Consulate of Sophus and Scaeva - 484AVC

[War lord]

We cross the river and attack the city where they are mustering obviously, the Gauls are not known for their siege works. The allied Legion can secure the city of Segesta. Then, circumstances permitting the Legions can advance east to Patavium.

[BLIP99]

Why Patavium? The Veneti have always been quite friendly to Roma, it is the Insubres and Ligurians that we should be worried about!

[War lord]

If we take Patavium there will be no free Gauls between Rome and the Alps, that means no more Raids and no more invasions. Then we can turn south once again, to teach those Punic dogs some Respect!

[BLIP99]

How about to the west where the Insubres are under the yoke of the Averni confederation, a state which is openly hostile to our nation.
But after this is achieved i do agree with you, we must turn our attention south once more...

[War lord]

All of Gaul south of the Alps will be conquered, this will provide a impassable barrier to raiders. Then we can force whatever passes for an organized state in that hole to pay us tribute. If the Punic war taught us anything it was that we must not overextend ourselves.

[Maiar93]

Flavius looked at Caldius. His plans were not good for the Republic.. I would do anything to stop them.
I believe that Segesta should be captured. Only it. The intelligence says that there are over 20,000 Gauls in the city, and even our combined Socii and Consular Legions are roughly numbering the same.

OOC: 10x multiplying numbers for the sake of realism.

[War lord]

Then your "intelligence" is a joke, there is no way a town of that size could be garrisoned with an army the size of a small city.

[Pinkamena Diane Pie]

Fools!, Spurius thought.
War?! What war? Why on earth would you want to invade Gaul of all places, or the land of the Insubres? Yes we have captured the city of Bononia! No, we have not pacified every single last tribesman in that gods forsaken province. In taking Bononia all we have achieved is displacing a load of angry Celts who wish to take some wealth in attacking Italians, our allies! What would you have us do Corvenus? Allow the raiders to run free, sacking towns and drawing more Celts to their cause? If we allow them to do this, it will only serve to encourage more to do the same. If Rome cannot even handle some dirty Gauls in their backyard how can we expect to be respected on the World stage? Legions will not have to be raised, as we already have a Roman legion outside Rome. With that legion we shall not attack anywhere, we shall not go into another unjust war, no with that legion we shall defend ourselves! There have been NO reports of Celts from other areas raiding Roman land, however if we make doing so a profitable enterprise we will have half of Gaul on our doorstep.
These men really are obsessed with war. This is just an operation to evict some unfriendly Celts from Italy, and now someone is calling for an attack on Gaul! Rome does not start wars without good reason, and so far the Gauls have kept to themselves. They seem to think this is some nation attacking us, not some angry Celts taking wealth that is not theirs!
OOC: This was made in response to earlier posts, so that's why it hasn't responded to the more recent arguments.

[Kubrick]

During Scaeva's speech, two lictors opened the doors of the curia. As the door swung open Marcus Sempronius Sophus entered the curia. He walked his fast pace as usual and looked perfectly fine. He sat down in the consular chair and waited untill Scaeva was done talking. After he was finished he smiled and spoke. His voice sounded grasping, like he had caught a cold.

'Sorry, gentlemen. I had caught a little cold and fever, I am fine now. Nothing to worry about.'

He then gestured at a scribe who brought him the report of the previous day. It surprised him this fresh senator immediately had proposed a bill. Apart from that, not much interesting. The usual debating.

[Pinkamena Diane Pie]

Sighing Spurius says
I support the new senator's motion. I suggest that I go in case our esteemed consul catches his fever once more on the road. Some men appear to age better than others.

[Kubrick]

Marcus laughed a little at Scaeva's remark. Time to keep up the facade.

'You don't have to worry about my health, junior consul. Once in twenty years a man just has to catch a little fever, I'm all fine now. There's no need to take the legion that is under my command for a trip. If it has to leave, I shall accompany it.'

[BLIP99]

I will not support another possible war so soon, but neither will i stand against a mission to clear the borders of raiders. So I believe the motion is carried then?

Now that is settled, i believe there were some accusations made at the start of our term, maybe these should be brought to the fore once more?

[War lord]

(Aulus snorts derisively.)

If only the Praetor would decide to grace us with his presence!

[Pinkamena Diane Pie]

There is one more thing to be settled before I depart to defeat the raiders. Who will lead the expedition? I have the answer, I shall, for Consul Marcus Sempronius Sophus has phthisis. We cannot allow in such a weak state to lead the legions. Why, theres a chance he'd drop dead before they engage!

[War lord]

I support the motion, Gaul is no place for a sick old man!

[Kubrick]

Marcus swore at himself. Out of all damn people, Scaeva found out. He just knew Caius had spread the word. He knew it. He grumbled and stood, looking healthy like all other senators. Perhaps there was a way to misguide the others. They knew Scaeva hated him, he had accused him of things before. His face took a surprised expression while looking at his co-consul. 'Junior consul Scaeva, I am again amazed at the accusations you throw at me. First you call me a fraudulent thief and now you call me a sick old man! All you have done is damaging my reputation. No, senators of Rome, I can assure you that my health is in tip top shape! I am perfectly able to lead the first legion to Gaul. The junior consul can just take the legion that belongs to him. And if he disbanded it, bad luck for him.'

He sat down again, not paying attention to the other senators anymore. He hoped it had worked. Damn Caius, that little betraying rat..

[Pinkamena Diane Pie]

Ah yes. About your grand theft from the treasury Sophus. Care to explain that? Why has the Praetor so conviniently dropped the case? Or did he not drop the case, is that why he has disappeared? No senators, the rumours are true, if this man were to exert himself leading a legion he would cough up a lung.

[Kubrick]

Marcus leaned forwards from his chair. 'I could say the very same about you, Scaeva. The money disappeared under your jurisdiction and you know it. And maybe you would know where the praetor resided instead of putting the blame on me once again. As senior consul I believe the honour would come to me to lead the legion. My military experience will guide Roma to victory once more.'

He looked around him, searching for Poplicola why he knew he wasn't there. 'And can someone locate the praetor?' One of Marcus' lictors nods and runs out of the curia.

[CK23]

"Instead of fighting each other, why don't we fight the freakish barbarians which sit upon Rome's doorstep?" Faustus graced the Senate with his presence finally, he had been taken away by matters of his estate and his family. "I fought the tribes in the north and the one thing they know is war. If you seek to gain dominance over them, you must defeat them and defeat them swiftly before they muster a warband to destroy the Legion where it stands."

[BLIP99]

Yes, I agree with Imperious, if we are to act, we must act quickly. Be warned Consul's, if a decision is not made by the end of this day, and the bickering continues, I will be forced to Veto the campaign in its entirety. But i feel that we can resolve this without those hasty measures.

He smiles at both men, willing them to just get on with the job, and to get on with Corvenus' trial for that matter....