Curia Hostilia: Consulate of Celsus and Barba

[chaplain118]

PAllas stood up, fuming.

Where are our consuls? Shouldn't THEY be here to at least give us an idea of what the front is like? Their term has come to an end, let them return to us and show us what has occured on the front. We have had no word from them for months! This is beginning to seem ridiculous!

I have returned to these halls with clear cut evidence of the Calabrian treachery and threat to our Republic, and this, THIS is how the warning is received? Instead of vigilance, this Senate responds with a defense towards the Calabrians! How many of you are in those men's pocketbooks? How many of you are traitors to the Republic! You speak of honor towards a people hostile at us. There is no honor between enemies, no pacts between lions and sheep. What we Romans carve from this world we carve through war! Have you all, decadent men forgotten what Father Anchises said to Great Aeneas in the Underworld of Roman values in this world? Have you forgotten the oath that Aeneas swears his children will uphold? To war down the proud and spare the conquered.

I see no conquered men in Cannae. I see instead, a greedy city intending on snuffing out the light that is Rome, a city that has entered into full agreement with Pyrrhus against us. A city that gave not the help it promised us nor the support we demanded of it. I see a city who sneers upon us from their perfumed noses and their corpulent lips dripping with fat. I see a city that dare to think it can out-match Rome and the World in military prowess, a city that is ruled by hubris and hubris alone. The men in Cannae, no they are not men! They are dogs, rabid and diseased. They do not respect the friendship that Rome had too kindly offered. We had no reinforcement from them when we relieved their siege for them.

THEIR siege, Senators, WE relieved THEIR siege. We have seen their war banners atop those battlements, gauged their strength, and realized that they were more than capable of destroying Pyrrhus. Yet it was us who fought and bled on Calabrian soil for the benefits of Cannae. How long will that city continue to mock us? How long until those dogs behind those walls continue to tear at our flesh, inflicting wounds day by day until we can no longer resist their fangs?

But more importantly, how long will these men who are in the emloyment of Cannae continue to protect that city within these hallowed halls? How long will our Republic be misguided by these men? How long until we find those traitors and hurl them from the Tarpeian Rock as they so deserve?

[Celsius]

"Senator Aventinus! We WILL NOT send our soldiers into harms way based on LETTERS that somehow ended up in your HANDS! We CAN NOT and WILL NOT base our foreign policy on your views and your whims!"
Felix gathers himself on the Senate Floor
"Look at us. We are acting like children. We are the governing body of the most capable Republic in the world. We need to rationalize and think logically and not rush into to things that could have strong repurcussions."
Felix rubs sweat off of his forehead.
"Aventinus, if you wish to get rid of Cannae, employ your own Mercenary Army and take care of them, but until they do something that states they no longer wish to be friends, they are our allies, and this Senate will treat them as such."
Felix looks at the marble floor and then looks up.
"Speaking of Senator, how did those letters end up in your hands. If they are indeed real, there is no way the letter of Cannae would let them go so easily. You have not been around Rome for sometime. I truly believe Sir, that you are a Spy for Cannae or Pyrrhus, trying to lure our Legions into a deadly trap that will cripple the Republic."
Felix sits and awaits a response.

[chaplain118]

Decius Junius Felix, have you no ears? I have already answered the question of how I came to possess these letters and your esteemed colleagues have made it abundantly clear of why I had not been in Rome for these years. And considering the grounds for my exile, if I had raised an mercenary army to take Cannae, the Senate would have my head. I imagine that is something you would crave for. I had answered those questions that you so vehemently demanded of me, and see no point in further answering them.

[Celsius]

"But don't you find it odd that you have been exiled for years, and then suddenly return with, what appears to be false evidence of treachery. Are you trying to revive your image by placing this in front of us? If so, then you are boldly mistaken."

[Ciisar]

Augustus laughs hard and rises from his seat,he walks to the floor of the Senate house, he stops and stand there.He starts talk with following sentences.
Although I am new one here, but not stupid. Dear Senators, I have a question to ask you all! Are you all are simpleton's, crazy people who do not have common sense? You were charged each other and you all cut each others head off if you have opportunity! Stop it and focus on the republic! We threaten to fall, these Barbarians from North, Pyrrhus from Northeast and finally, Greeks from East! You all spit to unity of the Republic and fighting with each other. STOP IT! Otherwise you'll see soon ruins of Rome. Call Consul's, we need to do something hurry! Augustus leaves from the floor and he is upset.

[Ozy]

The doors of the Curia were opened wide, from behind, a senator wearing a white toga with purple borders. Consul Barba, now wearing a longer beard, made his way into the Curia. He was followed by his lictors, in an attempt to make a grand entrance, despite the noticeable limping that despite his best efforts, he was unable to hide.

"Senators, I have come here from the South, to bring you word from the frontline. As of now, Consul Celsus and I have worked a plan to defeat Pyrrhus. We plan to lure him out of his fortress in Tarentum, by attacking his allies, the Greeks of Croton. Whatever he does, we would be getting an advantage over him. If he does not choose to go after us, then his allies, both the ones in Greece and in Italy, will see him as a man who is not true to his alliances, a man who is not to be trusted. If he goes for us, we plan to destroy him in battle, surrounding him between the Northern and Southern Consular Armies! Of course, this is a risky plan, we would open a way for him to attack Cannae, or our own soil, but if you ask me, it is worth the risk, to finish this war for once and for all!"

[Xavier Dragnesi]

"It appears our Consul does not know of the letters brought by Aventinus, or has not considered them. I refuse to be swayed by all of your negative attitude's to Aventinus without evidence of his current wrongdoing. It is obvious that we cannot lay his letters down merely as a farce, but neither can we treat them as concrete evidence when there is only one man who can testify to them. Therefore, it remains obvious, unless you want to bicker and shout until the enemy is at our very gates, that we have to somehow keep an eye on Cannae, and check their movements in case they prove traitorous. Aventinus, you MUST realise that adamant attitude will most likely get you nowhere with these biased senators, so the you are best to support some plan that will help further prove your words. The rest of you senators, you MUST remove as many past prejudices regarding Aventinus from your minds as you can. A divided Senate is about as useful in governing Rome as a rotten egg is for cooking a meal with it.

I therefore propose this motion, and move that it be put to vote with minimal discussion, so that we may actually get someway instead of just haranguing at each other."

Senatus Consultum de Bello Pyrrho et Socio Cannis

1. The Consuls' military plan is to be allowed to proceed as they plan it
2. An extra force of one legion shall be raised, and under the Praetor or some other appointed magistrate, march to Cannae
3. They shall go under the pretext of aiding Cannae in case Pyrrhus attacks, but are in addition to keep the Calabrians in check in deter them from aiding Pyrrhus
4. If the Calabrians should try to do so, the Praetor or magistrate must notify the Northern Consular Army immediately, and march to reinforce the Consular army.

"I realise that this means having to recruit more troops, but as Quaestor, I shall manage the funds for that, and I am sure it is worth it to remove Pyrrhus from Italia, and to deduce the intentions of the Calabrians once and for all. The captured Epirot cities will gain back the used wealth once they are captured. I say that this motion be allowed a week of discussion (OOC: A day in RL) and then moved to vote regardless of whether it seems to have a majority support or not. Decisions have to be made, senators, and actions enacted. Words will not be enough to win this war."

[Raglan]

That is an intelligent proposition, and i shall support it, assuming that as Quaestor you can assure me the treasury can afford it.

Senators, i do not trust Rutulus, but this proposition will reinforce Cannae, and in the unlikely chance that he is proven correct, offer safeguards against them.

[Celsius]

"I as well support this proposition."

[Ciisar]

I support this proposition!

[Ozy]

"Seeing as everybody supports this, I suppose I will too. I shall move it to vote at once, though I doubt such troops under the Praetor will be necesary at all."

ooc: and I think it's time to officially start the new term .