Consulate of Sophus and Scaeva - 484AVC

[Kubrick]

CURIA HOSTILIA, ROMA, ITALIA.
CDLXXXIV AB VRBE CONDITA

Ave, leading men of Rome! The Curia is open for it's first official session of the Year!

Consuls

Senior Consul
Term: 484AVC - 485AVC
Marcus Sempronius Sophus (Rotersand)

Junior Consul
Term: 484AVC - 485AVC
Spurius Geminius Scaeva ([100]jplay.TGC)

Praetor

Term: 484AVC - 485AVC
Lucius Valerius Poplicola (dragoon47)

Tribune

Term: 484AVC - 485AVC
Marcus Atrius Merula (Blip99)

Quaestor

Term: 484AVC - 485AVC
Aulus Licinius Caldius (War Lord)


I declare this session of our sacred Senate... OPEN!

[Merula]

Marcus strides into the hall, very proud at his election to his first magisterial position! 'Dont get too cocky Marcus, this is just the beginning...'

[Kubrick]

Marcus smiled as he walked into the halls of the senate. Three years and he was consul. How well could a man do in Rome? He was fifty now, surely this was the crown in his career! Maybe he could retire after hitting five years..

He noticed how the senate was almost empty, a few senators waiting and only one magistrate was there. Merula the tribune. He nodded at the tribune when he past by him.

Proudly he sat down on one of the consular chairs. He would wait for more senators to arrive before welcoming them with a speech.

[Gone 2 the Celts]

Flavius walks into the Curia and sits in the back of the room, glowering that he was one vote short of tying twice for the position of Quaestor
"Oh well"he thinks to himself"It's only my second term"

[Nota']

Spurius enters the great Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus for the first session of the year. He strode to the consuls chair, sat, and beheld the men of the senate before him. More plebs, yet again, its already starting to stink in here, he thought. As he waited for his co consul, the blasted pleb Sophus. How strange that someone so simalar, same age, both of them in the richest ten men of Rome, can be so totally different. Perhaps to have lost to Lurco and be spared Sophus as a co-consul would be better than to be a consul at all. Why had he lost to Lurco, Spurius pondered. Why had the ex-consul admit defeat so early on to a man who had not held anything higher than Quaestor? Perhaps his slaves hadn't diluted his wine enough. Spurius smiled at the thought.

A nearby Senator cheers him on his funding of the highways, Spurius gives a magnanimous nod in return. Well at least someone has noticed the blasted highways, he thought, Spurius had not recieved nearly as much praise as he had hoped or prayed for. What did it take to become popular in this city? Spurius thought, pondering once again, surrounded by the hustle and bustle of entering senators. Perhaps I shall never know, but what else have I left to strive for?

[Lord Slayer]

Servius entered the Curia and took his seat as he waited for the debates to begin. He was not happy that he had lost the election for Praetor. But he will have to run again next year or so. He smiled at the senators and waited for the opening statements

[Crozimodo]

Change is here! Lurco bellowed as he entered, Two entirely new Consuls, it's good isn't it? Isn't it good? I wish you both the best of luck Consuls in your endeavours. I can see no better way to start the year than to finally bring the greatest criminal of our era to trial. I suspect this house will support me. I intend to bring Flavius Julius Corvenus, my ex Co-Consul to trial for his crimes against the people of Rome and this noble Senate. Lurco waited for his words to gain a response.

[Nota']

Here, here! shouts Scaeva. Where is that rat Corvenus who lost us Rome's legions? Where is the ex consul who sacked an allied settlement? Where is the man who no longer has a magisterial position to hide behind? Step forward, so the esteemed Praetor and Senator Lurco may haul you to court!
I will see that traitor punished, even if it means bending Rome's laws a little. That'll teach him to run to Sophus the pleb like a fearful child! Spurius thought to himself, smiling at the thought of the punishments that could be exacted on him.

[Maiar93]

Flavius walked inside the Curia, full of thoughts and ideas. He took his usual seat from the middle of the seats, center-left of the place. He awaited for the Consuls to open the term with a speech.

[Kubrick]

When Scaeva sat down on his seat again Marcus leaned towards him and spoke quietly so only they could hear it. 'Listen, I don't like you and you don't like me. But we both got this job. So we have to live with eachother. Be nice, junior.' He spoke the last word with great amusement and a crooked smile appeared on his face.

[Kubrick]

After waiting a little longer to see if more people would enter he gave up, waiting any longer and the morning would be over already. Latecomers should be punished..

He rose and cleared his throat. Time for a welcome.

'Dear leading men of Rome, let us not start with trying to convict a fellow senator during the first few seconds we are in this holy temple. I first want to welcome you all. So, welcome! Another term has started! A fresh batch of magistrates we got here, except for our dear praetor. I am sure we can guide the Republic with great success through this term.'

He paused a while, took a deep breath and started his real speech.

'This term will not be like previous terms. After the disaster of 483AVC the economy seems to be somewhat restored again. I wish to thank all senators who voted on me, it shows their trust in my innocence. I am very grateful for that. This term we have many great men with great ambitions who surely will only improve the wealth and success of our glorious Republic. But, dear senators, the Republic is never safe! Even though we are now at peace with the Poenii we still have the barbarians up north who continue to threaten us. I will promise you that we will take care of that this term, whether that be with diplomacy or whether that be by force.' He paused again and looked around. 'Now, let us focus on the business of the day! I wish to hear a report from the quaestor on our financial situation. After that we will listen to our praetor.' With the last sentence he looked at Lurco.

He then sat again, waiting for the quaestor to step up.

[War lord]

Aulus cleared his throat and stood.

Fellow Senators! I am proud to report that the republic has recovered quickly from the disaster of the Punic war!




As you can see we are slowly recovering from the recent troubles and the constant wars that we have been involved in. However there is danger that the lack of care that previous Consuls have paid to administration could leave us bankrupt once again.

For example, though extensive mining works are underway in the south, the area still lacks government. All administration is being handled by the military force left behind as a garrison during the wars of 482.

In many conquered areas the barracks of the previous occupiers still stands, when they should have been sacked long. This represents a serious threat to Rome, if a Greek army launched an attack on Roman soil it could immediately begin arming more men, the same is true of an attack from Gaul on Bononia.

Corsica needs a complete overhaul, it is still being run as a Carthaginian colony and it's people still worship their Gods, it's people need to be Romanized and Converted.

The last issue that I wish to bring to your attention is the need for a standardized tax rate. As it is cities are being drained of every last Mnai by corrupt tax collectors who take half of it for themselves. Another quarter of that goes into "shipping expenses" in all Rome only receives a quarter of the taxes extracted from the people. It is clear that something must be done to remedy this state of affairs.

[Kubrick]

An interesting set of proposals this man had. Sadly he had failed to put them clearly in a bill, perhaps he expected long debates. From his consular chair Marcus started speaking.

'You have many great ideas, yet you have none of it properly written down. Nor have you set up a nice bill. I don't want to spend too much time discussing things in this term, I am certain we all agree change is needed and if you waste too much time those changes will never come. Quaestor Caldius, I request you to put down a list of things that need to happen. What tax levels do you propose and in which cities are there still native barracks standing. Also, if we wish to romanize the city of Rhegion, what would this cost? And the isle of Corsica? If you and your colleagues and calculate that I will make sure this mess will be dealt with. And I thank you for your report, I am glad you bring up these problems.'

Now he only needed a way to get more money in the coffers.. The upkeep of the armies was enormous and not much money was rolling in. Perhaps he could lead an army up north..

[War lord]

I don't believe that would be necessary, with the mining work underway it will be many years before a Government can be established in Rhegion. As for Corsica we can pay for the administration with the funds generated from selling off the materials gained from the destruction of the barracks which are located in Bononia, Corsica, Taras and Rhegion.

I propose:

1. That the Taxes in Arretium, Roma, Capua, Ariminum, Taras and Arpi be set to a fixed rate.
2. Rhegion and Corsica to pay minimum taxes until order can be brought to those cities.
3. Additional taxes may only be levied with the express permission of the Senate.

1. That native barracks in Bononia, Corsica, Taras and Rhegion be demolished.
2. That the materials then be sold to fund the establishment of a Roman provincial government on the isle of Corsica.

[Nota']

Senators, for me the solution is obvious! Disband the Socii legion, so we can stop paying them wages and they can start paying us taxes! After all, if we are to come into another crisis, we can always just conscript them once again. Maintaining troops that we are not using is simply foolish!
Spurius' booming voice was more noticable now it was eminating from the centre of the hall.
After hearing Caldius proposal:
Ah that is far more tangible dear Quaestor, but may I ask one thing. What is the fixed rate you are proposing? Would this be above or below the normal taxes we charge to the Italians?

[War lord]

If the Rumors that have been floating around the City of a Gaulic Horde massing across the river to the north are true we may yet need that Legion.

[Kubrick]

Disbanding troops would indeed save money. Now to sort of agree with Scaeva while not agreeing with him, why could this man not just propose things Marcus disagreed with?

'Disbanding the entire socii legion would be foolish. As Caldius has already noted, Gauls and Celts are still a serious threat in the north. However, halving the socii legion could be fruitful. Then you can even merge it with the first legion in times of need while you keep them as a patrolling force when we are not at war. And dear consul, while we may not be using these troops right now one can never forecast what hostile tribes may be planning.'

Now he paused while he did a proper re-read of the proposals.

'Yes, I am also curious to know what the fixed rate is you propose. Of course the republic also had financial needs, we can't keep them very low.'

[War lord]

That is just the problem Consuls , in the last two terms there was no attempt to tax Romans and Italians separately. The head tax collector in Capua, a friend of my family, informed me that Corvenus simply gave him a quota to fill, "or else". As I stated in my initial report much of this never reached our coffers. So, in simpler terms, no rate exists.

[Nota']

It is fully within the right of Tax farmers to charge extra and keep the profits for themselves, however this is most agrieving. If the tax farmers are not delivering their quotas, then it may be time to implement the 'or else'. Maybe we shall add another few cases to the Praetor's load, and drag them into court? If the men are not delivering the quota's given, is that not the same as stealing from Rome?
Although our dear Praetor seems to be having trouble with finding grand theives has he not? Spurius thought to himself.
I say, replace the tax farmers and make sure the new ones deliver their quotas!

As for partially disbanding the Socii legion, part of the beauty of our military system is that we can turn peasents to soldiers in weeks, possibly days. They have their armour, their arms and their training, all it takes to re-create the legion is to assemble the men in one place. At the moment we are paying the men to sit on their arses and not allowing them to tend their farms, which is loosing money for both sides involved!

[War lord]

Aulus sighed, this looked set to be a long day.

The problem Consul is not with the collectors, most of them do their jobs without fault, the problem is that Corvenus was setting his own taxes and taking the extra revenue for himself.