Curia Ivlia, Consulate of Scipio/Postumus

[Lord Kal]

Of course I would be delighted to accept the position, and am honoured that you consider me the best man for the job. I shall not fail my duty!

[Ozy]

Herrenius rose, having entered the Curia earlier, almost unnoticed by anyone.

"Don't these men know when to stop?!" I wondered as I heard Scipio's words.

I do not mind if senator Crassus takes command if no other capable general is available, but that is not the case. Consul Volero is a good commander who has experience in the battlefield. If consul Scipio is not able to take command of armies, Volero can easily perform those duties if we were we to begin a campaign large enough to use a Consular army. Were an other Consular army to be used, then Crassus could take command, or an other Praetor...

[Xavier Dragnesi]

Senators,

I heard at the end of the last term, that many of you thought me deserving of an ovation? I shall not outright demand one, as I was only doing my duty in protecting the Republic from danger, but if you plan to award me one, please vote on it and make a decision with haste. I shall be returning to Rome soon, and would like to plan it out in the event that it is awarded to me. I shall lead my soldiers to Rome as well, leaving them outside the pomerium except for the ovation itself, and then residing them on the Campus Martius so that it can be ready to march to wherever is decided this term.

Marcus Domitius Ahenobarbus

[Hesus de bodemloze]

Quintus stand and speaks.

I will support the ovation for Senator Ahenobarbus and ask of you senators to recognize this by supporting it.

As for you dear colleague if a campaign should be waged against the north it would sure need the attention of a Consul on the battlefield. And with this attention i mean the command over the legions should be given to a Consul if one is fit to fight. As you stated before your injuries prevent you of fighting and there for are not suit to command a legion.

I support your decision of granting Crassus the title of Military Tribune and powers to command military forces. However Military tribunes are given command over small detachments of troop to fight against brigants or small forces when the Consul uses the main armie to attack there main foreces. It has always been like this in our history why should we change this now.

I will oppose any bill that will give a military tribune the rights to command a full legion, or when a Consul in good healt is present. If we give command of the ligions to military tribunes like we did years ago when the office of Consul got in discredit. We could easely disband the office of Consul and starte electing 8 military tribunes again.

[Junius]

I agree, why should we send a Military Tribune to command forces when we have a perfectly healthy, experienced Consul ready and willing for the task. It seems that Scipio wants to discredit Volero, and not give him the positions that he was elected to. Any motion that would give Crassus a Consular army and imperium will be vetoed by me. However, I suggest we act quickly and give Volero command of the legions to march north and capture the Etruscan towns.

[Gaius Julius Civilis]

"If I may, I would like to return to the speech of tribune Lepidus. He spoke of the matter that it was un-Roman and immoral to attack a foe without just cause. I should like to invite him to read up on his Roman history. Our ancestors had no scruples about going to war without just cause. In fact, opportunism is - and has always been - the Roman way. Are we to blame for the fact that an enemy is unprepared for war? Or is it simply a gift from the gods to enhance Roman Glory?

It is a sign of a poor knowledge of our proud history to say that Romans have always behaved in a way that is not the Roman way. We act as Romans when we go to war, when we enhance Roman glory through war and when we emerge victorious in war.

As I have said before, the matter of morality is not fit for judgment in this Senate. We are not here to judge the moral rightness or moral wrongness of war, we are here for the good of the Republic. We need not care about 'what other nations think of us', for they are mere roadblocks on our path to greatness. We are better than any enemy and let us never forget that.

That does not mean we should simply support any war regardless of anything. A war may be unbeneficial or even damaging to us, or it may cost more than it benefits to our Republic, or it may be a logistical impossibility to wage certain wars."

Falco catches his breath.

"Furthermore, I wish to express my deepest gratitude to Tribune Lepidus for the withdrawal of his Veto, and to Consular Ahenobarbus for his victory in the previous term. In addition I wish consul Scipio the best of luck in the coming wars, may nature be kind to his condition."

[We shall fwee...Wode]

Men, I shall go fetch my scrolls and show you my workings on the reports post haste, but for now; what were your thoughts on my motion from last term that you may only hold the same office for 2 successive years?

[Snowball]

I support it.

[Junius]

I too support it.

On another important case, are we to give Ahenobarbus an ovation for his victory? I say that we should, and allow him to enjoy post haste, let us not keep him outside the Servile Wall for long. His experience will serve us well when it comes to preparing a Northern campaign.

[Hesus de bodemloze]

As for the matter of Senator Ahenobarbus i already have stated this.

I will support the ovation for Senator Ahenobarbus and ask of you senators to recognize this by supporting it.

[Snowball]

I too support the ovation, his actions should be recognized! And his example shall stand for all who come after us.

[Junius]

Then, Consul, since there is no opposition to it, can we presume that the Ovation is passed, and Ahenobarbus can enter the city under arms to celebrate it?

[Lord Kal]

"Be sure to have a few lictors on hand to manhandle any trumpeteers and hound him out of the city immediately afterwards", Crassus joked bitterly.

[Galerius Priscus]

I do not see any reason why he would not be allowed to enter under these special circumstances.

I also support the motion of not more than two successive years for an office to be held.

[Valerius Tiberius]

Senators!
I firstly wish to congratulate all Senators who have won positions and I hope you all fullfil them as needed!

And then, the first matter I wish to talk about, is the election of a leader for a campaign to the North. Before I start this, I would like to honour Tribune Lepidus!
However I find it a pity that he has withdrawed it, not because I want the veto to stand, but because I admire him of his strong character and his true love for the people, bravo!
And Manlius clapped for Lepidus, and it was heard throughout the Senate

But to come to bussines;
I really do not understand that a Senator should be given more rights and lead an army instead of a Consul that is wounded, instead of just letting the other Consul lead the army??
I saw this as pure logic, and do not understand why we should make it so hard and weird, if we could just sent Consul Postumus.

I, Praetor Marcus Manlius, hereby nominate Consul Postumus to lead the troops north.

After having waited for a reaction a while, he continued

Some of you also mentioned a Praetor... I will certainly not refuse this, and will surely take up command of any army, small or big, and will support Consul Postumus if he were to lead the troops. I would ofcourse like to lead the troops myself too, but this seems wrong to me.
(OOC: how come there's only one praetor? did no one go for praetor?)

Consul Scipio can then take command of the troops that have to repel an invasion if Carthago, if any.

A Quaestor report would also be very welcome, since it is the beginning of the new term!
But I heard Quaestor Balbus was busy with that.


Well then Senators, will we chose the leader of the northern army?



EDIT: OOC: who chose the titles for the motions being voted on? I think it was Balbus?
Have you studied Latin? cause I think you made some mistakes there

[Hesus de bodemloze]

I will support your motion senator Balbus, it should have been voted on when Tribune Marcellus proposed it.

[Lord Kal]

Marcellus suggested a limit of one term, the bill is totally different and that is why I am supporting this one rather than the old one.

[Valerius Tiberius]

Allow me to specify the motion, and please tell me if you would like to see anything changed.

I, Praetor Marcus Manlius propose the following law:

Proposition to avoid the abuse of power and avoid Senators to stay under protection of an office so they cannot be trailed

1) Senators can take up the office of Quaestor unlimited times
2) Senators can take up the office of Tribune unlimited times
2) Senators can only take up the office of Praetor 2 times in a row
3) Senators cannot take up the office of Consul twice in a row.
4) The counting of offices taken will start from this term (this term's offices counted)

I think that covers everything?
There were only two things I doubted about:

1) About the Tribunes, should they be unlimited, four times, or three times?
Keep in mind that we have a very low amount of plebeians though

2) Should the offices of this term be counted?
Or start from next term?


Senators, I ask you to put this motion to a vote!



OOC: I find Balbus' law a bit to vague, not specified, and I would like to see differences between the offices. feel free to comment and say what you would change!

[Galerius Priscus]

I support this very well constructed law, Senators, and I hope that you all will do the same...

Senator Varius stood up.

Forgive me, but I have a very important task to fulfill...

He bowed at the Consuls, waved at Manlius and then left the Curia Iulia.

[Lord Kal]

That's ridiculous! The whole reason the law was proposed was to stop repeated vetoes for terms on end! To say a man can run for Tribune unlimited times when it can be the most powerful position is ludicrous! I oppose the law completely!