Fulvius was addressing the people about the law when Caius, attended
by some of his partisans, came to the Capitol. He did not join the
meeting, but began walking up and down under a colonnade to wait its
issue. Here a man named Antyllus, who was sacrificing, probably in
behalf of Opimius the consul, either insulted the Gracchans and was
stabbed by them, or caught hold of Caius's hand, or by some other
familiarity or importunity provoked some hasty word or gesture from
him, upon which he was stabbed by a servant. As soon as the deed
was done the people ran away, and Caius hastened to the assembly to
explain the affair. But it began to rain heavily; and for this, and
because of the murder, the assembly was adjourned. Caius and Fulvius
went home; but that night the people thronged the Forum, expecting
that some violence would be done at daybreak. Opimius was not slow to
seize the opportunity. He convoked the Senate, and occupied the temple
of Castor and Pollux with armed men. The body of Antyllus was placed
on a bier, and with loud lamentations borne along the Forum; and as
it passed by the senators came out and hypocritically expressed their
anger at the deed. Then, going indoors, they authorised the consul,
by the usual formula, to resort to arms. He summoned the senators and
equites to arm, and each eques was to bring two armed slaves. The
equites owed much to Gracchus, but they basely deserted him now.
Fulvius, on his side, armed and prepared for a struggle. All the night
the friends of Caius guarded his door, watching and sleeping by turns.
[Sidenote: Fighting in Rome.] The house of Fulvius was also surrounded
by men, who drank and bragged of what they would do on the morrow, and
Fulvius is said to have set them the example. At daybreak he and his
men, to whom he distributed the arms which he had when consul taken
from the Gauls, rushed shouting up to the Aventine and seized it.
Caius said good-bye to his wife and little child, and followed, in his
toga, and unarmed. He knew he was going to his death, but