Curia Hostilia: Consulate of Celsus and Barba

[Ozy]

The senators yelled upon listening the messege of victory, greeting the soldier on the floor, and helping him clean his wounds, while others raised words to the gods in gratitude.

"Phyrrus is dead! Jupiter be praised!" yelled a senator in the back, "Tell us, messenger, what has occured with his body? Does his head now hang from a roman spear? We demand that the Consul comes back here, with the head, and bring his army here, for us to see! What has happened to Cannae? Did you arrive on time to save our allies? I propose that a Triumph is held in honor of our Consul and his great victory!"

[Raglan]

May i say my congratulations to the consul, as to the triumph, let us wait til the war is over. But if it ends as well as it has begun i shall say aye.

But i also want to ask if the consul has looked after the wounded, and how many of those fell will be returning to Rome, and how many more will be able to continue their lives.

Let us not just cheer the consul, but remmeber those fallen in our name!

[Elendil of Númenor]

The messenger looked up from the many who were helping him.
“The Consul has sent me the moment the battle was over, but I assure you, he will look after the fallen and the wounded.” He continued with renewed strength, “We were in a melee with Pyrrhus's bodyguard, and I got hit by one of their spears.” The messenger pulled up his sleeve, pointing,“Here. General Celsus himself dashed ahead on his horse to take me away from my enemy, placing himself in terrible danger.”

[Philos Sophos]

"I praise the consul for his victory as well and thank the gods for helping us. I also agree on the triumph which would be given after the war. But I must say, that now, when Phyrrus and his army have been destroyed, the Greeks realize the Roman military might. I'd say, that they should get to taste more of it!"

[Celsius]

"Rome triumphs once again! The Pest we have had to deal with has been eradicated!"

[Stildawn]

"And where shall the Northern Army march now... To the aid of the armies reaching further south?" Senator Titus injected.

[Xavier Dragnesi]

Marcus Furius Camillus stood to speak.

"A victory, excellent. Congratulations go to the Consul Julius Celsus on his achievement over a most noteworthy and highly feared foe. The hardest milestone on this road, I believe has been passed. However, with the defeat of Pyrrhus, there are matters to think about. Firstly, his were not the only Epirot forces in Italy. They still have holdings in Tarentum. Do we continue to drive them out? Or offer them terms of peace? Secondly, what of Cannae? Our alliance was to be terminated with the ending of the war with Epirus, so what we do regarding the Epirots will directly affect our terms with Cannae. To take over them would be for them to repel one ruler only to gain another. Yet if we leave them, the Epirots could be tempted to assault again with regrouped forces.

The importance of our actions at this moment cannot be underestimated. The future of many more thousands of men lies in our hands. Let us hope we can make the best decision for the good of all."

OOC: Just me being picky, but it's Pyrrhus, not Phyrrus.

[Raglan]

The war is not yet over. Until peace is signed, then our alliance exists. I am shocked that you suggest that we should conquer those we have just saved. What does that say of Roman honour?

We should either send a diplomat and allow them to own Tarrentium, or judging by the bloodthirstyness previously shown by most of this chamber, we should conquer Tarrentium, then make peace.

BUT CANNAE MUST BE LEFT ALONE, else what use is our virtue?

[Celsius]

"Senator Culleolus is correct. If we conquoer those who we have just helped, it will be nearly impossible to sign an Alliance with any other nation."

[chaplain118]

The double oaken doors were suddenly slammed open. The guards were taken aback by the man who strode through them. Many heads turned to face the commotion. Mutterings went up into the air, some senators who knew this man shuddered in their seats while others smirked. Grey falcon eyes pierced stared in defiance at each senator until the man found himself standing in the center of the curia, his unwavering gaze met by countless others. Pallas Rutulus Aventinus had returned to the senate. The adder who once reared his head in defiance to the attempts of the senate at excommunicating him had found his way into the heart of these men. Now, it was time to show his fangs.

I see that you've all had quite the merry time in my absence. Tell me, how has the senate fared? Are we mired down in discussion of what course our diplomacy shall take again? I had left the City in disgust five years ago, only to receive an official notice telling me of my excommunication. And it was fine. But what irks me is not that the senate would censure me, but that the Senate has been doing deals with its very own enemy!

The mutterings grew like the sound of bugs in the summertime. Pallas waited a few moments to let the message settle in.

What's that I hear from some of you? That we have crushed Pyrrhus, that there is no danger left save for Tarentum? Is that truly what this sacred hall believes? You would so blindly think that Cannae had cleverly sat this one out, sending minimal forces to our aid simply because they were defending themselves from Pyrrhus? Do you really believe that? The people of Cannae has nothing to gain from us, nor we them. So why we continue to let a regional power sit at our doorstep? Has some of you been bribed by Cannae gold so you would say nothing when they march against us? Or better yet, when the Calabrians enter our city, you would be the first ones to kneel before them? Believe me, Senators, they WILL march against us. It is only a matter of time!

Still don't believe me? Then perhaps these letters that had been intercepted could change your opinion.

Pallas reached into his toga and withdrew several pieces of paper. Handing them to the scribe, he leaned back with his arms crossed as the man read them.

To the Noble King Pyrrhus,

I believe that a continuation of our agreement would work to the favor of both our nations. Rome must be contained. It knows nothing but war and savagery. To imagine what it would do if left unrestrained by the civilized men of the world frightens me. However, our current state of affairs may prove to be more difficult than we have imagined. They have petitioned us for an alliance, and it is in Cannae's best interest to remain as neutral as possible. While this may seem like a backside attack against you, noble ally, rest assured that this could not be further from the truth. We are merely biding our time. Raise a second army across the sea while warring the Romans down with your current one. We will provide the Romans with levies as to placate their demands. However, rest assured that once the dust has settled between you and Rome, with the Roman legions fully crushed, we will launch a simultaneous strike against those arrogant brutes. Victory shall be ours!

Noble Council of Cannae

Do you see now, senators, of the danger that Cannae has proposed? If you are still not convinced, let us hear what Pyrrhus replied with.

Noble Councilors of Cannae

While I cannot help worry at your suggestion, I must say I agree wholeheartedly with it. Rome is a disease upon this world, a disease that must be nipped in the bud before it has a chance to infect every portion of this world. Thus I will agree with your suggestions. We will march near Cannae to provoke the Romans, even simulating a siege if that is what is necessary for them to completely trust you. Rest assured, your city shall remain unharmed by my troops. You have my word. Meanwhile, you are to send messengers to Rome, declaring that Epirus has attacked you. Once you have secured the trust of the Romans, I shall wait outside of the city for them. They will throw everything they have at us, but they will not succeed. But, noble allies, in the unlikely event that I am defeated by Rome, do not waver in your resolve. Rome will not stop with simply my army. They will march forward to southern Italy in their brutal conquests. The mantle will have passed from me to you, Tarentum, and Croton. We will carry the day. Rest assured, final victory will be ours even if we must suffer defeats.

Pyrrhus, King of Epirus

The Curia was silent. Eyes became fastened onto Pallas as each member of the hall watched him. Turning his unblinking falcon grey eyes on each senator, Pallas spoke.

What say you now about Cannae?

The hall suddenly erupted in fierce arguments as senators argued amongst themselves. Pallas sat down in his chair, closing his eyes and relishing in the sound of argument.

ooc:

[Raglan]

Aulus stood to his feet, waiting a moment for the room to go quiet. He knew enough present would, dispite his lack of friends be interested in what he has to say.

As Aulus stood there, staring at the man that had entered the chamber, he struggles to prevent himself from laughing.

Ah Yes, the 'Fool of Latium' returns. Is this how you attempt to buy your way out of the banishment that was impossed?

Senators, before you stands a convicted criminal, the Preator at the time only enforced a banishment because he wasn't in Rome. It would have been much worse otherwise.

I remmember well why he was banished, and i remind the senate that he still is.

Should we stand here and take advise from a criminal, one who has letters that are un-authenticated. Is any man here intimate enough with Pyrrhus' handwriting to know that it was indeed him who wrote it?

Aulus stares around the curia as the senators nod at his words

Do not mistaken what i say for cowardist, We all know i was against the war until Cannae asked us for help. But i have served as well as any man, and better than most. I do not fear war, but i question its worth. Especially when a criminal brings unproven letters to convince us to attack an ally we have just helped.

A man who has, by all reports lived the last five years in Greece. Is it not just as likely that this man brings false letters to break our alliance?

But even if these letters are true, does it mean anything? we have defeated Pyrrhus. It would only prove their words correct if we then attacked Cannae.

Instead let them be, for we know that they alone do not have our strength. Especially if we continue forward and capture Tarrentium and Croton. Would they then be brave or foolish enought to start a war with us?

No, i have warned the senate for some time about our actions worrying others, This if anything only proves my conserns. We should, nay we MUST allow Cannae to preserve, and prove our worth as allies, then and only if they attack we shall have good reason. WITHOUT making more enermies.

ooc; i'm slightly confussed about your post, is that the consul? cause we never banished you, and you haven't been absent for 5 years. So i'm treating it as a different character

edit; i got properly confussed, i just glanced at the silver, and assumed it was YtC or ozy or whatever his name is now. I've just realised that its chap rejoining us, but i'm going to let my post stand, as it should make for some interesting debate

[Celsius]

"I personally feel that Senator Aventius has no idea what he talks about. It is obvious this documents are fakes. There is no way that such valuables would end up in the hands of a Roman Senator. It is complete and utter propaganda by Aventius because he seeks war with a week nation. Romans that need War to survive, do not need to survive at all."

[chaplain118]

Brave words, for a Pleb.

Pallas scanned the room. He felt the burning hatred in his guts for each single member here. These men, who had imposed on him the brand of exile. He had served his sentence, and he will be heard.

Senators, I will not attempt to discredit Aulus Statius here, for he is an honorable man who speaks honorable words. That is not my intention. I do not condone debasing his anti-Roman character nor do I see it fit to attack him for his outrageously shortsighted words. I also do not deny that I have been excommunicated from the Senate five years ago. But that has passed, and I feel that it is more than fair that I get to explain myself.

You see, Senators, when I had left these hallowed halls, I did so because of the lack of farsightedness. No one thought it worthy to strengthen and bolster the southern defenses until news of Pyrrhus landing in Italy struck our ears. No one thought of the possibility of a united Italy under the Roman banner, standing as one against the world intending to snuff out the light of our civilization. No, instead, the Senate thought purely of what might happen the next day. At no time did they think about the future. And I see that things have not changed.

But this is no time to attack the incompetencies of the Senate. This is a plea, from a Roman citizen, of the dangers that beleagure our beloved Republic. What? You think that the Calabrians would so easily abandon such an opportune moment of a weakened Rome? Think about it. Epirote forces still hold the lands to our south. Tarentum and Croton lay panting at the boot of Epirus. Cannae is simply biding its time. As soon as Southern Italy comes under our control at the loss of thousands of men against the enemy, our defenses would be severely depleted. Epirus still has her holdings across the sea. What do we have? Our legions are focused purely in the south that if a northern invasion by the Epirotes were to occur, they would be clawing at the gates of Rome before we could even respond!

But by all means ignore me. After all, what do my words matter? I'm just a criminal, a madman, as the honorable Statius has said. My words should hold as much merit as the foul excrements of a dog.

But if I'm right, then the Republic is walking into a trap. And when the trap is sprung, every single one of you, the ones who sided with the honorable Statius, will look to me and apologize, begging for my forgiveness.

And I'll stare back into your myopic eyes and whisper: No.

[Xavier Dragnesi]

OOC: Can't resist a temptation to stir things up?

Camillus slowly stood up amid the roaring senators, and waited for silence.

"I know very little about this Pallas Rutulus Aventinus. I was not here five years ago when he was excommunicated, I have no prejudices against him, no connections, no grudges. All I have heard of him is a name. And no ordinary name at that. A name known to speak for the good of the Republic, even against the onslaught of the rest of the Senate. And now he stands before me. What a first impression he gives! A dramatic interruption of the Senate bearing evidence for backstabbing attempts from our allies. Everything hinges on the authenticity of these letters.

I will not say outright that they are real, but nor will I denounce them straight that they are part of Aventinus' 'warmongering' plans. It is therefore necessary to ask some questions to Aventinus. Not an interrogation, but merely to ascertain what these letters truly are, for these two sheets of paper could decide Rome's future."

He walked forward until he was standing in front of Aventinus, and then began counting a list off his fingers.
"Firstly, how did you come by these letters, senator? Secondly, where were they intercepted and when? Thirdly, do you have any evidence to show that Cannae still feels this way after Pyrrhus' defeat and death, despite Pyrrhus' assurances? Answer me truthfully, senator." Camillus' hazel eyes glinted. "Currently your slate is clean in my eyes, as it is not so in the eyes of many others. You would do well to ensure it remains clean."

[Celsius]

"Here Here Camillus!"

[Ozy]

A messenger entered the Curia,

"Senators! Great Senators of Rome, I bring news from the South, from Consul Herrenius' army!

The Consul has encountered the enemy, and I bring you a report on such events.

We met the enemy in a morning, the sun was rising from across the Sea, shining in front of us. The enemy chose a high position to set their army, far up in some hills near the city of Tarentum. In the landscape, one side had the mountains, the great Apenines imposing themselves in front of us. Behind, the Mediterranean shone with a reddish hue with the light that hit it still from a very low angle. The enemy was numerous, though not as much as us, their strength was still formidable, counting with some of the Epirote most elite troops. The Epirote general Kreon led the barbarians into battle.



The fight began with a small skirmish, our velites decimating the first ranks of their powerful hoplites, most of whom wore the banner of Tarentum, clearly not Epirote troops, but locals. On their right flank, their most powerful troops, the hoplites from Reghion, elite troops, and the most experienced of the army were the first to met our line, fighting our first maniples of hastatii. In the center, the Epirote phalanx made did great damage to our first ranks, killing our inexperienced troops quite fast.



On the flanks, our mighty equites rode in two groups, the left destined to go for the enemy's line's flanks, the right, led by the Consul himself, was intended to face Kreon. Needless to say, the plan did not g exactly as followed. The enemy line killed many more hastatii as expected, so to principes and triarii entered the fight very quickly, eliminating reserves in case of an enemy attack on our flanks. However, as we had much grater number in with cavalry, our men did not take much before the enemy cavalry was routed. Their general did not take too long to fall, but our victory did not come easy: The Consul was wounded in battle, and is currently healing from his injuries.



However, as our cavalry turned on the enemy flanks and back, news came from the coast. A massive Epirote fleet was bringing troops from across the sea. In less than the time it took us to rout the entire enemy army, the enemy army was on the coast, 20000 strong, covering the entire coastline before our eyes. In front of them, a man wearing a golden armor, shining like Apolo, his endless army marching behind under his command: he was Pyrrhus of Epirus, back from the dead to face us with an army of immortals! The commanders who took the lead after Barba fell decided to flee, our troops were terribly frightened and shocked, their moral sliding on the floor.

I was sent here by then, to let you know of this situation.



In the end, we destroyed the troops in Tarentum, but a new threat is here. Pyrrhus of Epirus is back from the afterlife and is ready to fight Rome to the last breath!

[chaplain118]

Very well, Camillus, I shall answer your queries. As many of you know, my family commands quite the fortune since the days of the Kings. As the sole inheritor of such riches, I have nearly infinite money at my disposal. You would be surprised at how easily a slave can turn into a useful spy when tempted with a few gold coins. These slaves were hard to ascertain, but fate had smiled upon me one day. When I had spent much of my exile in the southern Italian countryside, specifically, in the city of Capua and occasionally even daring to go near Cannae, I had stumbled upon a group of slaves leading several of the Calabrian councillors through the countryside. When they had stopped, I feined the appearance of a man lost in the country and asked to talk with them. Once I had earned their trust, I realized the sudden importance of these men. They were a key factor in determining our eventual hold on a unified Italy. So, mustering as much money as I possibly can, I began to keep in contact with the slaves of these councillors, knowing that they were bound to handle important documents at one point or the other. I supplied gold to some of the other slaves who would act as messengers so that once they have delivered something to Pyrrhus and it had been read, they would furtively steal it and hand it over to me through secret connections.

As for your third and final question, Camillus, I think it hardly could hold true now can it? The consul himself has made it clear enough: Pyrrhus is back, and leading a greater army than before. You can also see that these engagements are slowly but surely depriving us of our manpower. With Pyrrhus alive, there is no doubt that the Calabrians would side with Epirus when the time comes.

[Xavier Dragnesi]

OOC: I assume that 20,000 is a following on of the tradition of multiplying numbers by 10, and so actually 2000 in game, not just a figure made for RP.

Camillus, slightly surprised by the messenger's announcement, stands to reply:

"Something is afoot here that I do not like. Aventinus' story does sound true enough, and besides, it gains him nothing to see further Roman blood shed in battle. It is also true that through this war, our allies in Cannae have done very little to aid us except to assure us of their goodwill. This new appearance of Pyrrhus cannot be a resurrection. Even the most superstitious cannot believe it possible. Either the first Pyrrhus defeated by Celsus was a fake, or this new one is an artifice to shock us and damage our morale. We cannot let it do so, senators. The soldiers stand their ground in battle defending their lands. We must stand our ground in politics to back this war.

"I say we devise a tactical trap to both defeat Pyrrhus and measure the loyalty of our allies and see whether they have indeed betrayed us. Firstly, we must withdraw our troops from Southern Italy into the lands owned by Rome. This will most likely provoke pleas and accusations from Cannae. We shall tell them that if they trust us, then they should remain faithful to our cause, and we will aid them whole heartedly when we have regathered our strength. If they turn to Pyrrhus, then it proves their disloyalty. If they remain loyal, then we must see what happens next. Pyrrhus will most likely advance north chasing our armies, and will surely have to pass by Cannae.

"This will be the second test. If Pyrrhus besieges Cannae, we will go to their aid, but ask that they make an assault from within while we attack from outside. If this is done, then not only will their loyalty have been proven, but we will also have defeated Pyrrhus yet again. However, if Pyrrhus passes Cannae and heads straight for our forces, we will likewise ask them to send forces to hit Pyrrhus in the rear while our combined consular armies engage him head on. If this is done, their loyalty is also assured. But if they refuse or fail to send reinforcements in either situation, we will know that they have not fully committed themselves to this alliance, and have most likely been plotting with Pyrrhus. Either way, we shall defeat Pyrrhus, and also ascertain the nature of our allies.

"What say you to this plan, senators?'

[Celsius]

"Tis a most excellent plan Senator Camillus. A test of devoted loyalty is what Cannae needs. Rome needs to know who to trust...and who to conquer."

[chaplain118]

Can you not see that we would play to the enemy's hands if we were to so foolishly charge to Cannae to aid them? Let Pyrrhus siege the city, he will abandon the siege when he sees that Rome is not easily fooled by this ruse. And if the Calabrians are on our side, then surely they would mount as great an offensive against Pyrrhus when he has placed their city under the pall of siege. Waste no Roman lives for two enemies to war each other down.