serving in the armies; for their fathers or children, who were left
behind, were easily induced to sell their small farm to a wealthy and
powerful neighbour. For force was certainly not always applied, and
_pellere_ here signifies 'to displace,' rather than 'to expel.' The
large estates thus formed were called _latifundia_.
[245] _Permixtio terrae_ is said figuratively, as is indicated by
_quasi_, 'a chaos--a mixture of elements.'

42. Nam postquam Tiberius et G. Gracchus, quorum majores Punico atque
aliis bellis multum rei publicae addiderant, vindicare plebem in
libertatem et paucorum scelera patefacere coepere, nobilitas noxia atque
eo perculsa, modo per socios ac nomen Latinum, interdum per equites
Romanos, quos spes societatis a plebe dimoverat, Gracchorum actionibus
obviam ierat, et primo Tiberium, dein paucos post annos eadem
ingredientem Gaium, tribunum alterum, alterum triumvirum coloniis
deducendis, cum M. Fulvio Flacco ferro necaverat.[246] Et sane Gracchis
cupidine victoriae haud satis moderatus animus fuit: sed bono vinci
satius est quam malo more injuriam vincere.[247] Igitur ea victoria
nobilitas ex libidine sua usa multos mortales ferro aut fuga extinxit,
plusque in reliquum sibi timoris quam potentiae addidit. Quae res
plerumque magnas civitates pessumdedit, dum alteri alteros vincere quovis
modo et victos acerbius[248] ulcisci volunt. Sed de studiis partium et
omnis civitatis moribus si singulatim aut pro magnitudine parem
disserere, tempus quam res maturius me deseret.[249] Quamobrem ad
inceptum redeo.

[246] Tib. Gracchus was slain in B.C. 133, and his brother, G. Gracchus,
in B.C. 121. Sallust here states that the faction of the optimates
threw obstacles in the way of the two brothers, sometimes by means of
the _socii_ (in Italy), and sometimes by means of the Roman equites,