Maybe it's because I'm doing some whirlwind reviewing of books on the Gracchi-to-Octavian period, but I'm struck by several of Theo's points (and yours too, Imperator!), see below ;)

First, I don't quite buy the "gee, they couldn't be expected to see that change was needed" argument. Change was what they and their grandfathers had seen, and while it was perfectly in character to view the legions as tools that should be seen and not heard, after Tiberius Gracchus, after Saturninus, after Lepidus, after Catiline, after the murder of Drusus, after the Social War, after Marius and Sulla, I think that even a blind man could see that they needed to make provisions for what had become, in effect, a standing army. Why didn't they? (a) it went against the mos maoirum. The more insecure society became, the more violence flourished, the more the Senators clutched that concept of "no change, no change!!!!"

Second is the infamous "tall poppy" syndrome (I wonder who first coined that term?) I've been re-reading Cicero's letters, from 67 BC or so right to the end. DAMN, but the man shows it all - the determination among other Senators that any reform which might bring that reformer even one additional client, had to be put down at all costs. We'll remember that one of the reasons T.S. Gracchus was murdered (among many) was that, by his land bill, he and his family would acquire thousands of clients. Ditto Drusus, murdered before the rest of Italia was enfranchised. Ditto, ditto, ditto. Every time anyone - like Caesar - even made a noise about obtaining rights for a substantial portion of Cisalpine Gaul, or someone legislated free grain, or Pompey sought land for his soldiers, the knee-jerk reaction was NO as much because it would permit one man to rise in his clientela as for any other reason.

That had, IMHO, become such a stone wall against any kind of reform could be promulgated, by the '60's BC, that the Triumvirate was formed. And THAT (as Cato said) was really the beginning of the end of the Republic. Why? Because three strong men all saw that there was no hope, within the system, of getting what they wanted, and what they wanted was in no way unreasonable - but the Senate had become so sensitized to anyone getting extra clients by doing any good for anyone, that they would rather defeat the project than face facts.

Frankly, my sympathies are entirely with Caesar. When change within the system is impossible, you get revolution.