Curia Session VI / 195 BC

[Marcus Aurelius Cotta]

Consul Aurelius Cotta returns from campaign, deriding any suggestion of a triumph or even an ovation as being above the station of putting down a slave revolt.

The Senate is called to order today to discuss the developing situation with Sparta and our Graecian allies.

[TerranSteel]

Senator Furius Pavo motioned to speak and rose to address the Consul.

Welcome Consul Aurelius Cotta on your return to Rome. I would also like the Senate to address the developing situation in Sardinia during this session as well.

[Marcus Aurelius Cotta]

Yes, the situation in Sardinia will be addressed in this session.

[Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo Hispanicus]

Albinovanus Fango, proxy of Propraetor Domitius Corbulo, arises.

"It is well that the Gods have delivered you back to us. I also wish for the situation in Hispania to be addressed. Propraetor Domitius Corbulo has won great victories but he seeks the council of the Senate to proceed".

[Marcus Aurelius Cotta]

Albinovanus Fango, proxy of Propraetor Domitius Corbulo, arises.

"It is well that the Gods have delivered you back to us. I also wish for the situation in Hispania to be addressed. Propraetor Domitius Corbulo has won great victories but he seeks the council of the Senate to proceed".

We will first address Greece, then the subsequent pacifications. All have importance one way or another.

Sardinia appears to require a back stiffening, our obligations, one way or another, to make the peace in Greece must be upheld, and the follow up success of the Propraetor in Hispania Ulterior all should be considered.

But Graecia is at hand now.

[Amulius Valerius Marius]

The pulchritudinous Proxy for the Proconsul stood to speak

Senators,

There are but two things to discuss on the Grecian matter. The first is whether this body ought to formally declare war on the Tyrant of Sparta for his unprovoked aggression. The second, if the former is adopted, is how many legions will we raise and when. I clearly back a declaration of war on Sparta for their crime against Rome, so this matter is of secondary importance for me.

I call for the Senate to advise Consul Aurelius Cotta to move his consular army to Greece forthwith and secure our immediate interests and allies there. A fleet of forty ships to secure the seas against piracy with the aid of our allies, must also be raised. If the Consul deems it necessary, we can send reinforcements come March with the election of the next Consuls should it be required.

[Allectus Fabius Maximus]

Allectus would rise to speak once called upon to do so.

Good and Noble Conscript Fathers,

I do not wish to diminish the threat posed by the Spartans and their ilk upon the good and righteous people of the Peloponnese and that of our Greek allies.

Though it is true that the Spartans can be ready to mobilize as soon as the campaign season begins, we can also do the same at a moments notice.

The more pressing concern weighing upon my conscience is the helpless Roman citizens being murdered by barbarians so close to Rome. We must immediately send Consul Aurelius Cotta with the legions to keep these savages at bay and safeguard Roman lands, property and lives.

[Gaius Cassius Vecellinus]

With a severe face and demeanour, the Cassius Vecellinus rose and turned to Consul Aurelius Cotta and then the other Senators.

Consul Aurelius Cotta, conscript fathers,

We need to look no further than the tales of our fathers and their fathers before them for guidance in how to handle the Greeks! Our Princeps Senatus may confirm the tale from the scrolls, but I believe to know it well enough by heart. Entertain me, gentlemen, and allow me to tell the tale once more:

It was the year 472 Ab urbe condita (283 BC), when our late Consul Publius Cornelius Dolabella, bane of the Gauls, was butchered at the hands of the Tarentines, said to have come from Sparta themselves of all places. Cornelius went sight-seeing along the coast of Magna Graecia with ten ships with decks. At Taras, now Tarentum, there was a demagogue named Philocharis, a man of obscene life, who was for that reason nicknamed Thais. He reminded the Tarentines of an old treaty, a fabrication, by which we, Romans, had bound ourselves not to sail beyond the promontory of Lacinium. By his passion he persuaded them to excitement against Cornelius, and they sunk four of his ships and seized one of them with all on board. They accused the Thurini of preferring us Romans to the Tarentines although they were Greeks, and held them chiefly to blame for our trespassing the supposed limits. Then they expelled the noblest citizens of Thurii, sacked the city, and dismissed the our garrison that was stationed there under a treaty.

When our forefathers learned of these events, they sent an embassy to Tarentum to demand that the prisoners who had been taken, not in war, but as mere sight-seers, should be surrendered; that the citizens of Thurii who had been expelled should be brought back to their homes; that the property that had been plundered, or the value of what had been lost, should be restored; and finally, that they should surrender the authors of these crimes, if they wished to continue on good terms with the Romans.

The Tarentines made difficulties about admitting our embassy to their council at all, and when they had received them jeered at them because they did not speak Greek perfectly, and made fun of their togas and of the purple stripe on them. But a certain Philonides, a fellow fond of jest and ribaldry, going up to Postumius, the chief of the embassy, turned his back to him, drew up his dress and polluted him with filth.

This spectacle was received with laughter by the bystanders. Postumius, holding out his soiled garment, said: "You will wash out this defilement with plenty of blood - you who take pleasure in this kind of jokes." As the Tarentines made no sort of answer the embassy departed. Postumius carried the soiled garment just as it was, and showed it here, in the Curia, to the Senators of the time.

Our people, deeply incensed, sent orders to Consul Aemilius Barbula, who was then waging war against the Samnites, to suspend his operations and invade the territory of the Tarentines, and offer them the same terms that the late embassy had proposed, and if they did not agree, to wage war against them with all his might. He made them the offer accordingly. This time they did not laugh for they saw the army.

Well Senators, are we not witnessing if not the same thing then something very similar? Is not Quinctilius Varus's honor, and that of the Republic through him, offended with the Laconian tyrant's bribe much like Postumius' toga was tarnished by Philonides' shite?! Is not that wax tablet with the bribe just as offensive as that liquid attack upon our magistrate's toga?

No, we mustn't allow it. At the very least an ultimatum is warranted! That is the bare minimum we can do to uphold Roman honor!

Taking a breath, Cassius Vecellinus concluded.

I will refrain from commenting on the other presented issues until we resolve this one.

I yield the floor.

[TerranSteel]

Senator Furius Pavo motions to speak and then rises before the Senate

Conscript Fathers,

It is quite clear that there is strong feelings for punishing Sparta and their mercenary king for his disrespect and geopolitical danger to our allies. Given the information provided by Quinctilius Varus himself, our Grecian friends will not be ready until the campaign season in late spring. I believe we should dispatch a Consul to lead an expedition against the Spartans in lock-step with our allies along with a Consul or legate to command the Navy, as it is known the Spartans have assembled such a force.

This body should make law the size of the expedition to prepare it for mister next year or which forces currently raised to be retained and used for battle.

[Hostus Lucretius Tricipitinus]

Senators,

The dye is cast, Sparta has attacked a friend of Rome and insulted our assigned legate. There are very few greater affronts to Roman honor, and justice dictates that we respond to such a matter. The choice was removed from us by the dictator of Sparta. I need not say his name, for the thought of it makes me wish to spit in disgust.

With our Greek friends preparing for war in the spring, we must take care to prepare for war as well. Let us authorize the sending of legions to Greece this coming spring, and determine what force we will send. No doubt we should send at least two Consuler legions, but perhaps we need to raise more. Or shift forces from Hispania.

One matter of considering- do we need to construct additional warships and bring some we have out of dry dock so that we can protect our legions as they cross the sea and protect Roman interests from Spartan ships.

Finally, I find the matter of Sardinia to be most pressing. These barbaric tribes must be stopped and an investigation should be launched to find the cause. I see no better man for the job than Consul Aurelius Cotta. After his excellent work against the slave revolt, I have no doubts that he can bring peace to the island. If need be, perhaps he could be imbued with Proconsular powers if the campaign takes longer than anticipated.