Consulate of Merula and Poplicola - 486AUC

[Kubrick]

The voice. A call for help. Caius froze, in his mind he was on a battlefield. Fighting with the lines, with his men. The chaos was large but they where winning. But that voice. That voice, at least for him, was Gaius Atrius Merula, his young friend, a frontline soldier. He was calling for help. A slight panic in his head as he looked over to search for his friend, by actually looking around him he realized where he was again. The Senate of Rome.

Everything fell into place and he saw the father of Gaius shouting for him. As he assists him he listens to the man speaking. It didn't look like the wound would kill him. But the blood loss could, he had seen many men lose their life to that. The piece of cloth would stop that though. He shakes his head at the man's confused speech. He would be confined to bed for a few days, in no state to fight. As Merula passes out he drags him behind the benches, out of sight of other people. He pads a crying survivor behind the benches on his back. 'You, take care of the consul. Make sure he loses no more blood.' He slightly raises his falcata. 'Take very good care of him, coward. Or else I will take care of you.' He turns backwards and notices another sword in the hands of a senator, a very fine gladius. The steel shines as he slashes an assassin with it. Surely one of the plebeians could not have brought such a sword in, only very wealthy people can afford it. And he was holding the sword from Gala. An armed senator in the Senate? This man had better known about this before hand. If not he would be a traitor to the constitution!

Caius looked around for a long piece of cloth and tied it around his chest, now the adrenaline was flowing out of his body it started to hurt. He also cleaned his face and then used the cleaning cloth as an improvised sheath for his captured falcata, tying it around him. When he saw more survivors he moved towards them and treated them with a piece of their toga, after that he dragged them to the bench-coward. As he searched for more he thought of himself as someone who created order in chaos. The battle was meanwhile still raging on, both the new senator and the junior consul where still fighting.

[Nota']

Spurius stays rooted to his seat as he views the goings on. Chaos, bloodshed, something to be avoided perhaps, no need to be a hero when my son was already enriching the family name. Watching as the battle takes place, Spurius saw men falling in seconds, while it felt like hours. When the bloodshed had subsided a little he stood and slowly made for the exit, sudden movements attract attention, he thought. He passed Dives bending over the consul and moves around Scaevola who was being stabbed at the time. He insured his route took him by Gala, who's face he stamped on en-route, while stepping over the bodies of senators. When he made it to the door, he turned to take one last look of the scene, then proceeded to exit to Curia. LICTORS! GUARDS! Murder in the Curia! Hurry! His own two lictors that had been slacking off behind the building were first on the scene. Spurius let word of mouth bring the rest of the lictors guild to the Curia, while he walked on home, ensuring to pass around the Plebian areas as he was now unguarded.

[dragoon47]

There was no choice...Lucius threw the senator into the spear, he was older than Lucius by many years but unlike him, Lucius still had his reflexes. The spear went straight through him and Lucius felt a small inkling of guilt at what he had done. It was one of your supporters, sure but that doesn't mean anything if you die. Lucius side-stepped to the left and tackled the Punic but he misjudged the step and ended up nearly glancing himself on the spear as both of them fell awkwardly as Lucius avoided it. The man was strong as he resisted Lucius' hand heading for his knife, stronger in fact. He pushed back upon Lucius, forcing him to bend his elbow to hit him in the throat as he rolled off of him. Not a warrior but strong as a bull, finesse Lucius, finesse. Lucius sprinted forward as the assassin stood and dropped to his knees.

The man's strong, Mago thought as he barely managed to fend off the Roman on top of him, not strong enough. Mago used the last reserves of his strength to his the man's hands away, they were heading for his dagger, which Mago thought he wouldn't have to use against "a group of old men" and if he survived this he would have a flair for recognizing understatement. The Roman brought his elbow to his neck, cutting off the air flow for a few seconds, enough for him to stand up. He's good this Roman but now I out-range you. Mago thrust his spear forward as Lucius dropped to his knees.

Skin tore off at the knees as Lucius slid across the marble and fell as he did so in pain. It was the last choice in a desperate fight and it almost crippled him as Lucius grabbed once again for the dagger on the man's belt as he fell, slipping the dagger sideways and to Lucius' delight, it slipped free. Lucius hit the floor hard on his face and he rolled over onto his back.

Mago nearly laughed at the sight he saw, the Roman was pulling some sort of parlor trick in his favor and his cries of pain as he did so let Mago know that the time had come to kill him. He had weakened himself and exposed his back but he pushed on his belly as he fell, knocking Mago to his knee. No matter Roman, I hope you enjoy this. Mago kicked with his free foot and pivoted on his knee to face the Roman and thrust overhand to finish him and as he did, horror filled his eyes.

Lucius thrust his dagger, aiming for the right kidney with his stroke hoping to disable the assassin but he turned at the last moment, how did he see it coming? He didn't, the Punic thrust his spear, paying so much attention to the aesthetics of his move that he failed to notice the dagger piercing his heart from below. Blood sprayed upon Lucius face and toga as he removed the knife and the spear caught him in his arm. There was no longer any force behind it and only a minor gash was inflicted as it slipped off. Lucius attempted to stand but it was difficult, he had scraped off much of his first layer of skin on his knees and some of the second and blood was oozing out of the self-inflicted wound. With one last grunt however, he was back on his feet, holding his arm to nurse the wound. He saw carnage around him and Scaeva leaving. Merula was on the floor with Dives at his side. Over eight senators, men he never even bothered to learn the names of were on the ground and bleeding...and one of them was his fault...

[Maiar93]

OOC: I'm not going to interfere with the main scheme of this

The large, muscular pleb revealed his face. He narrowed his eyes in quickly when staring at Manius's face, and then the eyes quickly widened out. Manius?! The pleb bursted the words out in one breath. I - I'm.. I don't... do you know me, Manius? The plebeian looked exhausted and, strangely, looked very scared. "Do i recognize him..?" the thought slipped to his mind slowly, and slowly Manius caught the meaning of the words. When he finally could sharpen his sight at the man, he managed to breath out the words: ..Verginius.. Verginii..? The man nodded. Yes.. oh, what i have done.. the helper of my family.. how did i not recognize you.. The man took his own knife, raised his up in the air, but Manius's hand stopped him. No... escape, Marcus Verginius, flee and save yourself and your family... Marcus was scared, very scared, but although the shock had wavered his will he obeyed and ran out from the Curia. He dropped his knife, took a toga from a dead senator and ran out of the Curia wearing it, and he looked just like a fleeing senator. Outside, the lictors were now marching in, and Marcus had just managed to escape the Curia. He gazed at the Curia when he was about to run down the hill: "Goodbye." And the man disappeared in one turn of his cloak.

Manius turned to look the other people fighting. He saw Lucius sidestepping a blow while - seemingly - a man jumped to the spear on his stead.. and he noticed that the Consul had no weapon.

Sudden feeling of fear hit him. "If a Consul does not carry a weapon here... than I am not allowed to do it either.."

[CK23]

Faustus was beyond impressed with the sight of chaos within the Curia, it had to be the first time ever that weapons had entered the Curia from hostile hands. Faustus knew that his own life was now in jeopardy due to the fact that the Plebeians had participated in an attack on the Patrician-dominated Senate, it would be used against them and Faustus had to ensure he was alive to protect the peoples right and their right to remain somewhat-equal to the Patricians in Rome. Faustus immediately returned to his mindset of his days as a Military Tribune, he ushered several Plebeian Senators to safety as he noticed that the Lictors were now entering the Curia. "By the gods..." Faustus let out a heavy breath as he continued to push the Plebeian Senators from the Curia, he was scared.

As the Senators rushed outside it finally was formulated in his mind why he was so terrified for the first time in years, he was scared because the walls of Rome had been breached by an enemy force, it matters how large or small, but an enemy force had worked to covertly attack Rome and it succeeded. This was grave for the news of the Republic, and the Patricians in the Senate would surely use it to their advantage to either grab power for themselves or to limit the rights of the Plebeians.

[War lord]

Throughout all of this Aulus remains in his seat, shocked into motionlessness by the sudden attack. Without feeling he watches the attacks on the pre-emminent senetors. Finally, he is shocked back to his senses by a spray of blood that hits his face. He watches Faustus usher the other Pelbian senetors out of the Curia and considers following... No he's been in worse scraps.

[High Flying Dwarf]

Marcus gazes in shock at the chaos and carnage around him. He is snapped out of his daze as his lictors approach him and escort him away from the madness.

[Gone 2 the Celts]

Flavius was in shock of the attempted mass-assasination. He had already dropped his wine when the attackers entered, and the moments after were a blur. He stood, and saw the lictors enter, and relaxed, as the situation was now under control. Flavius left the curia to buy some new wine, as he felt no need to stay.

[Maiar93]

Manius caught his breath. I have to do something about this spear.. He pulled the spear out of himself, and dropped it on the floor. The pain exploded in his body, and he fell to the ground after he had exclaimed for pain. Blood was pouring from the wound, and Manius tried to stop the blood from pouring out with his hand. His other hand found a piece of cloth, and he used it to put on the wound. He laid on the ground, bleeding and gladius on his side, and he couldn't think of anything else than his pain.

Slowly, Manius pulled himself on his feet. I have to get out of here... my domus is not far... servants nearby...

He gripped his wound strongly, trying to push the wound so no blood would spill from it. He slowly, painfully limped out of the Curia and soon one of his hired servants took his shoulder, with a horrified look at his face. "Sir, what is this? What has happened to you?" Manius grimaced of pain, and continued to breath out the answer: "Not.. relevant now.. get me to my domus, please, quickly.. i need Gaius.." Supported by the servant, Manius limped the long way back to his domus.

[CK23]

Faustus had finally returned to the Curia after the assassination attempts on the Consuls and the madness of Roma during the events. Faustus was fresh off the Rostra where he triumphantly declared that he would be the first to declare war on Carthage after such events. Faustus stood in his seats, various Senators watched him stand and he walked to the center of the Curia and garnered the attention of the Senators. "Today, we formally declare war on those barbarians across the sea. We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. I suggest Consul Poplicola go with Legio I to retake Rhegion and drive the horde from Italia." Faustus was filled with more choler and vigor then ever before.

Lex Carthaginem bellum
1. The Senate and the People of Rome declare war against the Kingdom of Carthage.
2. Consul Poplicola, along with Legio I retake Rhegion from the Kingdom of Carthage.

[Nota']

I support this motion, for it appears out senior consul is somewhat incapacitated, or so the rumours say. Let us drive the punic dogs out of Italy then prepare a counter attack!

[Tazgrent]

A messenger enters the hall, bearing a small scroll.
"It is with great pleasure that I announce that Vibius Aemelius Strabo has finally been released from his imprisonment by the Epirotes, and is now returned to a no doubt grateful Senate. The Senator himself will be resting at his villa, reacclimating himself to proper Roman Civilization. When he is well, he shall return to take his duties in the Curia!"
The messenger closes his scroll and turns to leave.

[dragoon47]

I'm far from incapacitated Praetor...Lucius stepped into the halls, still nursing his arm, bandaged under his toga. He shambled forward, his knees still aching from that stupid slide he pulled to kill the assassin, last time I do something that stupid. He stood at the center of the curia.

In light of recent events I am forced to put this motion to vote effective immediately. We all knew the Punics would attack us again sometime and now it has come.

They needed time, time to unite our Southern 'allies' against us through their coffers and now the believe they are strong enough to strike no, no, they will scatter like the wind before our armies. Their ancestors will tremble at the sounds of our soles stomping into the ground, the glimmering of our steel, the sight of our banners. The progenitors will weep for the progeny as they die by the thousands, trampled under the march of our soldiers. The Punics are great warriors and so are their warriors from Iberia, the Celts, the Libyans but we have soldiers. There has not been a single time where soldiers were truly outnumbered by warriors and that time will not be now.

The peace with Carthage was fleeting, a way to bide our time and nurse our strength. We festered during that time, we hated our enemies, we hated ourselves and we have nearly allowed it to spread like a disease amongst the army. We disbanded our forces in this time of 'peace', we stagnated our public works, we allowed the war god to go unsatisfied by the blood of Rome's enemies and what has it gotten us? Fear and blood. Fear of defeat repaid in blood by our enemies.

We will march South with an army, a host unstoppable. A force of nature granted to us by Mars to crush Rome's enemies and unify our sea under one banner. When they speak of the beginning of the Republic as a power to be reckoned with they will say it began days ago, when we were caught off guard and murdered upon these floors. I say nay, it will have begun today, with a force of steel and blood, the sinews of war marching forward to glory but not to death. Conscript Fathers, we are looking at a war whose very magnitude will shake even the foundation of the earth. Our gods demand the blood of the Southern tyrants! They demand the tongues, the eyes and the hearts of the rapists, child killers and the busts of their false gods burned and fed to the dogs! They demand the blood of their citizenry, their heads on spikes, the voices of Mars cry out to us in desperation!

Conscript Fathers, deus io vult! The war god wills it! The war god wills it!

[Merula]

Marcus limps into the Curia,

My dear Poplicola, I believe the Praetor was referring to me as incapacitated...he chuckles, but as you can see I am well enough. Doubtless I can never hold a sword in my right arm again, but I can still lead armies...

You are most correct though, it is past time to take the axe to the the snake that is Carthage. To scourge the lands of her presence.

Whichever Consul is to be sent to Rhegium Senators, I believe, if we are to fully support this war to the finish, that a joint action may be needed.

I propose that one Consul should lead the Legio I to Rhegium, whilst the other sails across to Sardinia, capturing the province there. From there both Consul's converge upon Sicily from either side taking both Messana and Lilybaeum. From there we must strike at the heart of the Poenii economy, thier prosperous lands in Hispania. The mines there are so rich that without them Carthage can not hope to sustain her war machine. If we obtained them however... We can not attack Carthage itself though, yet. We are not yet strong enough to conquer its vast tracts of land in Africa, so we must cut away the supports of the bridge, then it shall fall down by its own accord.

I believe that Tribune Imperious' motion does not encompass the full extent of this war, we should make a decision now, and not procrastinate as we have done in the past, this war must END!

He sits down in his Consul's chair, some of the Senators still quite surprised to see him, weak as he is...

[Nota']

With what armies consul? We have one legion, we cannot afford to split it to attack two very separate targets, that would be foolish. We must raise new armies to combat the threat while Rheigon is secured.

[High Flying Dwarf]

Marcus returns to the curia after recent events, he nods towards Imperious as he takes his seat.

[Merula]

Of course Praetor, secure Rhegium, whichever Consul is not sent there must raise another legion here. I would have liked to be the one to go to Rhegium, but it seems that you have all acted in haste unbeknownst to you in these last few years. No matter though, if the Senate deems that they should send my junior I will be happy to stay in Roma and recruit men before heading to Sardinia... I wont really, but I can't very well argue like a little girl can I?

[CK23]

Faustus nodded and smiled back to the Praetor-elect of the Roman Senate, Faustus would handle the situation involving Scaeva most easily, he loathed the man, more then he knew. "Consul, you are in absolutely no position to lead troops, it's obvious by wounds." Faustus begun to get angry at the foolishness of the Consul. "You musn't let your wounds become infected by traveling or being without direct medical attention." Faustus knew that it would be a huge blow if Consul Merula passed. "Consul Poplicola must go, he is the least wounded."

[Merula]

Marcus sighed, knowing that he can not win this argument,

I have had worse wounds before Tribune, and this was only a clean cut, not life threatening, easily stitched. Marcus lied uneasily, the pain was overwhelming sometimes. In any case if the gods are good I would not have to fight myself anyway, even though I would like to.

Marcus smiles, But I do see your worry, and I will say again if the Senate bids me stay longer in Roma I will do so, but I will not be idle. The Legio II will be raised again, so may I propose a extension to your bill good Tribune;

Lex Punico Bellum
1. The Senate and the People of Rome declare war against the Republic of Carthage.
2. Consul Poplicola, along with Legio I retake Rhegion from the Republic of Carthage.
3. Consul Merula will remain in Roma to levy Legio II.
4. Upon the creation of that Legio, he will sail to Sardinia to annex the island from Carthage.
5. Both Consuls shall then converge upon Sicily to conquer the island for the SPQR, save the free city of Syracuse.

ooc: note that Carthage is a republic in our timeframe, and i just changed the title to be a bit more latin-ish

[Maiar93]

Manius entered the Curia, with still a notable limp. "It'll go away in a day or two..."

He read through the scribe's notes, and then raised his head for an answer to the Consul.

Most esteemed Consul, in my opinion we should have Consul Poplicola take Rhegion and Messana, while you, Consul Merula, would take Sardinia and then would sail to eastern Sicily, and with Consul Poplicola, capture the eastern side of the island along with purging the island of carthaginian filth.