▁speech ▁attack ing ▁T iber ius ▁G rac chus ▁regarding ▁that ▁trib une ' s ▁plan ▁to ▁by pass ▁the ▁traditional ▁pr er og ative ▁of ▁the ▁sen ate ▁and ▁keep ▁the ▁vast ▁fortune ▁of ▁the ▁recently ▁dece ased ▁Att alus ▁III ▁of ▁Per g am on ▁under ▁the ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁Ple be ian ▁Assembly . ▁ ▁Att alus ▁had ▁be que athed ▁his ▁kingdom ▁to ▁the ▁people ▁of ▁Rome . ▁ ▁Met ell us ▁was ▁elected ▁C ensor ▁in ▁ 1 3 1 ▁BC , ▁bold ly ▁p led ging ▁to ▁halt ▁the ▁growing ▁de grad ation ▁of ▁Roman ▁custom . ▁In ▁a ▁speech ▁which ▁he ▁delivered ▁at ▁his ▁appointment , ▁he ▁proposed ▁that ▁mat rim ony ▁was ▁to ▁be ▁mand atory ▁for ▁all ▁citizens , ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁put ▁an ▁end ▁to ▁the ▁libert ine ▁behaviour ▁then ▁already ▁w ides p read . ▁A ▁century ▁later ▁August us ▁caused ▁this ▁speech ▁to ▁be ▁read ▁at ▁the ▁Senate ▁and ▁published ▁as ▁an ▁Ed ict ▁for ▁the ▁knowledge ▁and ▁reg ener ation ▁of ▁the ▁Roman ▁People . ▁His ▁moral izing ▁efforts ▁aw ak ened ▁strong ▁popular ▁opposition , ▁led ▁by ▁the ▁Trib une ▁G ai us ▁At ini us ▁L abe o ▁Mac er io ▁whom ▁he ▁had ▁previously ▁exp elled ▁from ▁the ▁Senate . ▁He ▁was ▁almost ▁killed ▁by ▁the ▁mob ▁on ▁the ▁Tar pe ian ▁Rock . ▁ ▁Later ▁there ▁were ▁some ▁disag re ements ▁between ▁him ▁and ▁Sci pio ▁A em ilian us , ▁but ▁he ▁never ▁lost ▁sight