The anti-populare Cicero goes on to note that Philippus’s speech “deserves unqualified condemnation, for it favored an equal distribution of property; and what more ruinous policy than that could be conceived?” The legislation did not pass, but the fact that it was even introduced is proof that gains made during the Gracchan era had been reversed by the turn of the century.17 But while some of these populare attacks were carried out by ambitious men of noble rank simply looking to inflict as much damage as possible on their political rivals, many more were real populare radicals looking to
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