Question

Why were land reform and slavery such important political issues in the late Roman Republic? Answer in a paragraph

Answer 1

The Roman republic was born out of the civil war that opposed Plebeians to the autocratic, despotic kings that abused the people for a very long time. However, if the nature of the regime was changed radically, the nature of society only changed marginally. Latifundium was rampant and most agrarian lands were owned or administered by reach Patricians which had slaves grow crops in them or peasant tenants that had to pay most of their income as rent to the land owner. This was a very codified class society where there was virtually no upper social mobility that allowed the lower classes to improve their fate. Initially, only Patricians could become senators but later on, Plebeians were allowed to become senators as well, though with more restrictions than Patricians. Land reform, was inevitably a huge part of the problem and those political reformers who tried to solve this issue were aware of its grave implications in the future of Rome, a nation of paupers and servants would never be strong and only economic and social equality would prevent discord and dissent within the general population. The other issue was slaves. Many slaves were non-Roman foreigners who had been captured by the Roman armies during their campaigns abroad. They were a security threat and also allowed wealthy Patricians to avoid salaried Roman workers that would not produce and work as hard or as many hours for free as slaves. Also, not having peasant tenants in their lands allowed them to say that they were holding lands that were not wanted or needed by the general population; Land that had been given to the state because its owners had died without heirs and that they should be thanked because they were turning abandoned lands into a source of wealth. These two issues would decide if Rome was to continue being a Republic based on Athenian democratic ideas or a monarchy. History shows that it became an Empire, with new nobility based not only on birth but on wealth, under a monarch Emperor.

Answer 2

Land Reform and slavery had an important part in the late Roman Republic because they are ones of the many factors that contributed for the Crisis of the Roman Republic and the advent of the Roman Empire in 134 BC.

The Roman Republic had many great military successes but economic failure, this made the number of slaves increase causing unemployment among the lower classes. This made space for populist ideas and the eventual fall of the Republic.

The land reform came in the late Republic because of land concentration. Gracchus reforms happened in the 2nd century but had little or no effect. In 15 years the lower classes were in the worst position than before and they were also reduced to unemployment because of the slaves (as said above).

Cicero also tried to fix the land issue with a land reform bill but the Senate voted it down.