Page:Plutarch's Lives (Clough, v.4, 1865).djvu/534

526 TIBERIUS GRACCHUS. in everyway successful; as soon as ever he ajDpeared, the people welcomed him with loud acclamations, and as he went up to his place, they repeated their expressions of joy, and gathered in a body around him, so that no one who was not well known to be his friend, might approach. Mucins then began to put the business again to the vote ; but nothing could be performed in the usual course and order, because of the disturbance caused by those who were on the outside of the crowd, where there was a struggle going on with those of the opposite party, who were pushing on and trying to force their way in and establish themselves among them. Whilst things were in this confusion, Flavius Flaccus, a senator, standing in a place where he could be seen, but at such a distance from Tiberius that he could not make him hear, signified to him by motions of his hand, that he wished to impart something of consequence to him in private. Tiberius ordered the multitude to make way for him, by which means, though not without some diffi- culty, Flavius got to him, and informed him, that the rich men, in a sitting of the senate, seeing they could not pre- vail upon the consul to espouse their quarrel, had come to a final determination amongst themselves, that he should be assassinated, and to that purpose had a great number of their friends and servants ready armed to accomplish it. Tiberius no sooner communicated this confederacy to those about him, but they immediately tucked up their gowns, broke the halberts which the offi- cers used to keep the crowd off into pieces, and distrib- uted them among themselves, resolving to resist the attack with these. Those who stood at a distance wondered, and asked what Was the occasion ; Tiberius, knowing that they could not hear him at that distance, lifted his hand to his head, wishing to intimate the great danger which he apprehended himself to be in. His adversaries, taking