Conflict of Orders

A man known to be affiliated with Quinctilius Varus, absent on campaign against Rome's enemies, stands in the forum and begins orating.

Good peoples of Rome, there is no truer Roman Patrician available for this election then Proculus Lucius Regulus. A vote for him is a vote for great Roman glory, if he is elected consul we will surely see the gods smile down upon us. The young patrician will surely do nothing but improve the condition of the Republic. A vote for Proculus Lucius Regulus is a vote for a better, brighter tomorrow. A savory turnover for every man, a coin in every purse.

Senator Aurelius Cotta marched through the forum to the Rostra flanked by his bodyguards, daring anyone to strike at him. Upon taking the stage he began to speak

Citizens of Rome! I am happy to speak to a packed forum tonight!

It is greatly humbling that both Consuls and the Censor, as well as some senators, have endorsed me for my campaign for consul. Many thanks to them. It is clear that I have good friends in Rome.

The Senator pauses for a second then continues.

… in Rome.

But endorsements mean nothing without a plan… that won’t do at all.

Here is what I promise, what I run on.

1. We shall continue the campaigns that the Senate has funded this year and follow through with them until completion.

2. We shall fully fund the festivals through a public and private partnership, as is tradition, and ensure that our duties to the gods are discharged amicably.

I have taken my own steps, providing an additional prize fund of 2,000 denarii to the top finisher in the Gladiator fights, and an additional 3,000 denarii for the best gamblers of the horse races. Unlike the other candidates, I put my money where my mouth is.

3. We shall explore the possibility of new Roman colonies, should they be founded, at the hands of our current consuls, in the unsettled lands of Gallia Cisalpina.

4. Great works shall be completed, and much collaboration shall be found with my fellow consuls.

5. That I shall ensure Carthage never rises again and should they violate our treaty, should any state violate our treaties…As a great Senator we all know often says…Carthago delenda est.

Some may feel that I am a pincher of the denarii, that I say no too easily to frivolous expenses on Socii legions, but to them, I say they are wrong. I say they are too easy to discount the power of our Roman Legions. Where our legions have shown on the field, victory and great slaughter has followed, as many Hispanii and Boii know.

All I have ever asked of our governors is that they have faith in you, the Citizen Soldiers of this fine republic. After all, we defeated the Punic menace, why should we have had to fear the Turdetani? A single consular legion has brought them to heel.

And now, what I ask of you is to put your faith in me, one who believes in virtus and mos maiorum. A man who will ensure that this republic stays true to the virtues of Cincinnatus.

A man who will honour the gods, with his own funds, not just Rome’s.

I ask for your support tonight as we head towards elections, just as The Censor and both Consuls have pledged theirs.

Thank you.

Allectus ascends the rostra and raises a hand to get the attention of the crowd, then he begins to speak

Good and Gentle Citizens of Rome,

Our Republic now stands at a crossroads. Having won two major wars against the Punic aggressors in Africa, we now find ourselves as the preeminent power in the Western Mediterranean. The Republic has grown far more than any could have imagined and Rome’s reach will only continue to extend. But we are not alone in this world my friends. Far from it. At our very doorstep we have that Gallic horde of unwashed painted barbarians to our North. Those who know their history are aware that even our Grand City could once again come under threat of their kind at a moment’s notice. To the west, the lands of Hispania ceded to us by the Carthaginians are now beset by similarly savage and terrifying barbarians. The lives and livelihoods of your fellow countrymen are even now at grave risk. To our east, the Greeks continue to squabble amongst themselves but a determined leader, in the mold of Alexander the Great, could once more unite those disparate tribes of men to become another unstoppable force. And it was not so long ago that some lands we now call “Roman”, were well established Greek colonies for many generations.

With this in mind, we come upon a new election cycle where we must choose consuls, men of merit and strength to lead us into these new times. Men who will not only keep our enemies at bay but will push them back, extending the frontier of our Republic further into wild and untamed lands. It will be us Romans who will bring culture and civilization to all parts of the world. That I have no doubt. But who should we consider for the position to lead our Republic?

Two men come to mind. One is a man of excellent breeding and upbringing, who hails from one of the oldest families in Rome. This family built Rome on their backs and expanded the City’s commercial reach beyond the shores of Italia and into lands far and wide. This man is known to have an enterprising mind. The sort of mind is needed for Rome to continue to grow and prosper. The man I speak of is none other than Proculus Lucius Regulus.

If the Lucii helped build Rome’s wealth from the ground up, this next individual extended Rome’s reach with the sword.

This second man waged war against the Macedonian’s who had dreams of grandeur and who attempted to replicate the success of a much better general many generations before him. Marcus Decius Bellicus was called upon to come to Rome’s defense and bring her enemies to its knees. He not only answered that call, he excelled it in. We need a man who knows his enemy as well as he knows himself if we are to guard ourselves from continued Greek aggression. A better co-consul to Proculus Lucius Regulus could not be found in the whole of the Republic.

With that, I, Allectus Fabius Maximus, wholehearted endorse these two men for Consul of Rome and it is my hope you consider them for it as well.

May Jupiter guide you on making the right decision.

Allectus would step down from the rostra and return to the crowd

A man known to be affiliated with Titus Furius Pavo ascends the Rostra.

Citizens of Rome! Hear my words for they carry the wisdom of Propraetor Furius Pavo!

Much has been said. Much has been claimed. Yet we all know that Aurelius Cotta is a frugal man. This is undeniable. Lest we all forget, he proudly stood before the Senate this very year and declared that the financing and upkeep of our proud city, our very civilization, be cut to mere trinkets! It is recorded for all to witness. So as he claims to finance large games, city investments, and colonies abroad, we must recall that Aurelius Cotta is a frugal man!

Aurelius Cotta is also an honest man. Yes! This is undeniable. He says that as Consul he shall continue the defense of our provinces with fresh Legions made of good Roman stock. Yet the record of the Senate shows that he opposed the raising of any Legions to be sent to Hispania to save the Romans at risk there! Their very homes threatened, their families, their lives! Ransacked by unwashed barbarians! Yet Aurelius Cotta told those vulnerable citizens to form a militia. No aid from Rome, no! Beat your plows into spears and handle it themselves! And we should believe Aurelius Cotta meant this - for he is an honest man!

Finally, Aurelius Cotta is a wise man. Plain for all to see. He wishes to burn Carthage to the ground - destroy it as to never threaten Rome again as it did in prior years! Carthage, who holds no army, no navy, and by our might pays tribute of 1.5 million Denarii to our treasury every year for the next 5 decades! Surely, this excess of tribute is a blight to Aurelius Cotta, wise and frugal, and that is Romans should make do with less. It is this tribute that weakens us, Aurelius Cotta says, for he is a wise man!

Citizens of Rome, I think we have had enough of Aurelius Cotta’s frugality, honesty, and wisdom! He is not a Consul our Republic can afford to bear. A vote for any other Roman for Consul is true Roman Virtue! The man gestures to Decius Bellicus and the statue of Lucius Regulus before throwing both arms up and descending the Rostra.

The Censor, accompanied by his bodyguards, made himself the center of attention of passersby by ascending the rostra.

Romans!

I have concluded an investigation as to what has occured here only recently and possess clear evidence as to the perpetrators of the ignominious attacks upon peaceful onlookers. Before I make known the names of the guilty and sentence them apropriately to the seriousness of their crime against our electoral institutions, I will give the responsible a single opportunity to step forth and make known their guilt to all as well as to make a proposal as to how they consider it fair for them to compensate their opponents and the Republic for their actions.

Should the guilty Senators, both those present and those acting through proxy clients, not step forward within 24 hours, I can assure them that the punishment for what has occured will be terrible and far in excess of what it could if be they make ammends with society and mos maiorum.

Spread this word far and wide!

Allectus ascends the raised platform flanked by his two bodyguards and several individuals and begins to speak

Good Citizens of Rome,

My heart truly aches at the thought and even worse at the sight of Romans being beset by Romans. This is not only contrary to all that we stand for as Romans and out veneration of the public morals but it also debases us as if we are nothing more than mere savages. Similar to the very barbarians we have bested in Hispania and Gallia. I have gathered these fine Romans to volunteer to clear the forum of the dead and bring them to their families. I have also hired the Palatine Guild of Medici to assist those injured by the actions of a small group of our overzealous compatriots. At the end of the day, Rome must stand United if we are to prevail against the real threats we face!

May Jupiter guard you and your household.

Allectus would descend from the platform and direct the individuals to help clear the forum of the dead.

Not being a man for speeches himself, Lucius Regulus finally appears upon the Rostra. Wading through the crowd surrounded by his bodyguards, he rises to the stand and begins to orate.

Countrymen!

See the childish, petty squabbling? See the violence? Did you see the ten good men dead before your eyes? The brawl today between the supporters of A. Cotta, and I can only assume D. Bellicus, as any cursory investigation into my affairs will show no personal connection to inciting the incident, has been a shameful show of vile scheming.
I can only say in the strongest possible terms that if the instigator was any man of honour, he would show himself this instant!
Are we no better than the Boii? Are we on the same level as the barbarians threatening our Hispanian border? This is the type of uncivilized behaviour that topples a civilized Republic from its core. Both of my opponents should be ashamed of themselves for allowing their supporters to engage in childish brutality.

The mob paves a way for Censor Gaius Cassius Vecellinus who approached the Rostra and, after taking a look at those who recently spoke, rose to address the crowd.

Senators and People of Rome,

After a long period of deliberation and discussion with other magistrates, former Censors, aides and judicial advisors, I have decided for a course of action which, I am confident, sets the Republic on the best possible path to the upcoming election and does the most to assuage the concerns of violence between political factions.

Calling a nearby scribe to hand him a wax tablet, Cassius Vecellinus reads aloud.

EDICTUM CENSORIBUS DE CONCORDIAE POLITICAE
Issued by: Censor Gaius Cassius Vecellinus
Date of issue: Secundo Semestri, 196 BC

Preamble: Having noticed that the city has been exposed to an intolerable level of violence on the eve of the sacred and time-honored elections due to the use, and abuse, of relations of patronage between Collegia and Senators, I, Gaius Cassius Vecellinus, Censor of the Roman Republic, issue this edict.

I. The use of collegia by any individual in Roman territory of collegia for the purposes of political campaigning shall be subject to sanction.

II. Political campaigning includes, but is not limited to, use of collegia to galvanize a crowd in support or against a political stance, to intimidate or coerce through threats to the physical and financial integrity of others or to feign higher support oneself or others.

III. The sanction shall be, at a minimum, a fine of twice the cost necessary to hire the collegia which took part in the action and a Nota Censoria. The sanction can be aggravated for repeat action or any other motive as seen fit by the Censor.

IV. The sum of these fines will, unless otherwise publicly made known by the Censor, be deposited by default in the Temple of Saturn to be used at the discretion of the Senate.

V. This edict will remain in force until edited or removed by a Censor.

Returning the tablet to the scribe, Cassius Vecellinus raises his arms to summon those present to attention.

Given that I have issued this edict a posteriori of the facts which made it necessary and that we find ourselves in the midst of a political campaign which would unduly be affected by harsher measures, I have decided to act with relative leniency to those who were found at fault and will not be issuing a Nota Censoria, making their names and acts public to all, at this time.

That being said, I will be contacting privately these individuals and retrieving these fines personally and depositing them in the Temple of Saturn. Should they refuse this leniency and feel they are being unjustly treated, I shall have no remorse in enforcing the edict exactly as has been decreed.

However!

The Censor paused temporarily for effect.

I vow here, before the Gods(!), that should any have thoughts of repeating such an act under my Censorship, that I shall strike thy name from the Senatorial list or whatever list it is listed, from whence it shall rot until retrieved by another Censor or death itself!