When Tiberius Gracchus returned Numancia was not well received, indeed, lost any chance to advance his political career, the Roman honorum cursus. What had happened to a young man so well related, descended from three families, the Cornelius, of Scipio, the Grace, suffered a major setback that could get a young patrician, the possibility of being worthy of their ancestors, that of appear valuable to renew his fame?
Tiberius had accompanied his cousin Cornelius Scipio Aemilianus to fight the Carthaginians in the final battle, which was none other than the destruction of Carthage. There was prominent both, was the first to climb the wall is 18 meters which defended the city, he was awarded the greatest honor a soldier could receive the mural crown of gold.
Emiliano accompanied the victory parade through the streets of Rome, was elected to his first charge, quaestor, and went back to the fight. Mancino consul Gaius accompanied to Spain, in 137 BC, to subdue the rebellious tribes, including Numancia. Things were not good, Mancino lost on all fronts against the Numancia. In one of the occasions he was caught with its 20,000 troops in rugged terrain. She had no choice but to send Tiberius to negotiate a peace agreement equals between Rome and Numancia. Mancino swore on their honor to defend the agreement, but the Senate decided otherwise. Mancino was tried and convicted. He was stripped, bound in chains and taken to Spain to be given to the Numancia. This was not accepted and returned to Rome Mancino ashamed. Tiberius also had fallen out of favor and thus dishonored his family. Although families of the 20,000 soldiers who were saved with the peace treaty hailed him as a hero and Tiberius returned to the political career as a tribune of the plebs.
Tiberio, against the advice of the Senate, passed a law in the People's Assembly, where the populace voted to distribute publicly owned land that had been illegally occupied by the aristocrats, among those who had nothing. The patricians did not forgive him. When presented as a tribune for the second time, hundreds Senators, accompanied by their slaves and associates, he came forward on his way to the Capitol and batons, sticks and stones and killed him with three hundred of his followers. Years later his brother Gaius would be a similar fate.
The Senate reappointed consul Scipio Emilano, the destroyer of letters, and sent him to Spain. In 134 BC, for eleven months, underwent a siege Numancia wild. The city was dying from hunger, some decided to commit suicide, the end too, as at Carthage, was the fire and total destruction. The few survivors were sold as slaves.
