Curia Session V - 194 BC

[Gaius Cassius Vecellinus]

Conscript fathers,

We meet once again today in our beloved Curia Hostilia for yet another Senate session; with your cooperation I expect it to be productive and in keeping with the best traditions of our Republic.

The order of business for the session, barring any amendments as necessary, will be as follows:

1. Reports of magistrates, promagistrates and those expired their term in office the past year
2. Old business
   1. On raising additional forces for Hispania, requested by Allectus Fabius Maximus
3. New business
   1. Motion on Provincial Defense Policy, requested by Gaius Cassius Vecellinus
   2. Other new business as presented

I wish to return the debate to the intervention made by Senator Allectus Fabius Maximus in the last session and provide some clarification as to the spirit and intention of my orders to the Propraetor and Proconsul of Hispania.

Primus Proximus Maximus stands to speak

Good Consul and Conscript Fathers,

Now that war is upon us, we must consider sending additional forces to assist both Proconsul Decius Bellicus and Propraetor Quinctilius Varus. Given the orders sent to them by Consul Cassius Vecellinus, at least two legions will be withheld from the fight in order allow this campaign to move forward. Thus, it is now imperative that we not only raise that additional socii legion among the Socii residents of Hispania but also dispatch one of the consular legions stationed in Rome. We must not allow these men to be given anything less the what they need to end this war quickly and efficiently. My suggestion would be to send the consular legion to the Proconsul Decius and the Socii Legion to Propraetor Q. Varus.

Specifically, the spirit of my orders were to provide for one of the provinces to always have a legion while the combined army of three legions operates in the vicinity of the other. One must take into account that the borders of our Hispanian holdings are not rigid and if one army is operating against one of its tribal threats it can be considered to be in active defense of said province.

As an example, I would consider the orders to be in obeyance if at least one legion is kept north or south of the following line: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ ... do.svg.png

That being said, if the will of the Senate is that more forces are necessary than two Roman legions assisted by a Socii legion to defeat a tribal enemy, which I believe is not the case, I am of course willing to maintain my offer to send my Consular legion, though it needs to be activated for combat at a cost of 200,000 Denarii and transported at a further 100,000.

Senators who believe more forces ought to be sent at this stage in the year may make their opinion known and, if a sufficient number, say seven of those present, do so, I will put the matter to a vote.

Moving on.

I wish to present a draft motion for debate, in the true sense of the word; it encapsulates the spirit of what I believe ought to be the Republic's defense policy for its provinces but it may, or indeed be likely, to require change or improvement in wording or scope.

It seeks to provide a basic level of military security to all provinces, allowing them to be more self-reliant in times of crisis until reinforcement is sent by the Senate if necessary. It also reduces the standing commitment of the Republic by delegating some defense responsibility to the provincial propraetors and proconsuls.

Ultimately, it is expected that in the future the regular, day-to-day, defense of our provinces will be wholly conducted by our governors, while offensive operations beyond their immediate scope will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

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

LEX DE PROVINCIIS CUSTODIENDIS (Law for the Guarding of Provinces)
Sponsor: Gaius Cassius Vecellinus

WHEREAS the Senate recognizes that the lack of a defined defence policy for the provinces has resulted in needless loss of Roman life;
WHEREAS the Senate seeks to create an emergency mechanism for the defence of its citizens and foederati;
WHEREAS the Senate acknowledges the special status of its provinces in Hispania;

Be it enacted by the Senate of the Roman Republic in the Curia Hostilia assembled,
I. The provinces of Rome, both those currently in existence and any that may be created, will be henceforth be required to either maintain or work towards a minimum permanent emergency treasury of 250,000 Denarii.
II. Until the amount listed in Article I is reached, provinces will reserve no less than one-fifth of their revenues for this purpose.
III. The emergency treasury will only be used for the sole purposes of defeating raids, incursions or other existential threats to the safety of the Republic in the province and/or its citizens.
IV. The penalty for unauthorized use, as listed in Article III, of the emergency treasury will be, at a minimum, that the withdrawn amount will be held as debt to be repaid within twelve months by the Propraetor or Proconsul who levied it. The Senate, following a Consular proposal, will evaluate if the use was indeed legitimate or not.
V. Provinces will be authorized, under the same conditions required to use the emergency treasury, to levy a single socii legion from within their territories.
VI. Given their particular status as frontier provinces subject to more frequent attacks and incursions, Hispania Citerior and Hispania Ulterior will, at no detriment to the option to levy another allied legion as per Article V, maintain a standing socii legion.
VII. Half of the cost taken by the provinces in Article VI will be subsidized by the Senate from the Temple of Saturn at 125,000 Denarii each.
VIII. Whenever a situation beyond the immediate borders of a province merits intervention, it is to be reported to the Senate for deliberation by the magistrate or promagistrate who has received such intelligence.
IX. The present law will take effect on the consular year of 193BC onwards.

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 yield the floor to debate.

[Hostus Lucretius Tricipitinus]

The proxy for Lucretius Tricitipinus stood up, his eyes were sunken, nearly hollow. Bags under his eyes. Clearly the strain of several significantly long sessions were showing:

"Conscript fathers,

If the governors cannot get along and cooperate, why should we send more forces to compensate? I am sick and tired of this factionalism. Shame on all who support such.

It is also late in the campaign season - by the time legions are assembled, boats assembled, they sail West, disembark, get to locations for battle, it will nearly be winter! The time for sending a legion was months ago, not now. I repeat my call that if the governors cannot handle these current enemies, then we have the future Consul's campaign in Hispania and end the threat all together.

If the Hispanian tribes were a pressing threat... they'd have attacked already."

[Postumus Caesonius Tacitus]

The proxy for Caesonius Tacitus would speak.

"I must state that I am concerned that 250,000 Denarii in reserve would really limit what sort of investments a governor could do for their province for the next three to five years at least. For Sardinia, that's almost an entire year's worth of gross income before taxes sent to Rome and at current income levels it could very well take a decade to reach the reserve amount as required by law if we were to have the good fortune of not requiring it during that time period."

[Gaius Cassius Vecellinus]

The Consul nods at the latest interventions but decides to await for further input before commenting.

[Marcus Decius Bellicus]

The Proxy rises

"Is this the Consul's view of the powers of his office? To completely strip away the rights of the governors and magistrates of the provinces to govern their own affairs? We stood here as a body and authorized a war, without providing a single denarrii in support of Hispania to undertake that war. The actions of the Consul cost the Propraetor there almost an entire campaign season, but fear not Conscript Fathers, the Consul found the time to make a proclamation that he has no ability to make while within the Pomerium.

"I have heard talk that the magistrates of Hispania could not get along, but there was never any attempt undertaken to have them cooperate. Indeed, they both stood rather united in the face of a Consul who attempted to act as if he were commanding forces in the field, while safely at home here in Rome behind the strong ranks of his lictors.

"I can confirm today that the Consul never once reached out to the Proconsul, and would ask the Propraetor's proxy to confirm the same, about coordinating any sort of defensive engagements against the tribes of Hispania. It seems to me that if the Consul was so convinced cooperation was possible, and he felt the need to make unilateral threatening declarations, then he would've had concrete proof that he had made an attempt to get them to cooperate.

"Instead, we saw a Consul stand here, in the Senate, attempting to make demands and threaten the magistrates that he selected, instead of lifting a single finger to take any measure of actual assistance. Every time that someone asked for assistance, they were talked down or told that we couldn't afford such a thing. But yet now, we are being told that we must strap the provinces with "emergency funds" instead of Rome doing it's duty to protect her children. We cannot afford to defend them ourselves apparently...yet I seem to recall the good Consul being more than willing to see Rome spend millions to build roads when he was Censor, a project he oversaw...curious...

"Conscript fathers, this is the Senate of the Roman Republic, not a theatre. What we have been forced to sit here and witness recently is no less than pathetic theatrics. The Consul could decide a grave threat to Rome, that of the cults, needs not a modicum of deliberation, investigation, or the further presentation of evidence, but a grave threat to Roman lands, needs to have days upon days of debate before we can even consider to begin the process to think about acting on it.

"This is an absolute travesty and a mockery of what it means to be Roman. I am disgusted."

[Gaius Cassius Vecellinus]

The Consul rises.

Conscript father,

I have no doubt in the ability of the... Turns to a Lictor to ask for a scroll, unrolling him and clearing his throat ... LION OF HISPANIA, SCOURGE OF THE BOII, DEFENDER OF THE REPUBLIC, SYMBOL OF STRENGTH, TAMER OF ELEPHANTS, CLOSET MONSTER OF THE CHILDREN AND INVENTOR OF THE WHEEL, MARCUS! DECIUS! BELLICUS! to smash to smithereens whatever grave threat has been keeping him up at night!

Allowing a few moments for his clique to finish laughing, the Consul concluded.

The good Senator would do well, very well indeed, to apply some perfumed ointment so that he may calm his nerves and look less like a rambling woman! Do you seriously expect the arguments you have just put forward to persuade anyone or do you just feel good about hearing your own voice echoing alone in these chambers?

Are you really insinuating that by putting to the debate and scrutiny in the Senate, a motion that empowers the Senate, I am attempting to usurp our noble Republic? Are you honestly implying that I, and Marcus Silvius Pastor, and Lucretius Tricipitinus, who have started the construction of the great highway that is bound to connect Rome to its far-flung colonists, did so out of personal interest?

Senator, I have lost count to the number of times you have found yourself voting SINGULARLY alone against the motions otherwised voted unanimously by this body; the good Senator would do well to change his attitude lest he be replaced by a simpler wax tablet with the word "NO" written on it.

I yield the floor.

[Marcus Decius Bellicus]

The proxy rises, a rather sly grin on his face

"Be careful there Consul, some may think that you were acting very defensively about a simple statement being made about being willing to spend millions in one place but denying a few thousand elsewhere. Would make one wonder why you were so suddenly concerned that anyone would be implying you could've done anything untoward there.

"I would also caution that, in light of recent events, we should not attempt to bring to light things being done "singularly" to use your turn of phrase, for I seem to recall a certain Consul who has attempted quite a number of unilateral actions that were quite handsomely shouted down in these very chambers.

"I do thank the Consul, of course, for letting us know that he prefers a well-scented man, that is made quite evident after the utter disdain shown towards the females of Rome."

[TerranSteel]

The proxy for Consul Furius Pavo motions to rise and address the Senate.

“Conscript Fathers, this heckling and wordplay is entertaining enough for plays in the theater but quite enough, I believe, for this august body for today.

To address the current legislation in discussion, I have a question for our good Consul. You are acknowledged as quite the capable organizer and talented with coin. Your duties as Censor and as Consul make this clear. Do you believe that the setting aside of 1/5th of the provincial incomes for Hispania will put a hamper on the revenues being sent back to Rome or for investments in the provincial infrastructure?

Would it not be possible to, in the future, remove command of legions from provincial governors and instead appoint a specific commander from this Senate to lead military campaigns or a Consul send themselves abroad as necessary?

I currently have no solidified thoughts on these questions but believe we can find reasonable solutions without perhaps limiting resources returning to Rome in the future.”

[Hostus Lucretius Tricipitinus]

The proxy for Lucretius Tricipitinus threw his hands up in an exasperated manner while shaking his head.

[Allectus Fabius Maximus]

Primus Proximus Maximus stands to speak.

Conscript Fathers,

I have already made my stance clear on the additional forces necessary to combat the llegeretai and best to distribute them. As the good Consul has clarified, only one legion would be left behind to guard one of the Hispanian provinces. For that reason, I suggest we provide Propraetor Q. Varus with the request Socii Legion among the Hispanian socii and Proconsul D. Bellicus with the Consular legion to compensate the troops he will leave behind to guard H Ulterior, as ordered by the Consul.

As for the new law mandating the emergency reserve in the provinces, I support it without any reservations. Since only 20% of revenues would go to it yearly, it will indeed take some time to reach the necessary 250,000 denarii goal however we do not want a repeat of the barbarian incursions into Sardinia and the Governor was forced to levy additional taxes to raise a larger force. I would however expect a report by the year’s end from every Governor to see their progress towards the reserve and for the Quaestor assigned to the province to confirm it’s total and if the funds have been used for any other purpose other than the defense of the province.