tuareg109
Banned
FOR WANT OF THE HAMMER
ROMA ET ITALIA PART 6, 646 AVC
ROMA ET ITALIA PART 6, 646 AVC
It was very late in the month of November, and the lingering warmth of summer and early autumn had finally given in to the chill of winter. Babies and old people and the sick began to die in droves, their bodies surprised by this sudden change in ambient temperature. The cloth-spinners and cloak-stitchers turned an excellent profit in this first week of nightly frost, and would continue to do good business all the way through to March.
Marcus Aemilius Scaurus, Lucius Caecilius Metellus Pontifex Maximus, Marcus Livius Drusus, Quintus Servilius Caepio, Publius Cornelius Scipio Nasica, and Quintus Mucius Scaevola Augur, among others, truly had nowhere to go the following year; they all resolved to put all their differences aside and join forces completely to temper whatever damage Gaius Fulcinius and his minions might try to achieve the next year.
Marcus Antonius Orator abandoned the entire political establishment, but for a legitimate reason: As Propraetor he was going to govern Sicily, and would endeavor to send as much grain to Rome as possible, to avoid giving Gaius Fulcinius any excuse to rape the Treasury through the institution of a larger grain dole. He only remained in Rome now to finish out his duties as Urban Praetor.
Gaius Flavius Fimbria returned to Rome from his own governorship of Sicily, and proceeded to void his bowels into his toga, along with Gaius Memmius. Fimbria wrote dozens of hasty letters--not trusting the information within to any slave--to landowners and warehouse-owners in Sicily, and both men wrote frantically to the greatest of the grain merchants. Such ill luck that the honest and impartial Marcus Antonius should draw Sicily as his province! They would have to cover their tracks carefully, or else Scaurus would get a thick sheaf of evidence from Marcus Antonius....
Gaius Fulcinius, the Quaestors Lucius Appuleius Saturninus and Gaius Valerius Flaccus, the Praetors Spurius Dellius and Lucius Valerius Flaccus, and the experienced ex-Praetor Tribune of the Plebs Gaius Servilius Glaucia also fused their minds; they planned day and night for the disgrace and prosecution of Catulus Caesar and--less strenuously--the prosecutions of Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus and Lucius Cornelius Sulla.
Spurius Dellius--being a man of military bent, and appreciating excellence in command--and Gaius Servilius Glaucia--one more with Fulcinius "for the ride" than for any loyalty or populist sentiment--both quickly alerted Ahenobarbus and Sulla of these developments; of course, both men detested Catulus Caesar.
In fact, letters went to Sulla and Ahenobarbus from Fulcinius himself; were he to satisfy his most fanatical backers, he would need to prosecute the most minute transgression. That he would not try very hard, and of course that he would alert his supposed victims, he wrote to the two, went without saying. Both Sulla and Ahenobarbus also suspected that most of his backers found that Ahenobarbus's invasion and Sulla's peace had caused business to boom; even Equestrians were not without gratitude.
Lucullus of course knew none of this, and bit his nails while waiting for Fulcinius's magic way of keeping Catulus Caesar in Rome for prosecution this upcoming year--which he hadn't been told of yet. Because he rarely if ever moved in the same circles as the men of the prosecution team, he didn't hear from one of them, nor did Fulcinius bother to let him know.
The Consuls Titus Bruttius and Lucius Vettius planned to stay and administer Rome's venomous climate. Lucius Vettius planned to make a name for himself, and Titus Bruttius was only too happy to dump some of the hard work onto him.
Catulus Caesar and Publius Rutilius Rufus both were preparing for their governorships: Catulus Caesar to Macedonia to cause some damage, and Publius Rutilius to Gallia Transalpina to repair his damage. While both needed hundreds of talents of gold from the Treasury as a war chest, only Publius Rutilius needed to recruit four legions to go with him to Provincial Gaul--Macedonia had no shortage of auxiliary volunteers and recruits. Had it been Catulus Caesar going to Gallia again, he wouldn't have been able to scrape up even a cohort of volunteers, so low was his popularity; because it was the reverse and Publius Rutilius--well known as a solid military man--was recruiting, men flocked to his banner, hoping to smash the Germans to oblivion.
So it was that preparations were being made--Publius Rutilius, as always, working harder than Catulus Caesar--and military tribunes went with one army or the other. Quintus Caecilius Metellus--experienced but still rather young, Marcus Livius Drusus Junior, Gnaeus Pompeius Strabo, Gaius Julius Caesar Strabo Vopiscus, and Gnaeus Octavius Ruso, among others, were going with Publius Rutilius to Gaul. Publius Rutilius Lupus--purposely snubbed by his distant cousin, Lucius Julius Caesar, Lucius Aurelius Cotta, and Quintus Servilius Caepio Junior were going with Catulus to Macedonia.
Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus was cooling his heels in the house of Marcus Livius Drusus--now intolerably cool and distant as the date of his son's departure arrived--and exchanging many great letters with Gaius Fulcinius. For the man to visit him was suspicious, and so they met each other through letters--and each liked what he saw in the other man. Ahenobarbus was virtually assured of victory in his upcoming trial, and Fulcinius even divulged the surprise that he would spring soon upon Catulus Caesar; Ahenobarbus rolled on the floor laughing for hours, and told no one why.
Sulla sent a quick, cool letter of thanks to Gaius Fulcinius, and continued preparing for the foray into Gallia. He had spent weeks gathering gear and clothes of the best quality, for they would winter there in the cold hills and mountains north of the Alps and inland of the Mediterranean Sea; it was notoriously chilly, and would provide a nasty contrast to mild and warm Numidia.
As for Numidia, the surprising--except to two men, that is--death of Prince Gauda caused all resistance against Jugurtha to collapse. He neatly and mercifully brought the coast into his fold, and pursued the army of his fat father-in-law King Bocchus past the Pillars of Hercules and into Oceanus Atlanticus. There a peace was agreed to by shining Jugurtha and shivering Bocchus: two more of Bocchus's daughters were given to Jugurtha's sons in marriage, Jugurtha came into possession of hundreds of mines of gold and silver and gemstones, and Bocchus swore an oath on the highest of his gods never to war against Numidia so long as he lived. Jugurtha drew back to Cirta and stood like an idol, proof that a King and a nation could fight the Romans, and survive, and even win; and, even though he'd technically won, King Jugurtha allowed the Romans full trading rights. Grain was flowing freely, the economy was booming, and he ruled as he'd always meant to rule: as a peaceful trading partner of Rome.
Sulla--the ultimate winner and loser of the Jugurthine War--had everything ready on that last day of November. They were set to depart in two days, as was Catulus Caesar, and Sulla had detailed which slaves and pack animals would accompany him and the army to the port at Ostia, and what exactly was to be done with and on his properties in Latium and in Italia, and what threats were to be made to his bankers and freedmen to keep them in line. To pregnant Caecilia Metella Sullana he had made love many times in anticipation of departure; but he hadn't ignored Caecilia Metella Calva either, who was his wife's aunt and the infamous wife of Lucius Licinius Lucullus.
Publius Rutilius Rufus was hosting a going-away party on that evening, at his own house; hundreds of people were slated to attend. As Publius Rutilius had Sulla--the great partier and debaucher, or so every gossip said--on his side, even Catulus Caesar did not have the arrogance and gall to host his own party; any party opposing one of Sulla's would be poorly attended.
So, as Sulla sat in his study attending to some last-minute papers, a latent last-minute guest was announced into his presence. Dismissing the steward and giving a dazzling smile, Sulla said, "Piglet, you're back!"
Quintus Caecilius Metellus, giving a sheepish grin, sat in the client's chair across from Sulla. "Well, I'm back."
"And so brown! Tramping up and down all Italy, I've heard."
"Yes. After father died--" Quintus Caecilius's face fell immediately, and his eyes glistened with unshed tears, and he gave a gasping sob. Sulla moved immediately to his side and slipped an arm around his shoulders.
Sulla, who was of course inwardly eye-rolling--he had once in a fit of rage tried to KILL his own father, after all!--took to making soothing sounds and patting Piglet on the shoulders. The young man recovered after some time, but remained in Sulla's grasp. "Oh Lucius Cornelius, how I still grieve! My father was truly the greatest man alive."
"Truly," Sulla lied easily; of course he himself was the greatest man alive. "Get on with your travels."
"Ah, yes," Quintus Caecilius said, still dabbing the corners of his eyes with a fold of his toga. "After he died and I returned to Rome reporting Quintus Lutatius's cowardice, those wretched bankers put every obstacle in my path. I must have presented proof of citizenship and identity at least a hundred times. Of course, they thought that I had 'manufactured a crisis'--as good Ahenobarbus puts it!--by exaggerating the loss of our army."
"Bastards," Sulla said sullenly, and meant it. Did he have the power, he would execute every man who ignored the health of Rome in favor of gold.
Quintus Caecilius nodded fervently. "They are truly bastards; though they have Roman names, their fathers must be Jewish freedmen." Since such casual accusations of bastardy to non-Roman fathers was common, Sulla--who believed that all people can be used and manipulated positively--simply took amused note of it.
"Indeed. Go on," Sulla prompted.
"Oh, yes. So I applied to Marcus Antonius, and he of course--being in good financial repair--got them to desist. Still, I had to visit every farm and property my father owned; which are all now mine. You never know what those bankers can do."
Sulla nodded. "True enough. So you toured your properties, and all was well? I'm surprised that you've agreed to campaign with us, seeing as you're so late. You've got two days to prepare."
"Oh," Quintus Caecilius waved a hand, "I've got all my stuff from this year's debacle at home. It just needs some polishing. Of warm clothes I have plenty."
Sulla nodded. "Good. I'm glad Publius Rutilius's letters reached you in time. It'll be just like old times!" he said brightly, not caring much himself.
"Absolutely!" said Piglet enthusiastically. You, Publius Rutilius, and I. Who can stop us?
"Not the Germans!"
"Ah, I must see my sister! Congratulations Lucius Cornelius, on your upcoming child. There is not a man I'd rather have as father to my nephews and nieces."
"Quintus Caecilius," said Sulla, extending his right arm for the soldier's handshake, "I thank you for your kind words."
The storm broke the next day.
Marcus Antonius sat at his tribunal in the Forum with two tunics under his toga; such was the chill that even his muscled frame couldn't protect him from it. He would sit there until he tired of the cold weather, and then move the tribunal into his own house to escape the ice.
He sat jealously watching those hurrying home into the warmth; he, due to pride, was prevented from seeking a cloak, or hurrying home to put on an extra tunic, or toga, or three of each for that matter. So he sat in misery, doing nothing...and saw the pale form of Gaius Fulcinius approaching. He frowned at first: What trouble was this? and then put on the mask of Praetor. As always, he would be impartial.
But, to his surprise, Gaius Fulcinius didn't head to the tribunal to present some case. Marcus Antonius had been expecting a prosecution against Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus for some time now; though Marcus Antonius himself thought that Ahenobarbus's little vengeful private war was despicable, he did know that the punishment Gaius Fulcinius meted out would be out of all proportion. Marcus Junius Silanus, for example, was now living--near penniless, for a Roman noble--in Alexandria, for Gaius Fulcinius's jury of Equestrians had denied him food, water, fire, and shelter for 1000 miles in all direction from Rome. An insane punishment; and yet, it had been given.
He watched as Gaius Fulcinius walked ever so carefully, unperturbed by the cold in the air, to the Well of the Comitia; mounting the rostra, he waited for a decent crowd to notice him. Crazy man! thought Marcus Antonius. Does he expect anybody to be out to listen to his drivel in this cold? And yet, Marcus Antonius was wrong; Gaius Fulcinius and all of his fellow would-be prosecutors had sent their clients to let the entire city know that Gaius Fulcinius was to speak of a matter of great import in the third hour of daylight.
Marcus Antonius now noticed the trickle that had followed Gaius Fulcinius into the Forum from the direction of the Palatine. The trickle became a stream, and more trickles entered the Forum from the Port of Rome and the Quirinal; after ten minutes a steady tide of people--the People--were gathering in and around the Well of the Comitia, simply to hear Gaius Fulcinius speak. Marcus Antonius felt a tightening in his stomach, and immediately sent his two clerks to run and fetch some of the Boni in the most efficient manner; being sons of Senators, they obeyed with alacrity, and Marcus Antonius waited another fifteen minutes before Quintus Mucius Scaevola Augur--the eldest of them all, and yet always ready for verbal battle--showed up.
They stood in near-silence waiting for the others. Gaius Fulcinius, judging that enough people had arrived--and indeed there were some thirty thousand people in the Well of the Comitia, and around it, and clustered all over the Forum, and even on the roofs of the neighboring temples. The usually composed Marcus Antonius's jaw dropped: Never had he seen so many men gathered in such a confined space. During his periods of military service he'd seen upward of a hundred thousand men in one place, but in orderly camp or on a broad plain and ready for battle. Never had he seen thirty thousand Romans in the Forum; and still more were arriving, and clogging up the Clivus Victoriae and the Vestal Steps and...every path leading into the Forum!
Men sat upon Marcus Antonius's tribunal desk, and he was quite powerless to stop them. He knew then that he and Quintus Mucius wouldn't see Scaurus and the others until the crowd dispersed.
Then there was a roaring, and a cheering, and it just went on and on.
Marcus Antonius gave his seat up to the aged Quintus Mucius, and resigned himself to a long wait.
Last edited:
