Caius Flavius Crassus rises in his seat suddenly before anybody else can speak to voice his opinion once more.
Senators, I believe it is becoming apparent that this war will not benefit us in any way. As soon as the war breaks out we will immediately lose trade and security, two things we can ill afford to squander at this crossroads in time of our great empire.
We could choose to fight an aggressive war, and this would mean somehow finding the resources to raise a powerful enough fleet to defeat the Carthaginian navy. Even if we were capable of achieving this, it would be quite impossible, as the carthaginians would strangle our ports and destroy our ships as they sailed form the docks. In addition, we would need to somehow find the money to raise more legions to take Sicily... and does it end there? They would doubtless continue their naval war, forcing us into a tit-for-tat exchange of ships and men unless we were to completely eradicate them, which would require yet more of these unlimited reserves of wealth and manpower that some senators seem to think that we posess. All this, whilst trying to maintain security at our northern borders? Those unwashed hordes would soon be back at the gates of Rome, looting our vineyards as soon as we were tied up in the south!
Of course, we could choose to fight a defensive war. This is equally to our disadvantage. If we did not raise a fleet then we would be surrendering all of the south to perpetual blockade, combined with the constant drain of having to maintain legions garrisoned in our southern towns in case the foe were to launch an invasion.
Our position at the moment is advantageous to allow a great strengthening and advance in the north. Yes, we could attack Carthage and see our money and good roman men spent for nothing. Or we could instead divert that energy to where it could better be used - and we would rule the entire peninsula! Our lands would stretch from Croton to the feet of the alps, and true glory would belong to Rome! The bringers of civilisation to the wretched lands of the north! We shall be known as bearers of light!