Curia Hostilia - Consulate of Lepidus/Scipio

[chaplain118]

Either way, the motion has passed. A state of emergency is declared within Rome. Families with suspicious ties will be brought in for questioning in the courts.

[Ozy]

Last time I checked, our Constitution stated that 60% of the votes were needed for a motion to pass...

[chaplain118]

And you, Tribune, seem so intent on blocking this motion of protecting Rome. Expected, of course, from a foreigner.

[Ozy]

If I wanted it gone, I'd veto it. I allowed the House to vote, and as you can see the motion does not count with much support from these Romans, Patricians mainly, just like you.

[chaplain118]

And so we let traitors run wildly among us. Truly, it is a sad day for the Senate when we cannot even come together to find the traitors that have burrowed so deeply within our walls.

[KoS]

Gaius stood.

Are you certain that there even are traitors in our midst, Rutulus? Or is this on account of mere suspicion?

[Winter]

ooc: A simple majority is enough to pass a vote.

[chaplain118]

I have stated my beliefs for the presence of traitors within Rome. A consul's army was nearly ambushed by the enemy who had just so recently arrived into our borders. Even when he had taken the greatest caution to move as furtively against Hannibal as he could, his position was still betrayed. I trust in Scipio's discipline. If he had spoken to his soldiers to conceal their positions, then they would not have been so foolish to make the mistake of leaving breakfast fires burning until smoke curled up to the skies for Hannibal to see.

There are traitors in Rome, and I intend to find them.

[Raglan]

May i be the first to congratulate the Consul. Though he started badly he has secured Rome's northern border and should be commended for that.

With that said and done however, i would like to raise to the floor the question of what next. Should we sue for peace, and demand the Iberian holdings that we have with fortuna's aid not been punished for, or should we press the advantage?

[chaplain118]

Press the advantage now. Lepidus has shown himself to be surprisingly adept at subduing the Punics in Iberia.

ooc: we could really use that quaestor report.

[Pontifex Maximus]

Suddenly cheers are heard outside the senate house. As time goes on, the cheers become louder and seem to be getting closer. All at once the huge oak doors of the senate house swing open and the hall is flooded with noise. Consul Scipio enters. Without pausing the Consul speaks

Gentlemen, although the northern threat has been dealt with, the legions are in a state of understrength. I propose the following motion:

Viris Magis Legionis

I. The consul shall oversee the organization of Italy's three legions and return them to maximum strength
II. A legion will be stationed in Genoa
IIIA legion will be stationed just outside the gates of Rome
IV. A legion will be stationed in Tarentum

I propose this because while our energies have been diverted elsewhere, a small rebel army has been sighted outside Tarentum. Although small, the force stands to threaten the local farmers and population. Worst of all, Tarentum has betrayed us in the past. I fear this threat may grow into a full scale rebellion if we do not put it down now.

Secondly, the infrastructure is in a state of utter ruin. The Quaestor has failed his duties, and we do not know the state of the economy. I propose that we give the governor of each city autonomy to build structures at their discretion with a limited grant of sums from the treasury.

(Basically we will check the auto build button and each city will start construction on something. I checked and we have loads of cash...we can definetly spare it. We were on auto recruit as well, but I unchecked that because now we have a fleet in every city's port. )

Also, I propose that we create a new legion.

Paramus Legionem

I. Legio V will be created in the Campus Martius
II. This legion will be transported to Hispania and be placed under the command of Consul Lepidus

[chaplain118]

An acceptable motion, carry it forward.

[Winter]

A tattered messenger enters the Curia, his clothing dirty from days of relentless travel. He hands his message over, which is immediately read.

"These being the words of the Consul, Lucius Aurelius Lepidus...

Conscript Fathers,

I wish that it were under better circumstances that I were writing to you, but alas, this is not the case. It would seem the Carthage will not allow her colonies to go so lightly, and they have launched and expedition to recover them.

I am writing from the city of Carthago Nova; I have, for the time being, been forced to abandon my conquest, for reasons that will soon become clear. The city is now besieged by a massive enemy host. They came in the night a few days ago, appearing as if from the very earth in the province. I was just outside of Baikour when it occoured, and I raced back to the city to see to the defenses. Along the way, I hired native mercenaries to assist in the defense, though we are still outnumbered.



To make things worse, it would appear that this army is not the only force; Carthage seems to have sent (ooc read: spawned) a force of similar power somewhere in the interior of the province. Their location at this time is unknown.

The necessity of preserving my men has forced me to make some very difficult decisions. I fear I may sacrifice Saguntum in the name of pragmatism, and our last reports from the city indicate that a Carthaginian force was threatening.



I must underscore the fact that the situation is not hopeless; should the mighty walls of this city hold, a thousand hosts of Carthage may dash themselves upon them. However, I cannot complete the conquest without reinforcement.

I realize that certain elements in the Senate are wishing to see this campaign be an end to my life. I would ask those elements to put aside old animosity in the name of the Republic; if Carthage is not stopped here in Iberia, the invasions of Italy will spring anew. The area is awash in silver deposits and tribal conscripts, and without decisive action I fear we will be lost. I request that at the least a fresh legion be dispatched to my aid; 10,000 men is a small number in the face of these odds, this is true, but enough perhaps that with careful planning we may defeat them.

I shall, with the will of the Gods, write next to you in victory.

Lucius Aurelius Lepidus

The messenger completes the recitation.

[saxdude]

An interesting turn of events indeed, Consul Lepidus is right, we must send reinforcements immediatly, Hannibal has been defeated, Carthage's armies have been dispatched from Italy and Spain is out for the taking, we must send a legion under the command of someone with military experience to relieve Carthago Nova and deliver the legion to Lepidus, the time is now fellow Senators!

[Pontifex Maximus]

We do not need to send an additional commander, merely an additional army to reinforce Lepidus. There is already a motion in play to raise a legion and send it immediately to the Consul. I think this shall be sufficient, and after the legions in Italy have been reorganized we can consider sending additional troops over.

[chaplain118]

The reorganization of the Italian legions will take months, years perhaps. Lepidus may already be dead by then. If that is indeed your intention, Scipio, I will not stop you. How quaint, I remember Lepidus bragging that he would take all of Spain by himself, ridiculing the Senate's advices against it. Now he finds himself beleaguered in a hostile land.

We can attempt to ship our victorious northern legion to Spain if necessary. Those men have been bloodied and are experienced. It should count for something.

[saxdude]

I would second the sending of the northern legion to spain, please remember though that Lepidus in trapped inside the city walls of Carthago Nova, The reasoning for the sending of another comander is simple, how does Lepidus plan on commanding it from inside the walls? after this the supporting general just needs to deliver the army to Lepidus.

[chaplain118]

I suppose Scipio can take up the mantle again, prove his worth against the enemy once more.

And the City will return to my hands.

[Winter]

ooc: Its probably best to send it under a fake character that I'll just roleplay - we have to pass the save enough and it is a hassle.

[saxdude]

OOC: yes 2 different Generals (YATS wise) might be difficult to render, at least in a situacion like this.