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Post by Gandalf on Aug 17, 2021 14:07:33 GMT -5
 The Roman Forum, the nucleus of social life in the city. A magnificently decorated and sprawling complex with dozens of statues, temples, and public buildings, the majority of public business or political meetings take place here. Also prominent is the Rostrum, a speaking platform facing the Senate House on which the prominent men of the Republic have traditionally addressed the Roman citizenry.
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Post by Gandalf on Aug 23, 2021 16:59:12 GMT -5
With the elections complete, the two Consuls hurried to the forum to be officially inaugurated in a grandiose ceremony. Animals were gathered and sacrificed to win the favor of the Gods that were about to be invoked. A heifer for Juno, a bull for Jupiter, as was tradition. Then was the Consular oath of office taken on Jupiter himself, sworn on pain of death to serve the Republic.
Whence this was done and all omens taken, Sertorius rushed to approach the Rostrum. Many citizens gathered around to hear the words of one of their newly appointed Consuls, who they apprehensively expected would bring them victory against the barbarians that threatened Italy itself.
"Good citizens of Roma. You know me as a friend of Gaius Marius, the sword and shield of our Republic. That he was cruelly taken for us in the death throes of his final and greatest victory is an injustice I cannot stomach. I am ashamed to say I saw our Consul fall with my own eyes. Ever the hero, was Marius, who slew a hundred barbarians by his own hand. Deep in the lines of the enemy did we find his body, pierced with a dozen wounds in the chest and belly. Even surrounded, he did not run, nor turn his back. Like Achilles, he fought till his death, his last breaths spent on our eternal city."
Sertorius looked genuinely aggrieved, gesticulating into the sky for added emphasis as he let the words hang.
"Marius is in the arms of the Gods now, and walks Elysium in rest that he deserves and yet we must begrudge. If he still yet lived, the Cimbri would already be smashed against the Alps, our defeats avenged by the sword. I am but a poor imitation, I know, and yet I am the only man in this city that will swear this: by Jupiter's stone, by my life or death, I shall avenge my friend Marius. The barbarians that have dared to threaten us as Hannibal did will meet the same fate as Carthago. Their men shall be killed, their women shall be enslaved. As they would do to us if they conquered, for they are a people without mercy. I shall show them none. This I vow."
Quintus placed his hand over his chest, over his racing heart.
"If it is the will of the Roman people, I shall march this very next dawn to take command of the legions and scatter our enemies to the winds. I would gladly die in sacrifice on the altar of Victoria if it meant Marius would be avenged. But I would serve the state better still by doing the deed myself, and driving my sword into the heart of our enemy!"
With his words spoken, Quintus waited to gauge the action of the crowd. With any luck, they would carry him to the legions on their own backs.
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Post by Magnate Lucius on Aug 24, 2021 10:58:02 GMT -5
There was no cheering, no standing ovation, not even a hint of movement from the crowd. These people should be loving Marius, loving his memory and how he was their champion. The reason one became obvious when fingers were being pointed, somewhere behind Sertorius. The sky, once sun and vibrant, was turning grey and dark. An enormous storm cloud, from out of nowhere, swelled above Rome, swallowing the light of the sun and blotting out the blue of the sky. The wind began to howl and then several loud claps of thunder roared overhead. A handful ran off, believing it to be a sign that someone divine was not happy. And as it came, the storm cloud left.
A bad omen has fallen due to the speech of Sertorius.
-1 command for 3 days.
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Post by Gandalf on Aug 24, 2021 11:02:12 GMT -5
Quintus paled and ground his teeth. This would be expensive to rectify. A visit to the Temple of Jupiter would be in order, it seemed, along with a plentiful offering of sacrifice. Before the King of the Gods could call forth any further bad auspices on his Consulship, Sertorius hurried away out of sight. It seemed that he would have to make his own good fortune.
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Post by sforza on Aug 26, 2021 14:30:21 GMT -5
With the consuls and praetors off to the war in the north Saturninus sat no idle. With the office of Plebeian tribune forbidding the tribunes from leaving Rome it was Saturninus' task to care for the Roman people in the city. A duty he took well care off.
Not long after the consuls and praetors had left Rome, Saturninus approached the rostrum where he spoke to the Roman people. Several roman citizens were presently listening.
"Good people of Rome, as we are aware our consuls and praetors have gone to the North to lead our legions into battle against the barbarian hordes"
Saturninus paused before continuing.
"However it is my duty as Plebeian tribune to take care of the people and their needs, therefore I will distribute bread for free to the roman people from my own expenditure as long as the war continues."
Saturninus placed his hand on his chest, trying to cheer up the roman people.
"I will not allow any roman to go hungry in these dark and difficult times, never"
With luck and blessings from the Gods, the crow would start to cheer his name and Saturninus' popularity would increase even more, sending a message to the optimates.
+3 dignitas
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Post by Gandalf on Aug 26, 2021 14:44:19 GMT -5
Saturninus' speech was well received; they began to cheer his name. Perhaps it was received too well, as a number of men starting causing some ruckus in the forum, turning over stalls and harassing the wealthier citizens as they hurriedly left before it turned to bloodshed. Apparently, the strain of war on the coffers had caused many citizens to go hungry as the bread dole had lapsed.
"For the Gracchi!" One shouted, as he began beating an equestrian with a roof tile, the man just about defending himself. Saturninus had little time to control the situation before it got out of hand.
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Post by sforza on Aug 26, 2021 15:52:33 GMT -5
"Good Roman people, now is not the time to fight in our sacred city" Saturninus said with a stern voice, he did not expected his speech would rile up the people like this.
"Your righteous concerns and demands are not unheard by me, i will soon introduce reforms to make Rome a more justified and egalitarian society, as the Gracchi brothers would have wanted it to be, but it shall not be through violence" Here Saturninus played in the people's feelings for the Gracchi brothers, they people still held them dear in their hearts.
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Post by Gandalf on Aug 26, 2021 15:59:45 GMT -5
While the Tribune's warnings were having the intended effect of pacifying the civilians, mentioning the Gracchi did the opposite. Fortunately, the Equestrian was able to escape, but a mob was now surrounding the Tribune in rapt attention.
"The Gracchi were murdered!" Yelled one, "we want justice!" It seemed that the absence of a champion such as Gaius or Tiberius Gracchus had been keenly felt in the years since their death, especially now Marius had been murdered.
"We want justice!" The cry was taken up, and the crowd were now chanting it. Saturninus might have no choice but to convene the Plebeian council.
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Post by sforza on Aug 26, 2021 16:17:16 GMT -5
"Roman justice shall be served, Gods bless the Roman people"
Saturninus shouted out the crowd who had amassed themselves around the tribune. It seemed he had the support of the people.
"The plebeian council shall be convened to hear the grievances of the good Roman people" Saturninus had little choice here, if no action was taken the mob could easily lunch him now.
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Post by sforza on Sept 1, 2021 17:57:21 GMT -5
"Roman people"
Saturninus stood amidst of the roman forum after he had left the senate. Several bodyguards were present too of course. Saturninus looked to be enraged.
"The Senate has turned itself against the good Roman people i am afraid, a stain upon the good roman people who fought and bled to build Rome as we know as it is today"
Saturninus gesticulated to the amassed crowd in the usual melodramatic way he is so skillful at mastering.
"They seek to remove all tribunes that advanced the recent leges that protects and advances the rights of the good Roman citizens"
Saturninus seemed to be in his usual element.
"Not only that but they also seek to repeal all the laws that advances the rights of the citizens even though the last law actively forbids to repeal laws that protects the rights of the people and their institution"
Saturninus paused, as if to say something dramatic that he never thought he would have to say.
"The senate has declared war on the good Roman citizens, going as far as trying to recall pro-consul Sertorius to put him on trial"
Then Saturninus added something that would surely stir up the emotions of the Roman people even more.
"For the Gracchi!"
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Post by Gandalf on Sept 1, 2021 18:21:27 GMT -5
At first, the gathered crowd of people appear confused. Then shocked. Then outraged. They stamped their feet and yelled for justice. Though some had been troubled by the recent violence in the Plebeian Council, the notion that it would be neutered by the decree of the Senate went against everything they stood for. Finally, the desperate appeal to Gracchus, still so near and dearly beloved, would inflame them. They cheered for Saturninus and for their martyred heroes, the Gracchi. Many citizens came forward and publicly gave an oath to defend Saturninus with their lives. A group of them would follow him home to stand watch outside his house that evening, as they had done for Gaius Gracchus when he had come under personal threat from the Senate.
From then on, the streets would become rather unwelcoming to Metellus and his faction. They would be pelted with insults and harassed by citizens demanding to know if they would plan to kill Saturninus or abolish the Plebeian Council. Rome would grow more and more polarised by the day.
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Post by sforza on Sept 2, 2021 12:34:32 GMT -5
From then on the Tribune would often invite the Roman people to come and dine with him at his Domus. He would also come and visit the Roman people at their houses and dine with them. With the people's support behind Tribune Saturninus and Vitulus and Rome crowded with their agents and bodyguards it seemed that the two Tribunes held an iron grip on the city and Roman politics.
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Post by Gandalf on Sept 18, 2021 18:17:27 GMT -5
Sulla returned to Roma after an eventful year in Hispania to find the Republic in shambles. As he had expected, the demagogue Saturninus had attempted to use his clout with the lower orders to usurp the Republic and raise himself as a tyrant. Praise be to Jupiter that the Consuls had prevented this turn of events. With his veterans of Hispania at his back, it was now time for the pro-Praetor to give the people a show before his term expired. The Senate had given him permission to triumph, and so triumph he did; riding ahead of the legion on a chariot in mimicry of Jupiter Optimus Maximus. As tradition demanded, they sang lewd chants and songs denigrating their victorious general and his officers. Both the young Mugillanus and Lepidus would ride in the triumphal column, the latter having won a Civic Crown for his efforts in securing the defeat of the Gallaeci without any loss of life.
Perhaps for the first time that year, crowds would assemble on the streets of Rome without fear of violence. They were there solely to cheer the heroes of the Republic, the Spanish legion that would soon return back to the province to assume their garrison duties once again. From the back of this glory, Sulla had announced his intent to his clients to make a bid for the Consulship, one financed by his plunder and backed by his now considerable reputation as a warrior and general. In times of such instability, Roma needed the hand of a proven veteran on the reins, and who better than Sulla Felix, Fortuna’s favourite son? Reaching the Consulship would mark the culmination of all his ambitions and finally taking a seat amongst the aristocracy. None of his line had served as Consul since the Samnite War, despite their ancient pedigree, and it was long past time that the Sullae took their place amongst the nobiles on the Palatine. Jupiter knew he now was wealthy enough to afford it. No longer would he slum it on the Aventine, with mere merchants and moneylenders. He would take his place among Rome’s premier statesmen, and despite the whispered warnings of the slave behind him, a fire burned in him to surpass the glory of Marius and the great families like the Claudii and Metelii.
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Post by sforza on Oct 6, 2021 6:41:36 GMT -5
With Decianus elected as Plebeian Tribune, he decided to mix with Rome's citizens and to hear about their complaints.
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Post by Gandalf on Oct 6, 2021 6:51:47 GMT -5
Decianus hears a lot of mundane complaints relating to employment, theft, whose wife was sleeping with whose husband, whose son fraternised with slaves, who had been cursed and who had won at dice... all in all, relatively dull. The usual complaints about food and employment of course rear their heads with the usual frequency.
However, the Tribune would catch the eye of one person of interest. As there had been for days, a large number of Italians had been protesting the cause of their civic rights in the forum. One of their number, a Marsic aristocrat named Poppadaeius Silo, approached the Tribune whilst he was making his rounds.
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