Commissio Censoria Cassia: 196 to 195 B.C.

[Marcus Aurelius Cotta]

Honoured Censor,

I would be pleased to accept the task of investigating the use of the Ager Publicus in Magna Graecia/Southern Italia.

Thank you,

Senator Aurelius Cotta

Honoured Censor,

I present to this commission the findings of my survey, prepared carefully by myself with the assistance of my scribes.

This survey was a monumental task, but we have done so ably and well. The lands of the Ager Publicus in Magna Graecia were wrought with devastation by Punic menace, and recover slowly still.

As such, although much land was added to the Ager Publicus, we were able to find a moderate increase in taxable land, estimated to be worth 20,000 denarii worth of income to the treasury per annum.

We suspect this amount will increase with time as the scars of the Punic war fade.

[Postumus Caesonius Tacitus]

Honoured Censor,

I have finished looking into the state of religious infrastructure for Ostia and present my findings to this committee.

I must regrettably inform you that it is, to put it generously, extremely modest. It currently only has very minor temples and has no current temple to Mercury. As Senator Silvius Pastor has stated, there is little local funding for any project.

I still recommend a large temple to Mercury to be built to supplement the physical expansion of Ostia harbor which even as it is could certainly use more religious infrastructure.

[Gaius Cassius Vecellinus]

Conscript fathers,

The work you have completed in the short time allotted has been nothing short of miraculous; indeed, one can believe that the Gods have taken a favorable demeanor in regards this commission and are in its support. I will be sure, upon the gathering of a future Curia, to report your success to the Senate.

In regards what is to be done, taking into account the results of the present commission, and having been empowered by the Senate to spend up to 200,000 Denarii I have decided:

• Portus Ostiensis shall be enormously expanded from its current languishing state into a proper facility for the handling of Rome's maritime cargo. A total of 100,000 Denarii will be released over a period no greater than four years and at a yearly rate never inferior to 25,000 Denarii to make it so. May these works serve the Republic well for generations to come.
• Colonia Ostia will be endowed with a Small Temple to Mercury, costing a total of 50,000 Denarii. 25,000 Denarii will be devoted immediately and 25,000 next year. May it please the Gods.
• To make it known that any parcels of the newly gained Ager Publicus illegally occupied will be subject to triple the normal rate of taxation, using my power to fine those found in disreputable behavior, until the Republic, in the form of the Senate, decides what is to be done; moreover, if any of the land that was unoccupied at the time of Senator Marcus Aurelius Cotta's investigation is then found to be under unauthorized use, it will be subject to sextuple the normal rate of taxation.
  
  Revenues from this measure will be deposited directly in the Temple of Saturn.

Senatorial allotment to the Censor: 200,000 Denarii
Amount spent thus far: 50,000 Denarii
- 25,000 for the expansion of Portus Ostiensis: 25,000 out of 100,000 (75,000d remaining until 193 BC)
- 25,000 for the construction of a Small Temple to Mercury in Ostia: 25,000 out of 50,000 (25,000d remaining until 195 BC)
Amount remaining: 150,000 Denarii

[Gaius Cassius Vecellinus]

Senators Hostus Lucretius Tricipinitus and Marcus Silvius Pastor are publicly invited by the Censor to partake in road and coloniae establishing projects as recommended by the Senate. Their exact roles in this endeavour will be made known privately.

[Hostus Lucretius Tricipitinus]

Hostus Lucretius Tricipitinus will join with the Censor and conduct the duties so entrusted to him by the Censor.

[Marcus Silvius Pastor]

Senator Marcus Silvius Pastor accepts the Censor's invitation and confirms his participation in the project(s).