.

Drusus inherited a lot of money from his father. He used his wealth to put on amazing gladiator shows for the public. This happened when he was an aedile, possibly in 94 BC. An aedile was a Roman official in charge of public games and buildings.

People knew Drusus for being very generous. He once said he spent so much money on others that he had "nothing left to give away but mud and air." He also built a grand new house on the Palatine Hill. He told the architect to build it so everyone could see what he was doing. This famous house was later owned by other important Romans like Cicero.

Drusus's Time as Tribune

Drusus was elected tribune of the plebs for the year 91 BC. At first, he had the support of many powerful senators. This included Marcus Aemilius Scaurus, a very respected senator, and Lucius Licinius Crassus, a famous speaker. Drusus wanted to make the Senate stronger and more powerful.

His plan was worked out with a large group of leading senators. He wanted to add about 300 wealthy Roman businessmen, called equites, to the Senate. This would make the Senate bigger. He also wanted senators to be the only ones who could serve on juries in important trials.

His plans also included giving land to the poor. He also wanted to give Roman citizenship to the Italian allies. Giving citizenship would give the allies more rights and make them feel more connected to Rome. However, not all senators agreed with all his ideas. Some worried that Drusus was gaining too much personal power.

Juries and Justice

One of the biggest issues Drusus wanted to fix was about juries in trials. Especially trials for extortion, which was like bribery or corruption. For many years, these juries were made up only of equites (wealthy businessmen), not senators. This gave the equites a lot of power in the courts. Many senators did not like this.

Around 92 BC, a respected senator named Publius Rutilius Rufus was unfairly put on trial. He had tried to stop corrupt businessmen in a Roman province. In return, the equites on the jury found him guilty, even though he was probably innocent. He was sent away from Rome.

This was a big problem because Rutilius Rufus was Drusus's uncle. This unfair trial likely made Drusus even more determined to change the jury system.

Drusus's Jury Reform

Drusus wanted to change how juries were chosen. One idea was to add 300 new equites to the Senate. Then, all future jurors would be chosen from this larger group of senators. This would give senators more control over the courts again.

Other Laws Drusus Proposed

To get more support for his jury law, Drusus also proposed other bills:

• He passed a law to give public land to poor citizens. He also planned to create new Roman settlements in Italy and Sicily.
• He might have passed a law to lower the price of grain. This would help feed the poor people of Rome.
• He also made a law that allowed equites to be put on trial for bribery.
• He might have even changed the Roman money by adding a bit of bronze to silver coins. This might have helped pay for his land reforms.

Challenges to Drusus's Plans

Drusus's laws faced strong opposition. The consul, Lucius Marcius Philippus, was against him. So was Quintus Servilius Caepio, who was Drusus's former brother-in-law. A consul was one of the two highest officials in Rome.

When it was time to vote on Drusus's laws, Philippus tried to stop it. One of Drusus's supporters even grabbed Philippus. Drusus also threatened Caepio with a harsh punishment if he kept opposing the laws.

Drusus passed his laws by putting all the different bills into one big law. This was actually against a rule made a few years earlier. This rule, called the lex Caecilia Didia, said that laws should be voted on separately.

By September, things started to go against Drusus. Senators in Rome worried about anyone gaining too much personal power. Drusus's popularity with the common people made some senators nervous. They feared he was becoming too powerful, like earlier reformers who had caused trouble.

The consul Philippus demanded that Drusus's laws be cancelled. There was a big argument in the Senate between Philippus and Lucius Crassus, Drusus's supporter. Crassus died suddenly a week later, which was a big loss for Drusus.

The Italian Allies and Drusus's Downfall

With Crassus gone, Drusus lost a very important supporter. He then tried to get more help from the Italian allies. Drusus already had good connections with them. For example, Quintus Poppaedius Silo, an important leader from the Marsi people (an Italian tribe), often visited Drusus's house. Silo would later become a main commander in the Social War.

However, Drusus's plan to give citizenship to the Italians caused even more opposition in Rome. Many senators worried about the power Drusus would gain if he gave citizenship to so many people. Rumors spread that the Italians had sworn a secret oath to be loyal only to Drusus.

Some of the Italians became very angry when the citizenship bill faced so much opposition. One report says that Quintus Poppaedius Silo led 10,000 allies in a protest march on Rome. There were also secret plans by some Italians to attack the consuls. Drusus found out about this plot and warned Philippus, stopping the attack. The Italians also began to secretly prepare for a war.

In this tense situation, Philippus finally convinced the Senate to cancel all of Drusus's laws. The Senate said the laws were passed incorrectly and went against the will of the gods. They also said the laws broke the Lex Caecilia Didia rule.

Drusus's Assassination

Even though Drusus spoke out against the Senate's decision, he did not try to stop it. He was already being accused of being involved in the plot to attack the consuls. He seemed to realize that fighting back was useless.

Around September 91 BC, Drusus was murdered. Some old stories say he was stabbed inside his own house. Others say he was attacked while walking back from the Forum, a public meeting place in Rome. Some people blamed Philippus and Caepio for his death. Others blamed Quintus Varius Severus, another tribune, who later set up a special court to punish Drusus's supporters.

Drusus's Legacy

The Social War (91–87 BC) started almost right after Drusus was murdered. Because of this, many Romans blamed Drusus for the war. They believed his promises to the Italians and the failure of his laws caused the conflict.

After Drusus's death, a special court was created to punish anyone suspected of encouraging the Italians to revolt. Many of Drusus's friends and supporters were exiled (sent away from Rome).

Later Roman historians often saw Drusus's time as tribune as a key moment in the "Crisis of the Roman Republic." They believed he followed the examples of other reformers who caused unrest. However, many modern historians are more understanding of Drusus. They see him as a true reformer who tried to solve big problems in Rome when few others would.

Drusus's Family

Drusus had important family connections. Through his adopted son, he became an ancestor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, which included famous emperors like Augustus and Tiberius. Through his sister, Livia, he was the uncle of Cato the Younger and the great-uncle of Marcus Junius Brutus. Both Cato and Brutus were very famous figures in Roman history.

Drusus married a woman named Servilia around 100 BC. She was the sister of his friend, Quintus Servilius Caepio. However, they divorced a few years later. Drusus did not marry again before he died.

Important Descendants

Drusus adopted a son named Marcus Livius Drusus Claudianus. This adopted son had a daughter named Livia. This Livia became the famous Empress, who was the wife of the first Roman emperor, Augustus. She was also the mother of the second emperor, Tiberius. So, through his adopted son, Drusus's family became connected to the powerful Julio-Claudian dynasty of emperors.

Nieces and Nephews

Drusus had a sister named Livia. She first married Drusus's friend and brother-in-law, Quintus Servilius Caepio. They had three children:

• Servilia, who was later connected to Julius Caesar and was the mother of Marcus Junius Brutus.
• Another Servilia, who married a general named Lucullus.
• A son named Gnaeus Servilius Caepio.

However, Drusus and Caepio became enemies. Because of this, Drusus divorced Servilia, and Caepio divorced Livia.

Drusus's sister Livia then married Marcus Porcius Cato. They had two children:

• Marcus Porcius Cato Uticensis, who became a famous opponent of Julius Caesar.
• Porcia.

Both Livia and her second husband, Cato, died when their children were young. So, Servilia, Cato the Younger, and Porcia were all raised in Drusus's house before he died in 91 BC.

Family Tree

See also

In Spanish: Marco Livio Druso para niños

• Livia gens

Sources