Curia Session I 194 BC

[Postumus Caesonius Tacitus]

OOC: If abstain isn't an option for Rome, I'll make a vote for 2 in the morning. Right now, I'm exhausted from cleaning for company coming over tomorrow.

IC: Article 1: Aye.
Article 2: Abstain.

[Gaius Claudius Nero Liguricus]

Regrettably, I must bring the proceedings to a halt.

I do support an ovation for Decius Bellicus, and feel a triumph should be discussed, once an investigation has been conducted.

However, the matter has been brought forward irregularly.

Neither of Gaius Cassius Vecellinus or Amulius Valerius Marius were given an opportunity to debate the matter. Two of the most prestigious men in the republic denied their chance to voice their opinion. This vote was rushed so that neither could express anything beyond their vote.

Additionally, this senate session was called out of order. While Consul Decius Bellicus did contact me; he did not even wait a customary 24 hours for a response before violating the norms of the republic and calling two Sessions in a row.

I must exercise my veto.

The matter can be debated once I reconvene the Senate at its appropriate interval.

Nero rises and turns to Consul Cotta before speaking.

Good Consul,

You stated that one of the main points of your Veto was that both Senators Vecellinus and Marius had not spoken their peace before a vote was called, and yet I had not spoken my mind before the vote was called either. Unless you are a clairvoyant, then it is quite irregular that I am not worthy of saying my peace in your eyes. Nonetheless, I will use this moment to point out that the most irregular point about your veto is the fact you want to award Propraetor Domitius Corbulo with a Triumph after he has returned back to Rome and conducted an investigation. I do hope that there is no need to reiterate this point to you Consul, but that is simply not possible. The entire purpose of a Triumph is to allow him to return to Rome leading his army through the city in celebration for his great deeds during his term as Propraetor, something that was conducted just a year prior for the former Consul Marius. For you to want to award him one after he has been in Rome for Gods know how long while the investigation carries on is against any known customs dating back to the founding of Rome itself.

Now I have already spoken on the topic of an investigation on Propraetor Domitius Corbulo before, but I will reiterate that his victory in Hispania Ulterior could have had less casualties had you not ignored his pleas for help last year. No discussion from you was raised when he came asking for more troops. We could have raised a further Legion or Socii Ala, like the Propraetor Claudius Marcellus had proposed, to send to him to reduce how outnumbered he was. But instead you completely ignored him to his fate, and now you turn around and accuse him of making do with what troops he was given. Would you have preferred he simply turned tail and ran away like a Greek, allowing the barbarian horde to raid and pillage through Roman towns? Or perhaps, much like you had proposed when I was Propraetor of Hispania Citerior, you would have recommended that he raise provincial militia.

However we have all heard how poorly that would have gone as showcased by the Propraetor of Sardinia et Corsica, Proculus Lucius Regulus. Not only did he spend the entire provincial treasury on a militia force to lose to the barbarians with, whereby numerous Roman towns and villages were subsequently burned and looted in their wake, but he also robbed his own people to raise a second force with, and then opened the treasury up to give out to anyone that randomly turned up. Romans who were forced to pay a sudden additional tax, and were promised spoils of war as repayment by the Propraetor, were given nothing back as Consul-elect Vecellinus has told us.

This entire Veto is, to put it bluntly, quite absurd in its reasoning, and your desire to investigate someone for wrongdoing is aimed at the wrong person entirely. So I implore you Consul, lift the Veto, and let this matter be laid to rest.

I yield the floor.

[admin]

The first article seems to largely have universal support.

The second article is highly divisive and many are disgusted with the level of loss, as well as the scandalous accusations, and the veto from the sitting Consul. As such, it has generated quite a bit of dissention and further discussions demanded.

As such, due to the measures being bundled together in one act, the vote fails. Should the Consul wish to separate out the measures, it would be considered that the first article would be a pass, assuming Aurelius Cotta were to lift his blanket Veto of the motions.

[Marcus Decius Bellicus]

Decius Bellicus rises

"It is evident that the deceitful nature of the accusations against Propraetor Domitius Corbulo have soured what should've been an easy passage of a motion that has yet to receive any sort of serious debate or consternation for the past several years. Indeed, this seems to rival the travesty done to Scipio Africanus in terms of its blatant, ugly partisan nature.

"There was no real evidence presented against this except for a last minute note with no substantiation, much less than evidence against any wrongdoing in Sardinia, indeed even my peer as Consul has stated that he wants to investigate what happened there in his bid for being the Proconsul of that territory. Yet...we see no calls for any sort of actual investigation or looking into the accusations against that Propraetor...so why then is it suddenly so imperative to my peer that we castigate Domitius Corbulo for crimes he didn't commit...

"Perhaps it's to detract from the fact that it was his actions that denied the Propraetor the forces he needed to crush the Barbarians in Hispania Ulterior, an ongoing insurrection that predates his ascendancy to that posting far away from Rome. Perhaps it's to detract from his continued support for the governor of Hispania Citerior that refused to support his southern peer with troops, once again leading to the losses that suddenly are of such a concern to Consul M. Aurelius Cotta, who has yet to mention the annihilation of Sardinian militamen at the hands of the bumbling Propreator Lucius Regulus.

"Or yet...perhaps it's for a simpler reason...perhaps it's because M. Aurelius Cotta has never valued the work and sacrifice of Romans, choosing instead to think about the work he should put in to better himself financially and in the eyes of his fellow Senators. Perhaps that is why the Plebian Tribune, who you were in long contact with according to my sources, called for an Assembly that you attempted to use to rocket yourself to unprecedented power, stopped only by the near unanimous rejection of that Tribune's peers.

"I have proven that I care for Rome. All of Rome. All of its people. M. Aurelius Cotta can either retract his blanket veto, or I promise here before the Gods that we will get to the bottom of every scheme and wrongdoing he has committed while sullying the name of Consul. I will not elevate my own dignitas at the expense of someone who has worked at least as hard as me, if not harder. That is not something that a true Roman would ever stand for and allow to happen."

[Marcus Aurelius Cotta]

When the northern wind howls, a man pulls his cloak tight about him for warmth. The harder the wind howls, the tighter he pulls the cloak, and no matter how hard the wind blows, he will not abandon it.

When the sun comes out, a man will remove his cloak, and embrace the sun.

Conscript fathers,

I have outlined the conditions upon which the veto would be removed already, and supported my co-consul’s Ovatio. The record is reflective of that.

First, that the motion be properly debated and the input from all men of import be taken into consideration. This was stated at the time of veto.

Second, I had pointed out that my co-consul irregularly called this senate session to order and that I should have presided over it, but for his own decisions to override tradition.

I am willing to waive the requirement for the second, in the interest of time and as the body largely expressed support for the ovatio for my co-consul, despite rejecting the motions as a whole, provided that the ovatio alone is considered, as the senate already rejected the joint motion as a result of the second article.

However, a new debate on the ovatio must include input from all senators and not be rushed.

On the matter of investigations, this was the first time I had heard of the information out of Hispania Ulterior. Doubtless, an investigation must be expedited under our new consuls and I would support this. It is truly unfortunate that this came to being in the final months of our consulships, so that we might have done something in a manner more convenient for the awarding of triumphs.

The ovatio should be reconsidered.

Sunny ways, my friends, Sunny ways.

[TerranSteel]

However, a new debate on the ovatio must include input from all senators and not be rushed.

This is preposterous hypocrisy. Conscript Fathers, you were all present when Consul Aurelius Cotta abused the command of Lictors to silence opposition in this very hall and demanded voting to take place with no debate whatsoever on matters that benefited himself personally. Any “wisdom” proffered by Aurelius Cotta is in bad faith and cannot be held to the light of day lest it turn to ash.

I request that a vote be held for a simple Ovatio for Consul Bellicus so that we may reward an honest and heroic Roman without the ego and banality of Consul Aurelius Cotta.

[Marcus Decius Bellicus]

Decius Bellicus rises

An ovatio is approved for Consul M. Decius Bellicus for his campaign against the Boii

Commence division.

[TerranSteel]

Aye.

[Postumus Caesonius Tacitus]

aye

[Marcus Aurelius Cotta]

I once again call upon my Co-consul to permit Gaius Cassius Vecellinus or Amulius Valerius Marius to speak on the matter before voting.