Consulate of Septimus and Balbinus - 538 A.U.C

[Crozimodo]

Praetor I implore you to spare the messenger's life! He is a Roman citizen. Send word that no man is to carry a message from the traitor and they will do so, but spare a man who is solely doing his duty to this Senate.

[M D]

Lucius shouts to the Senate House from his crowd of followers

"It is clear, in my mind that the other Tribune is not representing the people.. Unless he is to agree with his Electorate, rather than his snobbish brothers in the Senate.. I shall have to call a Vote of Dismissal.. The Position of Tribune i sacred and inviolable, because he was consecrated to the people and was a champion of the people... If, then he should change about, wrong the people, maim its power, and rob it of the privilege of voting, he has by his own acts deprived himself of his honourable office by not fulfilling the conditions on which he received it; for otherwise there would be no interference with a tribune even though he should try to demolish the Capitol or set fire to the naval arsenal. If a tribune does these things, he is a bad tribune; but if he annuls the power of the people, he is no tribune at all... And surely, if it is right for him to be made tribune by a majority of the votes of the tribes, it must be even more right for him to be deprived of his tribuneship by a unanimous vote."

[War lord]

You will veto any motion Gracchus?

I would like to propose the following motion.

Lex fulcio vox of Romanorum Civitas quod tendo illud vox ut suus Latin socius.

1.The amount of Grain every Roman is entitled to is to be doubled.

2.Roman Citizenship is to be granted to all Socii immediately

The Plebs made you ,Gracchus, and the Plebs will destroy you.

[M D]

"I shall veto any proposal, I see unreasonable.. But that is a good proposal.."

He laughs,

"I shall veto no vote on that proposal, and that proposal alone."

He takes the man down to the Rostra, in front of the Crowds,

"Romans! This is a man with us, not with the Senate, listen to his proposal.."

[chaplain118]

Scaurus stood, he scanned the Senators for Pallas, but the boy was nowhere to be seen. He grew worried. Pallas was a loose end that they cannot afford to lose in the City, not now. If Gracchus was a rampaging bull, Pallas was like a snake. Both will gore and kill you, but at least you can see the bull coming.

This is ridiculous, Tribune, veto all of these motions. The Senate cannot give in to the demands of a king.

[dacder]

"Yes please spare my life!Thank you senator for you have spared my life!"

[Crozimodo]

What greater gift can I offer the people save their lives, delivered from a mad man Gracchus? You believe the loss of life that will follow this is worthy of land? Then tell me how are you different from these Patricians who supposedly crushed and bullied their way into owning it? You would do the same for the people and equality but all here know it would not be such. I stand here for the protection of the people and that is what I aim to deliver, the people are smarter than to believe that rioting will bring them what they desire, yet they may come swayed by your shining promises.

I veto the motion on the grounds that the Roman people do not need the Socii flooding into Rome, the citizens would not see their share of land from your bill eradicated to a fraction because the Socii have citizenship.

[M D]

A man bears a message from Lucius


"A Tribune cannot veto a proposal to the People without being present at the Rostra.."


He pauses

"Which the other esteemed Tribune is not..."

The way to the Rostra is blocked with throngs of people, as the Tribunes had no lictors it was... Impossible to gain entrance.

[dragoon47]

Lictors!

Lucius was fast running out of lictors to spare.

Escort the Tribune to the rostra.

[M D]

The people still cheer for Gracchus, the fasces of the Lictors do not scare them, for they had also armed themselves.. Lucius turns and looks at the Lictors,

"Romans, they have come to kill me! A crime in Roman Law!"

The people move forward as one...

[War lord]

Caelius calls for silence.

OOCosting in the Rostra in a minute.

[M D]

The people begin to move forward, towards the CVRIA, the old building was a perfect target for the people armed with weapons and torches.. Yet the calls of Gracchus.. Gracchus.. Gracchus continued.. The Senate had one last chance to come to his terms.

[M D]

The Tribune sits in a litter, for his life was threatened.. Above the ground, and carried by his cloests supporters.. He climbed onto the top, pointing to the CVRIA

"Burn it.."

[dragoon47]

I fold...

The motion set by Scaurus is rendered null and void!

Lucius fell backward over the stampeding plebs, having been on the front near the lictors.

[M D]

With the motion cancelled, they kept moving.. The torches were lit.. They began to be thrown into the rafters of the old Senate House, the dry wood catching fire perfectly.. The House began to burn and the Senators dragged from their places, the Praetor was beaten severely, along with many other Magistrates... Gracchus still waited outside, standing on top of his litter,

"And now the Senate has capitulated.. And now it shall receive its punishment."

[Rex Basiliscus]

A messenger arrives, his tunic torn on one side. It was evident he had a long journey, but he was not prepared for what he had seen in the streets of Rome. The Governor of Sicilia, Titus Basiliscus Aquila had been informed of some riots and the current position of the state - both internally and externally.

Senators of Rome!

I have been in Sicily for almost six months. All is well here, even the Syracusans are back to their merchant ways and the threat of Hiero seems to have faded away. I have taken the liberty to expand the Greek merchant quarter here in Lilybaeum, where I have taken my residence and sent our own merchants to Syracuse at the proposal by Hiero himself. We have met a month ago. An elderly man, but very intelligent and cunning - something we should be carefull of.
However there are not just merchants who were sent to Syracuse. I have sent a couple of our informers there to keep me informed of any suspicious movements or preparations.

The reasons of my writing are two.
I have heard of these Aulus Claudius Ambustus and the new tribune Gracchus and I ask myself - whatever happened to our consuls? While I understand that their incopetence lead to our praetor's martial law, I don't see why they aren't in Rome where the situation seems to be serious and demands their presence.

I have heard rumours that one Aulus Claudius Ambustus had been taking refuge somewhere on Sicily in the past few weeks. I have learned of this and the reason for his hiding only weeks before and have sent men to try and arrest him. They found the house where he stayed at, but apart from a farmer that lived there, they found nothing. After some questioning, the farmer said his "guest" went to Gela (some fifty miles to the west of Syracuse) and from there took a merchant ship to Carthage. Now, I do not know how true is all this, but if he had done so, he must already be there.

Now, I have learned of the results of the Tribunal elections and I only wonder... why has Gracchus been appointed a Tribune? Was it not senator Gerges who got more votes? It seems that Gracchus is not only abusing the powers of a tribunate, but also taking the powers that are not his to take!

The second and main reason why I have written this letter is because I would like to propose a motion myself. The Senate chamber is clearly out of control of the situation and needs a strong hand to be led. Therefore I propose my former co-consul, senator Scaurus to be appointed the Dictator of Rome, until this madness stops. There are also some more things that I wish to propose:

1. Senator Scaurus be declared Dictator of the Republic until the plebeian riots are quelled
2. "Tribune" Gracchus is to be arrested for treason and corruption
3. Consuls Septimus and Balbinus retire from their offices, as Dictatorship is established

I would also like to know when the funds for construction are to be sent to Sicily, as I have almost no finances to give to the prefects. The infrastructure and the economy are suffering. Gentlemen, Rome is not the only city of our Republic. If I was elected Governor of Sicily, give me means to do my duty, or I shall return to Rome, where I surely would be more usefull.

Titus Basiliscus Aquila,
Governor of Sicilia

[M D]

The Messenger stumbles into a burning CVRIA, he is grabbed and beaten and his letters handed to Gracchus..

"The Senate shall Burn."

As the CVRIAL house and the other public Buildings collapsed.. Gracchus called for silence in the madness,

"And now surely the Legions shall come.. But they shall have nothing to come to.."

Gracchus jumps down and stamps in the face of the Praetor, breaking his nose,

"Call of the Legions and I shall allow you to rule Rome as Consul, Dictator, however you wish."

[dacder]

*A punic messanger somehow stumbles through*
"Senator Grachhus the Carthaginian Senate wishes peace and prosperity to the new kingship of Rome!

[M D]

"I do not desire Kingship.."

While in the Senate, Gracchus was in control, elsewhere he was not.. Plebs raped the Vestial Virgins, all of them And sacked temples.. Things did not bode well for Rome, unless the Praetor capitulated.

[dragoon47]

I capitulate...

The Praetor was beaten, blood all over his clothes and gushing from his nose.

Vorenus...

Call them off.