ooc: This happened at the very end of last term, when the Greek vote was passed
A messenger enters the Senate halls. He brings word from the diplomatic mission to the Hellenic League.
Salve senators!
We traveled to Genoa to meet up with our Consul and he gave us permission to pursue our diplomatic mission at our leisure. We decided to rest our laurels at Genoa, in the very north of our dear Republic. The town was bustling with legionnaires celebrating the successful assault. I must say, our legionnaires were the very model of a Roman. They did not pillage, they did not loot, and they left the women and children alone. Citizens openly praised the Roman Republic, they love their newfound freedom. While it would have been nice to stay longer our Consul was waiting for closure on the Greek matter so we decided to move further north, to Mediolanum.
In Mediolanum we found an almost apocalyptic scene. Instead of the usual bustle that characterizes any city, Mediolanum was filled with Greek soldiers. Martial law had been declared and a strict curfew was in place. The people of Mediolanum - in so far as they were there - very reluctant members of the Hellenic League. The city had been conquered instead of joining it by choice, and now the authorities had enacted martial law 'because of the Gallic threat'. I did not take a fool to see the laws were enacted to suppress the local population.
The visit itself was relatively useless. Because of the martial law the authorities weren't allowed to speak to diplomats, so Lucius Venantius and I decided to move east, to Patavium.
The situation in Patavium was little better, the freedom-loving Celts who live there are considered barbarians by the conquering soldiers and the hoplites treat the locals worse than stray dogs. Most men are killed and the ones who aren't are in constant fear of being enslaved. Women are, conspicuously, absent from the streets. The city is no longer under martial law, but the population is too broken to take advantage of the reduced garrison.
Here too we could not do business as no representative of the government could be found. Fearing we would have to wander Illyria for months before we would find someone we could negotiate with we decided to take a boat to Athens, that ancient centre of philosophy and democracy. Traders appear to be suspicious of strangers, so it might be difficult. Apparently the local Celts like to sabotage Greek boats while they're out at sea. Maybe some money will do the trick.
We will write again as soon as we reach Athens.
Vale,
Marcus Lucretius Falco, Praetor of Rome
Lucius Venantius, aide to the Tribune of Plebes