Curia Hostilia: Consulate of Marcellinus/Falco

[Hesus de bodemloze]

And who do you think knows where the man is who gave him the message Censor?

[Gaius Julius Civilis]

But do we have to arrest him for that? I thought we arrested people who were suspected of crimes, not simple witnesses.

[Hesus de bodemloze]

He is a slave Censor, since when do we care about slaves. Arresting Cicero is nearly to prevent him from a possible flee. The people demand the punishment of a senator who abandoned his position in the Curia. By putting him in to custody the people will be ensured he will get his deserved punishment.

[Raglan]

Indeed, what worth is a slave when he can give us a Quaestor who seems to be abondoning his duty?

I say sieze the slave!

[Gaius Julius Civilis]

Fine, fine! On your heads be it! I wash my hands off this matter! Arrest the poor man! Do what you will! Just be sure you catch the guy!

[The10thLegion]

Another note comes in

I will not be back in Rome unless I have my power. I have done nothing illegal and yet you fat patricians sit greedily upon the thrown of injustice. If I don't have my power back in 2 weeks I will go to the slaves in Sicily and Africa and ask them why they are treated that way too. After all anarchy, as they say, is just one missed meal away!

Quaestor Quintus Equestris Cicero

[Raglan]

YOU SEE SENATORS, he threatens us now with civil war!

Inserection in the proviences and makes demands on the entire house!

Senators, this is appaling, this is why the slave must be arrested so we can find out where he is before he does anything serious!

[Gaius Julius Civilis]

But we have not even taken his power! We should take it, though. This man is a liability!

[Raglan]

soon censor, soon. The vote on removing his power is approaching it's close

[Ozy]

Claudius sighed. So many threats from a man who has as much influence as any common Plebian. Until this moment he could have been saved. But to threaten to raise a rebellion? He has simply lost his mind, and Claudius would be a fool to even suggest supporting him.

"Senators, as soon as the non confidence vote is passed, I will personally go and make sure this man is arrested, and tried for threatening to raise a rebellion against the Senate of Rome."

[Junius]

Senator Geganius stands up, and waits for silence from the Senate. He clears his throat, and then speaks in a clear, eloquent voice.

Before, O conscript fathers, I say those things concerning the republic which I think myself bound to say at the present time, I will explain to you briefly the cause of my departure from, and of my return to the city. I have served in the Army, in Macedon, fighting with the Legions. I have returned to Rome to bury my father and take up my responsibility as Pater Familias.

I have done my duty to the State in serving at her borders, a soldier defending against the external threat of invasion, against barbarians and their tyranny.

I have done my duty to my father. I have buried him in a manner befitting a Senator of Rome.

I have done my duty to my family. I have taken up the role as their protector and advocate.

Now I seek to do my duty to the city and citizens of Rome.

The Senator, he is not fit to share that title with good, honest Romans, Cicero seeks to threaten the Senate. When faced with Hannibal at the gates, did the Senate give in? When Gauls seized the city, did the Senate give in? When the mob rose and came to the very doors of the Curia, did the Senate give in?

Each time brave men said 'No!' to tyranny, 'No!' to the abuse of power and 'No!' to threats of violence.

Now we let a Quaestor, a mere Quaestor, to fill us with fear and obstruct our vital role? Are you men? Are you Senators? Are you Romans?

Let each one here today cry 'Yes' and let each man here today denounce Quaestor Cicero. We share the halls with those brave men who stood up to a vile King, who defied a vile invader, and who stood strong in the face of barbarians in the streets of Rome herself. Do not forget their actions, do not forget their sacrifices.

They stood and died for the rights of Romans; the freedom from intimidation, from that midwife of tyranny, violence. We owe it to our ancestors to preserve entire those rights, which they have delivered to our care: we owe it to our posterity, not to suffer their dearest inheritance to be destroyed.

Do not let our rights be destroyed. Stand up now to this fledgling tyranny.

Senator Cicero must be brought to justice. Are we the men who will do that? I say yes. Let us act now, let us bring Cicero to justice.

But before I sit down, I want to leave you with one last thought. We lament the mistakes of a good man, and do not begin to detest him until he affects to renounce his principles. Is Cicero still a good man, though mistaken? Or has he violated the very essence of the Republic, and the deepest set principles of a Roman?

Gentlemen, I urge you to act.

The Senator sits down and waits for the reaction of his colleagues. He looks around, wondering who will speak first.

[cnaeus]

Senator Cicero must be brought to justice. Are we the men who will do that? I say yes. Let us act now, let us bring Cicero to justice

Caeso stood up and looked around among the senators, then started speaking
"YES, yes we are the men who will do that. atleast we all should be. and I for one will not rest untill he's brought to justice, and is made to bear the consiquenses that go with his acts. isnt that what we senator stand for, justice? isnt the soul purposse of the senate to make sure no one steps out of line, and to bring justice to all that disobey the law, and all that seek to defy the senate and the people of rome? now, lets all rise to the matter at hand, and show this Quaestor that we still stand for the one thing we were founded for"
Caeso looked around amongst the senators again, then he sat down

[Gaius Julius Civilis]

I ask of you, what has he done? Yes, he abandoned his post when he was not really needed. Yes, he threatened the Senate with insane punishments and irrational accusations. Yes, he ran out on an argument. But none of these things is anything more than detestable. We cannot punish a man for any of this. The man is a paranoid, insane coward, but he is not a criminal! What crime has he commited, senators? Enlighten me!

[cnaeus]

he shall indeed not be punished for doing nothing illigal, but isnt removing his powers a sort of consiqense, therefor, in some way, a punishment?

[Junius]

He has betrayed the trust of every Roman who voted for him. He has abandoned Rome when he was needed, when he was elected to do a job. He threatens the liberty of every Roman. He threatens the Senate with rebellion, hoping to kill his political enemies. This complete disregard of all Roman morals and of our mos maiorum, well if this is not a crime, I do not know what is.

[cnaeus]

i couldnt have put it to better words senator Geganivs. SO, my fellow senators of rome, what say you?

[Gaius Julius Civilis]

Threatens with what? If a child says he intends to take your liberty, do you believe him? And more importantly do you fear that child? What power does this paranoid insane coward have to threaten our Roman integrity? All throughout our realm Equestrius is known as a coward, an oathbreaker, a madman and all sorts of less flattering descriptions. Let him threaten us, and let us laugh about it and concern ourselves with more important matters.

[Junius]

I ask that justice be done. If there are no crimes committed, then there will be no punishments. I believe that Cicero is guilty, and will seek to prove so in a court of law.

When elected magistrates, of Rome, of the Senate, threaten that body and the city with violence, are we going to let those men go free? One precedent creates another. They soon accumulate and constitute law. What yesterday was fact, today is doctrine.

I ask now that the Senate does not let what Cicero does to become acceptable. Though he may be powerless, there yet come a man who will be powerful, and if the time comes when the Senate needs to act, let them draw inspiration from our actions. Let them look back at us and say that they did not let tyranny grow and fester. Let the future wards against tyranny draw strength from us.

[cnaeus]

Caeso added "and as much as i respect the censors opinion, i still think that defying the senate in such a manner is enough to take his powers as a quaestor and let that be his punishment"

[The10thLegion]

As Equestris made his way to the senate, he and his body of 30 loyal slaves came through. Equestris absolutely needed to have the people on his side. He himself came in a horse while two slaves behind him started throwing coins and loaves of bread out to the crowd. Some were silent and walked back to their houses while many of the poor grabbed Equestris' offerings and cheered his name. Equestris had spent at least 10,000 denarii on this. He was feeding many people. The people who were happy about this cheered his name and followed him all the way to the Curia. Men shouting at him angrily were pushed aside by this mass of men. His slaves opened the door to the Curia with the bewildered senators looking out.

Equestris Cicero called out

"Though cannot punish the man that feeds thy citizens! It is I Quintus Equestris Cicero and I have been starting the free grain for the good of Rome. Punish me if you want though, although I have not broken any law or done anything to be removed of power"

This was the moment of truth, he knew that they couldn't punish him in front of the people he just fed.