Response to comments about the Death of Roman Republic

 "First the land reforms and grain price fixing of the Gracchi brothers led to large scale political unrest."

 The Roman constitution had remained unchanged for a number of years.  Secondly what changes the Romans occurred gradually.  The fact is the the Romans since the early days of the Republic had purchasing grain at low prices during periods of famine since the dawn of the Republic.

"Next the addition of 300 equestrian senate seats by the dictator Sulla created more unrest."

The increase of membership of the world's most powerful legislature no doubt diluted the power of each individual Senator.  But is the dilution of senatorial power enough to cause a riot?  Which did happen quite frequently during the last days of the Republic, I don't think so.

The Optimates in the Senate who survived Marius' death squads rallied around Sulla as a dictator to reconcile the Constitution as the office of Tribune used by Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus became a vehicle for tyranny and demagoguery.  Plutarch's Life of Marius, Crassus and Antony bears this out.