Speaking of Rome's comitia,
During the Second Punic War, when Hannibal was on Rome's doorstep, decisions of national importance could no longer be left to the whims of mass voting.
The comitia had lost its real power long ago…
During times of war, many decisions that should have been made by the People's Assembly were instead transferred to the Senate.
However—
After the war ended, the Senate never returned those powers.
This led to the Senate becoming increasingly powerful, while the authority of the People's Assembly dwindled until it became entirely ceremonial.
The balance of power that once involved three forces—Senate, Consuls, and the People's Assembly—shifted, with the Senate dominating.
Even the Roman Consuls, at times, had to bow to the Senate's influence.
At this moment, even Tiberius was stunned—
He never expected Night to bring up the People's Assembly.
But soon, a light flickered in his mind;
Of course!
He could use the People's Assembly system.
Since the previous discussions about whether to allow him to run for Tribune hinged on his ability to resolve the various internal and external crises facing the country, these were indeed matters of great national importance.
By riding the momentum of Night's title as "Rome's Last Hero,"
Tiberius, who had already gained considerable fame, believed that if he could direct this issue to the People's Assembly, it would be equivalent to an early election campaign for the tribuneship...
In that case, the odds of his election would be almost a certainty.
Perfect!
As for whether upsetting the Senate and many nobles would result in political isolation—
Heh—he was already preparing to reform the land laws, essentially challenging the entire Roman aristocracy and large landowners.
Was he still worried about offending the Senate?
Once they proposed the land reform bill, Tiberius was certain that most of the Senate would react fiercely, staunchly opposing it.
Since making enemies was inevitable, why worry about a few more right now?
This was a brilliant move!
While Tiberius marveled at the strategy, the nobles in the Senate were already fuming, their faces flushed with anger.
How dare he... How could he dare?
Did the title of "Rome's Last Hero" inflate his ego so much that he no longer cared about the Senate?
Many nobles quietly abandoned their efforts to win Night over, thinking that his political career was over.
Young and impulsive, he clearly didn't understand the rules.
He had touched on the one subject that should never be mentioned—thus, the Senate would have no place for him in the future.
Some of the more honest and upright nobles looked at Night with a hint of pity.
Rome wasn't what it used to be...
The Senate now had absolute authority.
The People's Assembly once served the people faithfully, but if it still held any real power, Rome wouldn't have fallen into its current state of corruption.
"There's no need for all this.
We in the Senate can handle such a small matter.
Let's give Tiberius a chance," one powerful old noble finally declared. The others quickly followed suit.
The meeting ended hastily, and no one mentioned Night's candidacy for Tribune again.
The noble who had originally suggested it was now resentful toward Night, having lost face because of him.
Even though the Senate had to follow the law on the surface, they would never allow power to return to the People's Assembly.
Night's dangerous proposition had earned him enemies among the Senate.
Anyone who tried to revive the People's Assembly's power was the Senate's enemy, and not even Rome's rising star was exempt from that rule.
While they couldn't openly act against Night, the nobles had many ways to deal with such "troublesome" individuals behind the scenes.
However—
Night was far from an ordinary rebel.
He was one of the toughest challengers the Senate had ever encountered.
Especially given the legends from the battlefield—rumors that his body was impervious to weapons.
Could there really be someone whose flesh was so strong it could withstand swords and spears?
The senators were deeply skeptical!
At this moment, the senators had no idea that by giving in and allowing Tiberius Gracchus to run for tribune a year early, they were setting the stage for a disaster that would leave them humiliated and scrambling like rats in the streets.
They thought allowing Gracchus an early candidacy was a trivial matter, nothing of real consequence.
However—
Tiberius' brother had quietly returned to Rome.
The Gracchus brothers, with Night and countless retired Roman soldiers, were building their strength in the shadows, unnoticed by the Senate.
History was shifting—an ominous crimson storm was brewing in Rome, waiting to be unleashed.
A few days later—
In the Roman Forum, on an early morning at the start of the year, crowds gathered to hear the speeches of the candidates running for the office of tribune.
Though the Senate had agreed to give Tiberius Gracchus a chance, he wasn't the only candidate in the race.
Another prominent figure was Strabo Pompey, a young man by Senate standards.
His significance lay in his lineage—he was the father of Pompey the Great, one of Rome's future triumvirs, and a man who, like Night, bore the title "Magnus."
Pompey Strabo was an old aristocrat who had served in the Roman army, winning several victories in battle.
Unlike the more politically inclined Tiberius, Strabo had proven himself in military matters and was known for his strategic prowess.
If not for the sudden rise of Tiberius and Night, Strabo's election to tribune would have been almost guaranteed this year.
In fact, Strabo would eventually rise to become consul of Rome in 89 BCE, leading successful campaigns in the Italian Social War, conquering regions like Sabinum and Picenum, where he would control large estates and have many protected clients.
Now, becoming tribune was a key stepping stone toward accumulating the wealth and influence necessary for his future rise to consulship (the Roman equivalent of a head of state or president).
Losing the election this year, however, would delay his political career.
Strabo had no idea that he would one day rise to the position of consul, but that didn't stop him from viewing Tiberius as a threat today.
For this election, he had secretly spent a great deal of money to bribe many commoners to support him and vote in his favor.
He was also planning to seize the stage early, hoping to leave a strong first impression on the crowd.
He believed that if he captured their attention first, any speeches that followed—no matter how good—would seem bland and forgettable by comparison.
Strabo Pompey was determined to be the "gourmet dish" that the people remembered from this election.
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..
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