Curia Session IV - 194 BC

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Primus Proximus Maximus stands to speak

Good and Honored Conscript Fathers,

Let’s continue the current discussion at hand and consider the rituals and practices of foreign cults at another time. It seems this belongs in the domain of the Pontifex Maximus and the college pontiffs to take action rather than in the halls of the Roman Senate. Religious matters are best handled by those most knowledgeable in the ways of the gods. Any investigation led by the Senate must include representatives of the college of pontiffs to fully realize the extent and gravity of these foreign cults and their effects on Roman society.

He pauses for a moment before continuing.

As for Hispania, I would have preferred a more fleshed out discussion on the possibility of unifying the commands of both governors so we can have a more efficient command structure of the forces in the region. We do not want a repeat of Proconsul
Marcus Claudius Marcellus refusal to lend his forces to another governor in need. If it would please Consul Cassius Vecellinus and the Curia, I feel it would be both appropriate and necessary to have this discussion of creating a military region in Hispania which would see an overall commander over all campaigns to pacify tribes and expand Roman territories in Hispania.

I yield the floor.

One Senator stood up, in the vicinity of Claudius Marcellus

Now stop right there! How dare you impeach the good reputation of the Proconsul. Had the wasteful, sloth, and sadistic governor Corbulo requested his assistance, the Proconsul Claudius Marcellus would have marched at once to assist him at once. Governor Corbulo refused to call upon him. He only greedily demanded his legions be sent leaderless to the south. May I remind this August body that there is no restriction upon a Propraetor or Proconsul operating in another province. The governor of one may freely march into the province of another. If the safety of one province is threatened, the other should lend a hand if requested. This is our tradition! If the threat is real, then the governors have the tools they need! If the governors are embellishing the threat, then woe to them when they are prosecuted!

[Marcus Decius Bellicus]

The Proxy rises, turning to face the Senator who just spoke

"If your neighbor asks you for a cask of wine, would you reject him unless you were allowed to carry it to their house, pour it for them and watch them drink it? I must say, it's rather hilarious to say that Proconsul Marcus Claudius Marcellus did nothing wrong in not helping his neighbor, because he didn't like the form the request for assistance took. If anything, your very words have been a damning piece of evidence about how the state of affairs in Hispania have come to where they are now."

[Amulius Valerius Marius]

If Hispania was better served as a singular military region, it would not have been split into two provinces. Combining them would be a great injustice to the secondary Governor, especially when alternative methods are available. If additional forces are nessessary, the Senate will debate this in lieu.

As for the news of this cult, the Senate must act immediately and without delay. Suppression of this dangerous cult is of the utmost importance and should be our responsibility as the fathers of the Republic.

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The Proxy rises, turning to face the Senator who just spoke

"If your neighbor asks you for a cask of wine, would you reject him unless you were allowed to carry it to their house, pour it for them and watch them drink it? I must say, it's rather hilarious to say that Proconsul Marcus Claudius Marcellus did nothing wrong in not helping his neighbor, because he didn't like the form the request for assistance took. If anything, your very words have been a damning piece of evidence about how the state of affairs in Hispania have come to where they are now."

Sir! We are not talking about Wine, but of senatorial assignments granted by this august body. As Proconsul, it was also his first right to command his troops. What right does another governor have to demand troops are dispatched but that their General stays home. That is absurd. What is the reason you should demand the legions from a man but refuse for the man to come with them? The Governor Corbulo's predations were well known. It is his very overreaches which created the revolt in the first place.

If the Governor Decius Bellicus feels this is such a just and moral action, then write to him. Tell him to dispatch his troops to Propaetor Varus at once.

[Marcus Decius Bellicus]

The Proxy rises, turning to face the Senator who just spoke

"If your neighbor asks you for a cask of wine, would you reject him unless you were allowed to carry it to their house, pour it for them and watch them drink it? I must say, it's rather hilarious to say that Proconsul Marcus Claudius Marcellus did nothing wrong in not helping his neighbor, because he didn't like the form the request for assistance took. If anything, your very words have been a damning piece of evidence about how the state of affairs in Hispania have come to where they are now."

Sir! We are not talking about Wine, but of senatorial assignments granted by this august body. As Proconsul, it was also his first right to command his troops. What right does another governor have to demand troops are dispatched but that their General stays home. That is absurd. What is the reason you should demand the legions from a man but refuse for the man to come with them? The Governor Corbulo's predations were well known. It is his very overreaches which created the revolt in the first place.

If the Governor Decius Bellicus feels this is such a just and moral action, then write to him. Tell him to dispatch his troops to Propaetor Varus at once.

The Proxy chuckles

"But wouldn't it be, by your own words just now, an insult to demand such a thing? You say that the predations of Govenror Corbulo were well known, but yet the Proconsul never traveled to Hispania Ulterior or never made any attempt to provide the assistance you now demand that Proconsul Decius Bellicus give to Hispania Citerior.

"You talk about the will and power of the Senate, but you seem to forget that the Senate holds supreme authority above the purview, imperium or pride of individual magistrates."

[Allectus Fabius Maximus]

Primus Proximus Maximus stands to speak and faces the Senator defending Claudius Marcellus.

Conscript Fathers,

If the good Claudius Marcellus found it in his heart to come to Senator Domitius Corbulo’s aid, he would have done so without needing to be compelled to do so by the Senate. The Senate failed to send the proper forces to dispatch the rebellious barbarians in H. Ulterior then was unable to transfer command of the forces from H Citerior to H Ulterior. And thus, we saw the result of this irreconcilable division of forces that led to the shattering of an allied legion and avoidable losses among the brave and worthy Romans who liberated the our rightful lands from barbarian occupation. The record is plain for all to see that Claudius Marcellus stood to the side and kept his men to wait idly by while others carried the burden of waging a campaign against these natives.

And for that reason and that reason alone, there must be a discussion on how to prevent such actions from occurring again. If the governors of our Hispanian provinces cannot work well with one another for one reason or another, then it is the Senate’s duty to compel them to do so or assign an individual who will have broader command over all military forces in the region.

He would then turn to Valerius Marius

Good Senator,

What I wish to see and what I imagine others would like to see as well, is not an administrative unification of the Hispanian provinces. H Citerior and H Ulterior would continue to be managed separately as they have been. However, the military forces should be unified under a single command structure to prevent a single commander from withholding their forces for any campaign or military effort. That is what I propose. How and what that will look like I am leaving up to the Senate to debate and decide on.

I yield the floor.

[Amulius Valerius Marius]

Primus Proximus Maximus stands to speak and faces the Senator defending Claudius Marcellus.

Conscript Fathers,

If the good Claudius Marcellus found it in his heart to come to Senator Domitius Corbulo’s aid, he would have done so without needing to be compelled to do so by the Senate. The Senate failed to send the proper forces to dispatch the rebellious barbarians in H. Ulterior then was unable to transfer command of the forces from H Citerior to H Ulterior. And thus, we saw the result of this irreconcilable division of forces that led to the shattering of an allied legion and avoidable losses among the brave and worthy Romans who liberated the our rightful lands from barbarian occupation. The record is plain for all to see that Claudius Marcellus stood to the side and kept his men to wait idly by while others carried the burden of waging a campaign against these natives.

And for that reason and that reason alone, there must be a discussion on how to prevent such actions from occurring again. If the governors of our Hispanian provinces cannot work well with one another for one reason or another, then it is the Senate’s duty to compel them to do so or assign an individual who will have broader command over all military forces in the region.

He would then turn to Valerius Marius

Good Senator,

What I wish to see and what I imagine others would like to see as well, is not an administrative unification of the Hispanian provinces. H Citerior and H Ulterior would continue to be managed separately as they have been. However, the military forces should be unified under a single command structure to prevent a single commander from withholding their forces for any campaign or military effort. That is what I propose. How and what that will look like I am leaving up to the Senate to debate and decide on.

I yield the floor.

I appreciate that the good Senator has good intentions, I suspect. But a permanent unified command would be quite unroman and dangerous. Our ancestors understood this and as such ensured that consular power and imperium were to be shared lest tyranny occur. If such a system was adapted to the provinces, it could potentially work, however the governor would still be required to command his troops, regardless of which province they fought in as is our custom.

[Proculus Lucius Regulus]

No governor is entitled to the forces of another. Good proxy, stop pretending this is D. Bellicus's right.

[Marcus Decius Bellicus]

The Proxy rises with a sigh

"I'm beginning to think the opponents of this measure have no idea as to what the measure truly was. There was no permanency ever discussed, there was no talk of anyone being entitled to anything, except when there was someone rising to defend the Proconsul who caused this whole matter...of course."

[Gaius Cassius Vecellinus]

The Consul rises, some restrained anger escaping his face.

Conscript fathers!

The matter put forth by the Aedile and his witness is not a simple matter of "rituals and foreign practices"; we are talking of a supposed conspiracy to take over our state and Republic! To subvert our traditions and even the power of the Pontifex Maximus and the noble office of Censor!

While we are making little headway in regards Hispania, despite several proposals having been put forth by myself, we can act decisively to crush this Bacchanalian conspiracy!

Inasmuch as it may be good and fortunate for the Roman people of the Quirites, we bring before you, conscript fathers the

SENATUS CONSULTUM DE BACCHANALIBUS (Senatorial decree concerning the Bacchanalia)
Sponsors: Gaius Cassius Vecellinus

INASMUCH as the Bacchanalian cult is a threat to the People of Rome and the Quirites;

INASMUCH as the Bacchanalian cult has spread through Roman and Socii territory;

Be it enacted by the Senate of the Roman Republic in the Curia Hostilia assembled,
I. In the Roman and Socii territory no one is to possess a place where the festivals of Bacchus are celebrated; if there are any who claim that it is necessary for them to have such a place, they are to come to Rome to the praetor urbanus, and the senate is to decide on those matters, when their claims have been heard, provided that not less than 100 senators are present when the affair is discussed;

II. No man is to be a Bacchanalian, neither a Roman citizen, nor one of the Latin name, nor any of our allies unless they come to the praetor urbanus, and he in accordance with the opinion of the senate expressed when not less than 100 senators are present at the discussion, shall have given leave;

III. No man is to be a priest; no one, either man or woman, is to be an officer (to manage the temporal affairs of the organization); nor is anyone of them to have charge of a common treasury; no one shall appoint either man or woman to be master or to act as master; henceforth they shall not form conspiracies among themselves, stir up any disorder, make mutual promises or agreements, or interchange pledges; no one shall observe the sacred rites either in public or private or outside the city, unless he comes to the praetor urbanus, and he, in accordance with the opinion of the senate, expressed when no less than 100 senators are present at the discussion, shall have given leave.

IV. No one in a company of more than five persons altogether, men and women, shall observe the sacred rites, nor in that company shall there be present more than two men or three women, unless in accordance with the opinion of the praetor urbanus and the senate as written above.

V. See it declared to all towns and declared in an assembly (contio) for not less than three market days that the judgement of the Senate is as follows: if there are any who have acted contrary to what was written above, they have decided that a proceeding for a capital offense should be instituted against them; the Senate has justly decreed that you should inscribe this on a brazen tablet, and that you should order it to be placed where it can be easiest read; see to it that the revelries of Bacchus, if there be any, except in case there be concerned in the matter something sacred, as was written above, be disbanded within ten days after this letter shall be delivered to you.

VI. That Consul Gaius Cassius Vecellinus is tasked and empowered to make such measures as required to eradicate the Bacchanalian cult throughout Italia.

Written into the annals in the consular year 194BC of Gaius Cassius Vecellinus and Titus Furius Pavo.

What does it please you should be done about this matter?

I have sent a missive to my Consular colleague, Furius Pavo, and he is in agreement in awarding me the responsibility for taking the lead in such endeavors.

Is there any who speaks against the motion? If not, we will proceed to a vote on the matter.

I yield the floor to debate.