Comitia Tributa - Plebiscite on Lex Cretica Iulus

[The Mad Skylord]

Sextus Julius Iulus, Aedile, called for a meeting of the Comitia Tributa for a plebiscite on the command of the anti-piratical forces.

"People of Rome! I have called for this Assembly in order to right a wrong. The Senate seeks to give command of the firces for an expedition to Crete to Cornelius Scipio! A man who does nothing but mock others!

There is a more suitable man for the task! A man you know well. Gnaeus Julius Iulus deserves the chance to lead the charge against the pitates! I ask that the people of Rome support this appointment!"

Lex Cretica Iulus

1) Gnaeus Julius Iulus will be given the imperium to deal with all pirate forces in Crete, Cilia, Cyprus and Lycia as well as to conquer those regions in the name of the Republic.
2) His imperium will be given imperium in Crete, Cilia, Lyvia nd Cyprus, subject only to Pro-consuls and Consuls
3) He shall command the Legio VI Tenax, the Legio V and the Legio I.
4) He shall command his own warships, and any warships donated to him for the duration of his command.

Ooc: Sextus has +2 NpC reactions, +1 Auctoritas and Iulus has +1 Auctoritas, +3 Votes in the Next Elections and +2 NPC reactions.

[Pontifex Maximus]

Sextus Cornelius Sulla arrived and stood in support of Iulus (+1 Auctoritas) "People of Rome, as quaestor I served the city faithfully. I ask you now to end the gridlock in the Senate by supporting Gnaeus Julius Iulus in a grant of Pro-Consular power to deal with the menace on Crete." The people applauded politely, but this was before the Consul appeared.

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Gaius Furius Sulpicianus (+5 auctoritas, current Consul)

The Consul arrived in his purple robe and lictors attending him. "This is madness!" Sulpicianus began. "Citizens, Iulus has attempted to circumvene the Senate in the traditional way of things and appeal to you directly, using his son of all people, to call you here. This is preposterous! He already led a failed invasion of Crete in which thousands of men and dozens of ships were lost, he cannot be trusted to lead another expedition! We must invade and root out these pirates, yes, but it must be done by another man. Do not sentence thousands of other Romans to death to be led by this buffoon in battle. It is a folly of epic magnitudes."

[The Mad Skylord]

Gnaeus Julius Iulus himself stood and addressed the Comitia. (+1 Auctoritas, +3 Votes Next Election, +2 NPC Reactions)

"My friends. Was it not this buffoon that defeated the Italians in the North during the Social War? Was it not this buffoon who bought you bread? Allowed his son access to his coffers so this city would have apt sewage disposal and a plenitude of water? This buffoon, as the Consul puts it, has done his best for this city.

I was forced to retreat from Crete, not from defeat, but from the simple fact I lacked the resources to otherwise pursue the issue. Do not let any other man tell you differently - I was there, they were not. I am more than capable of rooting out piracy in the Mediterranean. I ask you, instead of the Senate, because over the last years the Senate have shown nothing but ineptitude this year. This may be bypassing the Senate, but did not Drusus seek to bypass the Senate because he knew they would veto him? Did not the brothers Gracchus seek the opinion of the People, rather than the Senate? Did I not bypass the Senate to bring you bread? Had I not acted, there would be no bread dole and there never would be a bread dole!

I can be trusted to win this war, and I implore you, send me to do this deed."

[Oznerol]

Scipio arrived clad in his toga.

"This is debauched. That man is trying to undo the will of the Senate itself! People of Roma, you are being fooled by this man, this Butcher who only has contempt for you and your lifes, who he gladly throws away in the battlefield. Indeed you know him: you know his reputation and how many lives he loses every time he leads an army. How many widows and orphans has this man already made? And you will let him to spill yet more valiant and brave Roman blood in vain? He says he lacked resources to carry on the campaign, but wasn't that his fault? He plunged his ill-prepared legion into a conflict he couldn't win and almost let it be completely slaughtered. Now, our trade routes lay disrupted and our name is slandered all across Asia. I assure you, a smile crosses the lips of Mithridates right now, seeing his pirates chase off a legion of Roma!"

He addressed the people soberly, sternly.

"Not only he entirely disrespects our institutions and our tradition, but he tries to mend the laws to his will. This man surely fancies himself a tyrant, a dictator or even worse... a king"

He let the word sink among the audience.

"He demands a supreme imperium, three legions and says no word about the loot. I will tell you why, he wants all for himself, the men, the coin, the ships. He will try to gain control over the Republic, to make ourselves his minions. He even compares himself to the Gracchus! Two men who tried to bring down the Republic with their firebrand politics"

He opens his arms.

"I know you, Romans, you know me and my gens; will you trust me? Say no to the Butcher, let him realize the wrong of his ways!"

Scipio finally walks to Sulpicianus' side.

"This is our consul, this is Law, this is Roma, this is our Res Publica. This side has all my support because, people of Roma, this is tradition and order against chaos and tyranny"

ooc: +3 Auctoritas.

[Lucius Malfoy]

OOC: I will wait for Skylord to reply. If there are no other words to be said, I will roll this in 10 mins

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[The Mad Skylord]

Gnaeus smiled calmly and walked down the steps, addressing his fellow Romans face to face. "Here, friends, we have two Optimates of the highest proportions. When you asked for bread, the Consul laughed and called you scroungers. He believes you do not have the right to bread because there is no war, no famine and no drought. He would have seen you starve before he paid a denarii for a loaf for any of you."

Iulus turned in a circle, looking calmly at the men around him. "The Gracchi brothers were firebrands, no doubt. but those firebrands did everything in their power to help the People of Rome! To help you! This man stands where they stood and openly claims they tried to destroy the Republic! They tried to help the People! The People are the Republic!

This man stands here and slanders me! A tyrant! A king! A dictator! What have I ever done to show desire for such titles? Did I make unconditional decrees while I was Consul and there was no man to veto me for Sulla was in the South? No! That is what a tyrant would have done!

Indeed there is no law that the Senate must witness a motion before hand! Nor is it against the Mos Maiorum! Scipio is simply an Optimate, wishing the Senate to have absolute control over all of you! If I am a tyrant for asking the opinion of the People, then what is he for wishing to deny the People their opinion completely?"

Gnaeus laughs easily. "I have not mentioned loot? Of course I haven't mentioned loot. The laws of Rome state that all loot taken in battle shall go to the treasury. The fact that Scipio thinks this is strange shows his ignorance! I implore you, my friends, side with one of the few men in the Senate who actively attempt to aid you! Who actively attempt to make your lives better! I am a proud Populares! Trust one of your own before you trust an Optimate!"

[Pontifex Maximus]

Well sort of a difficult roll but here goes:

Scipio and Sulpicianus: 8/20

Iulus and Sulla: 9/20 (using the three votes here as an additional +3 auctoritas)

1-9= Iulus wins
12-20 = Scipio wins
10-11 = an evenly split mob begins an all out brawl (no result)

Rolled a 10.

As the voting begins, some people begin to get into an argument. This argument quickly escalated into an all out brawl until, finally, benches began to be broken up. The people began to riot, using the benches to beat one another and surging towards the dais.

Sextus Cornelius Sulla manages to escape, but the Consul Gaius Furius Sulpicianus falls beneath the blows of the people. He is killed by a mob of supporters of Iulus. All the others manage to escape the scene.

[Rhapture]

Hearing of the riot in the Comitia , Quintus Caecilius Metellus calls for all available lictors from the college of lictors to assemble and clear out the forum.

[Pontifex Maximus]

Several hundred bodies remain at the conclusion of the comitia meeting after the rioters break up.