Consulate of Corvenus and Lurco - 483AVC

[Maiar93]

The messenger turned to Marcus, it looked as he almost expected him to speak against the Consul.

Perhaps then the good senator should have warned the Consul of your acts. When you finally told him, the city had already been taken. Do i see here a trap laid for the Consul, or is this a simple mistake by the senator?

[Merula]

I sent two messages after my success in Syracuse, one to the Senate which they recieved, and one to the Consul, which he apparently did not. I have recently talked to my slave Gala who delivered the message, he says he handed it into Corvenus' hands himself in his tent. This only leads me to surmise foul play.

The fact remains, however many letters were sent or recieved, that the Consul destroyed a soverign state that was friendly to Roma!

[Nota']

OOC: Just RPing this because Carthage won't RP themselves.
*A Carthaginian diplomat enters the Curia. He wears the finest clothes, much of which dyed with the famous Tyrian purple, perhaps he was a prince of some kind. He had brought many armed guards with him to Rome, but left them outside the hall, all but dismissing the guarding lictors, making sure his men could get to him first if needbe. He walked to the centre of the room, and addressed the entire senate with booming, heavily accented Latin.*

Senate of Rome, Carthage sends me bring generous peace terms! In the last months you foolishly started a war which resulted on an assault of Carthage herself! Unsurprisingly you failed, as the number that stood before our gates was pitiful. The conditions we offer you are as such:

1. The settlements Sicily must be relinquished from Roman control and given to Carthage.
2. Rome must limit her navy to one flotilla.
3. Rome shall not trade with the tribes of Iberia and Africa (other than Carthage) or nations east of the Agean.
4. Rome shall not expand Southwards or Westwards.
   

Carthage recognises that Rome requires a merchant navy to combat minor piracy, that is why we have graciously allowed Rome a small navy..

Carthage wishes peace with Rome for the reason that while undefended it would take a lot of gold to fund a war to take an Italy, an area which would not generate much return for ourselves. This is not to say that we are incapable of invading. We have troops stationed in Corsica and Sardinia, north Africa, and if needbe vast mercenary reserves are availible in Iberia. Our spies indicate that your remaining garrisons are too small to resist any organised force.

What say you, men who represent the people of Rome, will you save them?

[dragoon47]

Lucius could do nothing but stare at the ground. So it is true...Corvenus...what have you done? We may have to accept this...this...humiliation for now...but Rome will have a reckoning, you stand there tall and mighty now prince...but soon, I will make you pay...Lucius turned to Lurco and whispered into his ear, accept now...debate later.

He said the words with a tone both scheming and furious. The fact that he was controlling his temper at all may have surprised Lurco as Lucius began showing differing shades of red from embarrassment and fury. This did not sit well at all.

[Merula]

Marcus leaves the Curia in disgust, only just keeping himself from stealing the guards spear and gutting the Punic dog where he stands.
He resolves to return after the Carthaginian leaves, as if he is in the same building for too long he might have to kill him....

[Maiar93]

The doors of the Curia were opened with haste. Flavius Julius Corvenus, Consul of Rome, walked in. He spotted the carthaginian diplomat.

Carthaginian?

He quickly read through the scribe's reports, eyebrows raising at the discussions about his campaigns, then lowering when coming towards the end.

He turned to the carthaginian diplomat.

You wish to have peace with Rome? I am against this. It is a humiliating peace, which true romans would never accept to. We would fight on, and beat back you petty merchants. But Rome is gracious towards you, punic. It will spare you and your country. You should be gracious to us. If I may say my terms: no carthaginian soldier, general, not a man or a woman may lay their feet on roman ground. No fleets will sail in roman territories. You are allowed to trade through our lands, but you have to pay a toll.

He turned to the rest of the senate

Would you romans accept these terms? I have trust on every one of you. Remember, that what I am proposing here is not something you must agree. It simply is what a true roman would do.

[Kubrick]

Carthage? Romans even tried to besiege the great city of Carthage?! What has gotten into these men, what have you done Corvenus, my boy?! Titus would be spinning in his grave..

Why did he not know this? He swore at himself, he should spend more time gathering information.. He looked around, Merula had left the halls, Poplicola looked like he could explode any minute and several other senators watched in disbelief.. He stared at the consuls, Corvenus held his back high, would they fight according to the old traditions or would they fight like Romans? He himself had been opposed to this war in the first place.. He would wait.

[Nota']

*The Carthaginian diplomat laughed at Corvenus' proposal. How could a man who had lost Rome her armies not recognise what a dire state she was in?*

With all due respect consul I find your terms amusing. You must recognise that Carthage has won this war, as she is the only side that still has an army. To deny this is pure insanity, and denying these terms will bring about the loss of your people's sovereignty at best.

I look to the rest of the senate, men who are not insane enough to attack the capital of our empire with just a depleted legion. Rome's men do not have a reputation for foolhardyness or shere stupidity, and I hope to see that come through today, remember the lives of your people are on the table here, this is not something to take lightly.

[War lord]

How Dare you! You defile our sacred Curia with your filth, stand in front of us and demand that we surrender what we rightfully possess! Rome will never surrender. If Carthage wishes to reach an agreement that benefits both states then Rome is willing to consider talks, but we will not surrender to an enemy that has beaten a half depleted legion lead by a mad fool.

[Maiar93]

Flavius looked at Caldius in a disbelief. We actually agree at whole! He thought of the idea for a bit. Then he started laughing, almost exploded to laugh. He laughed for a fair while when he noticed the numerous stares on his back. He then turned to the carthaginian, hoping that the listeners would think he laughed to his proposal.

I admit that i was mad when i led 500 soldiers against your city's walls. Yet, you suffered heavy losses and you know that should we had only a few hundred more, we've won and your city would be in flames. Rome will never accept to these terms. You have offended Rome with your proposal, and bring this message to the fat merchants that sent you: Rome will never surrender. It will fight back and stand against any foe!

[Nota']

Esteemed consul, I think it best that I do not listen to you while the rest of the senate has not made a decision. As I understand it Rome is a democracy and with all due respect, I shall not go home based on one mad mans ravings.

I will accept an answer only from your co consul or from a result of a poll of every senator.

[Maiar93]

Then at least heed my words, no true roman would ever accept your terms.

[War lord]

No true Roman would elect you, now look were you have got us. Now be silent and be grateful we do not simply hand you over to Carthage.

Ambassador, we wish to negotiate your terms before any decision is made, we can only vote once the terms have been finalised.

[CK23]

"Negotiate?" Faustus stood and looked at Licinius, furious that the man thought he could speak before the Co-Consul. "Who died and made you King? If anyone is to speak it is the Co-Consul...like the ambassador asked." Faustus rebutted his fellow Plebeian, still much to his chagrin. "We do not negotiate with barbarians and fools from Africa, we should send you back to the of a mother that spawned you."

[War lord]

I'm not going to stand here and trade insults with you Imperious, either we negotiate a peace or a surrender.

[Gone 2 the Celts]

My dear Punic, when you walked into this building, I was going to demand Corsica and Sardinia from you. You dare insult us? One battle does not lose a war, and we still have a whole other legion under Consul Lurco's control. It may be small, but combined with the shambles of Corvenus' legion, we could defeat ANY Carthaginian armies. While you have large reserves of mercenaries in Iberia, what use are they if we take your capital first? Please, enlighten me or begone.

[Nota']

Of course. Why don't you lead the Roman army and take the Carthaginian capital? In fact, why didn't you send that army and destroy Carthage like you think you so easily can. No, it is a bluff, Lurco has no legion. You go lead an 'army' as your consul did so effectively did, I will stay here and talk with the Romans, not some celt.

*What was wrong with these men? They all spouted the same lines. Did they not know that they had less then a thousand men in total? Oh its easy to act bold and daring in front of a diplomat, but only one had fought Carthage and he was obviously totally loony. Perhaps they were trying to intimedate him, but how can a man with these facts and figures be scared by a now toothless Rome. No, he knew the situation, he knew that Rome had nothing left to fight with, he knew that Carthage was being generous in not sending a force to loot the capital at this moment. This prince had certainly not supported diplomacy. Besides, at this rate diplomacy seems impossible, most seem ignorant brutes who will sacrifice their entire population not to loose face in front of diplomat. He chuckled to himself, and these men call themselves civilised! Ha!*

[War lord]

You speak of Bluffs Carthaginian? I wonder do you represent the Barcids or the anti-Barcids? Either way it is quite likely that any attack would take quite a while to organise, if it comes at all. As for your claims of a mythical Carthaginian attack force from Corsica and Sardinia, if it existed it would have attacked immediately after Sicily came under are protection. Therefore you are the one who is Bluffing, or your Generals are fools. Either way we are not cowed by your threats.

[Gone 2 the Celts]

Even if we have no army, as you say, we are still one of the richest nations in the known world. We could easily recruit giant armies of mercanaries, with a... discount on Celts. This army combined with a legionary force could take out whatever town militia you have. I warn you, however Carthaginian, I could rip BOTH of your arms off and stuff them down your throat with out looking back. Your gaurds wouldnt know what happened.
Flavius then splashed cold ice water on the Carthaginian, and rubbed a stain in his purple cloak.
May I ask your name Punic, or is that a secret?
As Flavius walks out of the Curia, he whispers in the diplomats ear: "I specialize in torture on Sons of Carthage, so watch your back"

[War lord]

OOC: Can we PLEASE ignore that?