Cornelia Africana - Role in Sons' Political Careers

Role in Sons' Political Careers

One of the most important aspects of the life of Cornelia is her relationship with her adult sons. Most of the information that we have on her role during this time is what Plutarch wrote in both the “Life of Tiberius Gracchus” and the “Life of Gaius Gracchus”. She is portrayed as active during their political careers, especially during Gaius’.

Plutarch writes of how Gaius removed a law that disgraced Marcus Octavius, the tribune whom Tiberius had deposed, because Cornelia asked him to remove it. Plutarch states that all the people approved of this because of respect for her due to her sons and her father. Plutarch also writes that Cornelia may have helped Gaius undermine the power of the consul Opimius by hiring foreign harvesters to help provide resistance. David Stockton believed that regardless of whether it is true, this story tells us that farmers and harvesters were the usual supporters of the Gracchi.

A quip that Plutarch gives us is when Gaius gave a clever retort to a political opponent who had attacked Cornelia. Plutarch writes that Gaius stated:

“What,” said he, “dost thou abuse Cornelia, who gave birth to Tiberius?” And since the one who had uttered the abuse was charged with effeminate practices, “With what effrontery,” said Gaius, “canst thou compare thyself with Cornelia? Hast thou borne such children as she did? And verily all Rome knows that she refrained from commerce with men longer than thou hast, though thou art a man.”

If this is a true quote, we can not only assume that Cornelia's reputation as a chaste, noble woman existed during her lifetime, but that the Gracchi used this to their advantage in their political rhetoric.