Since they decided to go against the rich and powerful Senate by giving power and lands to the poorest, and power to the Etruscans, they were both killed by the Senate. This shows that during this period the Senate was so powerful that it was not to be trifled with. The rich oppressed the poor and did not like these people being given power. By killing the Gracchi brothers they definitively sent the message that the Senate is not to be trifled with. This also favored the division of time. Now there were two groups of people, the popular, who were the people who promoted the ideas of the common people, and the optimates, who were the people who promoted the interests of the rich or noble. Overall, the murder and forced suicide of the Gracchi brothers created even more political unrest, division, and violence throughout the period