114. The Servi War Part 4
Lucius Verus
Banned
114. The Servi War Part 4
1490
Venice
"The founding of Torcello (before it was abandoned for Venice.) was the coming together of hundreds of tiny island communities. Compromise is in our blood." Pentata di Kulen
It was thought that the coming of rain would disperse the crowd, but the moisture just imposed an aggravating humidity upon the angry spirits. Crowds in the Plaza wasn't anything new, yet the sheer size of this one and the ominous chanting was disturbing. Feeling the pressure,
an over-stressed Patrician named Gaetano felt tingles in his todger and sent for his favorite mistress. Perhaps it was a misuse of ministerial privileges to employ the secret emergency entrance for carnal gratification, but it felt like an emergency to the senator. Hurrying to the Pozzi (Wells) that imprisoned convicts in dark, damp, and humid conditions underneath the ducal palace Gaetano was confronted with the confusingly arousing sight of his mistress Fiora and a throng of rough men beyond the gate of the secret entrance. Unkownst to the senator a fella in the crowd had recognized Fiora as a relation to Gaetano, called it to the attention of a crowd, and followed her closely with the implication of violence should she refuse. [1]
At a quick glance the senator understood the situation and the danger she was in. It would be safer, easier, and more logical to just walk away. Yet his loins ached and his resolve wavered at the sight of her pleading eyes. With a sigh the senator muttered about the "stupid sexy peasant", offered to lead them to the senate if they swore an oath of non-violence leading to the incredulous sight of the prominent senator announcing their arrival while his mistress clung onto him for dear life.
Like boiling cauldron kept calm by a thin layer of oil the senator was feeling the heat while awkwardly shifting to hide his stress hard-on. Riled up and lacking direction the crowd bumbled about looking for provocations. It could've gone in so many ways, scuttles could've broken out and should anyone ad died the crowd would've been inconsolable, the crowd could've been rallied by a firebrand, or the violence-prone, ignorant, and conspiratorial peasants of the crowd could've taken the lead. With patience running thin as he made his announcement, the senator turned away from the senate, scanned the crowd and motioned towards the best dressed and hopefully calmest person. [2]
Selected by chance, a woman by the name of Sofia d'Basile who was an esteemed member of a religious fraternity stepped up and addressed the senate. As an orginarii, Sofia was well informed of affairs of state and on the streets employing both in her speech. Demanding economic relief, the withdrawal of proposed tax measures, and active participation within the senate.
In one of the rare incidents of politics the now ancient Dogeressa Enrica slipped out the back, returned dressed in a simple robe without the ducal regalia, descended from the ducal throne's platform, and asked what she could do to make things right. The sight of the widowed Dogeressa, in plain clothes earnestly trying to help was enough to disperse the anger of the crowd. In a throw-back to the earliest doges, the next several hours was spent with the Dogeressa hearing out the personal complaints of the crowd. Exhausted the old woman eventually retired while the senate held several improvised votes. The final form, drafted at the end of the day was the inclusion of elected representatives from the cittadini (citizens) into the Maggior Consiglio, the body which elects Patricians for office. It was a compromise to vent the frustrations of the crowd, assuage the egos of the Patriciate which refused to sit beside peasants, and mostly importantly did not immediate affect anyone's interests as the effects would only affect the senate later when new senate members are elected. [3]
The following weeks would reveal plenty of support for widening of the political class with reservations. The colonial, exalted (men of military conquest), and bishopric Patricians were mostly in support once they realized that the mob was mostly anti-indirect taxation (anti-entrepôt). The originarii were split between the wealthy majority in support and the super-wealthy which brought several Patricianships in opposition to diluting their influence. The response among the poorer Patricians, many de-facto excluded from daily politics was a mix of relief from a consolation prize and identity crisis as they felt their title slowly crumbling. For better or worse, the Republic was taking the first tentative steps into the unknown.
[1] IOTL, the Pozzi were among the worst jails within the Republic, sometimes called Piombi for their lead roofs that invited the chills of winter and heat of summer. ITTL the jails were exclusively employed by the Council of Ten which gradually faded as an institution, no longer exclusively reserved for political prisoners the jails are now mostly to imprison politically sensitive clergy.
[2] IOTL, most mob of the time were undisciplined and lacked a directing ideology. The traditional result would've been either crushing military defeat or some concessions while the knights rallied and crushed the peasants. ITTL the residents of Venice lack both a class and political ideology yet it did have intellectuals
[3] IOTL, revolutionary France showed that if given the right to elect anyone at the time the most likely representatives would be lawyers and doctors with good incomes, law-abiding attitudes, and spare time for politics. ITTL Venice is trying something different to preserve the tier citizenship system while still allowing for some responsiveness.
1490
Venice
"The founding of Torcello (before it was abandoned for Venice.) was the coming together of hundreds of tiny island communities. Compromise is in our blood." Pentata di Kulen
It was thought that the coming of rain would disperse the crowd, but the moisture just imposed an aggravating humidity upon the angry spirits. Crowds in the Plaza wasn't anything new, yet the sheer size of this one and the ominous chanting was disturbing. Feeling the pressure,
an over-stressed Patrician named Gaetano felt tingles in his todger and sent for his favorite mistress. Perhaps it was a misuse of ministerial privileges to employ the secret emergency entrance for carnal gratification, but it felt like an emergency to the senator. Hurrying to the Pozzi (Wells) that imprisoned convicts in dark, damp, and humid conditions underneath the ducal palace Gaetano was confronted with the confusingly arousing sight of his mistress Fiora and a throng of rough men beyond the gate of the secret entrance. Unkownst to the senator a fella in the crowd had recognized Fiora as a relation to Gaetano, called it to the attention of a crowd, and followed her closely with the implication of violence should she refuse. [1]
At a quick glance the senator understood the situation and the danger she was in. It would be safer, easier, and more logical to just walk away. Yet his loins ached and his resolve wavered at the sight of her pleading eyes. With a sigh the senator muttered about the "stupid sexy peasant", offered to lead them to the senate if they swore an oath of non-violence leading to the incredulous sight of the prominent senator announcing their arrival while his mistress clung onto him for dear life.
Like boiling cauldron kept calm by a thin layer of oil the senator was feeling the heat while awkwardly shifting to hide his stress hard-on. Riled up and lacking direction the crowd bumbled about looking for provocations. It could've gone in so many ways, scuttles could've broken out and should anyone ad died the crowd would've been inconsolable, the crowd could've been rallied by a firebrand, or the violence-prone, ignorant, and conspiratorial peasants of the crowd could've taken the lead. With patience running thin as he made his announcement, the senator turned away from the senate, scanned the crowd and motioned towards the best dressed and hopefully calmest person. [2]
Selected by chance, a woman by the name of Sofia d'Basile who was an esteemed member of a religious fraternity stepped up and addressed the senate. As an orginarii, Sofia was well informed of affairs of state and on the streets employing both in her speech. Demanding economic relief, the withdrawal of proposed tax measures, and active participation within the senate.
In one of the rare incidents of politics the now ancient Dogeressa Enrica slipped out the back, returned dressed in a simple robe without the ducal regalia, descended from the ducal throne's platform, and asked what she could do to make things right. The sight of the widowed Dogeressa, in plain clothes earnestly trying to help was enough to disperse the anger of the crowd. In a throw-back to the earliest doges, the next several hours was spent with the Dogeressa hearing out the personal complaints of the crowd. Exhausted the old woman eventually retired while the senate held several improvised votes. The final form, drafted at the end of the day was the inclusion of elected representatives from the cittadini (citizens) into the Maggior Consiglio, the body which elects Patricians for office. It was a compromise to vent the frustrations of the crowd, assuage the egos of the Patriciate which refused to sit beside peasants, and mostly importantly did not immediate affect anyone's interests as the effects would only affect the senate later when new senate members are elected. [3]
The following weeks would reveal plenty of support for widening of the political class with reservations. The colonial, exalted (men of military conquest), and bishopric Patricians were mostly in support once they realized that the mob was mostly anti-indirect taxation (anti-entrepôt). The originarii were split between the wealthy majority in support and the super-wealthy which brought several Patricianships in opposition to diluting their influence. The response among the poorer Patricians, many de-facto excluded from daily politics was a mix of relief from a consolation prize and identity crisis as they felt their title slowly crumbling. For better or worse, the Republic was taking the first tentative steps into the unknown.
[1] IOTL, the Pozzi were among the worst jails within the Republic, sometimes called Piombi for their lead roofs that invited the chills of winter and heat of summer. ITTL the jails were exclusively employed by the Council of Ten which gradually faded as an institution, no longer exclusively reserved for political prisoners the jails are now mostly to imprison politically sensitive clergy.
[2] IOTL, most mob of the time were undisciplined and lacked a directing ideology. The traditional result would've been either crushing military defeat or some concessions while the knights rallied and crushed the peasants. ITTL the residents of Venice lack both a class and political ideology yet it did have intellectuals
[3] IOTL, revolutionary France showed that if given the right to elect anyone at the time the most likely representatives would be lawyers and doctors with good incomes, law-abiding attitudes, and spare time for politics. ITTL Venice is trying something different to preserve the tier citizenship system while still allowing for some responsiveness.