Gaius’s enemies tapped a rival tribune named Marcus Livius Drusus to do their dirty work. Drusus was himself a rising star in Roman politics. Like Gaius he was eloquent, wealthy, and had been raised to expect a public career. But where Gaius sought advancement through popular reforms, Drusus planned to advance by blocking them. He entered office on a mission to undermine Gaius at every turn—if he was successful he would gain powerful allies in the Senate. Drusus opened by offering a new colonization project of his own. Though Gaius’s plan had until that point been the most ambitious
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