Sons of Neptune (Caesar’s defeat at Munda)

Interesting, I originally thought updates to be a bit too small, but it certainly doesn't hurt to reduce them in size or to split more parts of it.

I know what you mean, but if anything, I looked at the original situation after Caesar's death and the precedent of his absence during 47 BC to guide out the situation. Tension in Rome was ridiculously high after Caesar's murder, yet it took all the way to 43 BC, several months, for a war to actually start when Decimus holed up in Cisalpine Gaul. Gangs may not be a match for legionnaires in a battle, true, but not even with Caesar assassinated and the Liberatores running through Rome did Lepidus march his troops inside Rome to enact a ruthless purge, and I have little reason to think he would do otherwise.

The idea I wanted to convey is that, with such a sudden death for Caesar and with Rome ruled by a minimum of magistrates, the situation was up for grabs for politicial manuevers that nobody was prepared for. Unlike 44 BC and the Ides of March, magistratures are empty and they are the immediate thing to be solved, afterwhich (it's only a few weeks after Munda) the commanders will be able to raise their armies. That is why the date is so important, Caesar has just disbanded many legions in Italy, Rome is not prepared for him not returning and most of his veterans are dead in Hispania.

Finally, I would disagree with the idea of Antonius suddenly having legions. First because, while popular, Antonius spent 47 making an idiot of himself at the eyes of the Senate and many of Caesar's followers, and indeed he was a mere privatus when Caesar left for Munda, with zero authority. Despite his popularity, Italy barely has legions standing (I would gamble Lepidus to have two at best), and if Antonius (or anybody, for that matter) were to ilegally start to raise an army it would be easy for their opponents and the Senate to have declared hostis.

There's a lot to cover, of course, but the emphasis to me is in the sheer chaos left by a defeat on Munda and the fact that the Caesarians still need legitimacy on their side. I might be wrong, but my reading of most of the politicians of the era is that they would prefer "legal" means if those are available. Which doesn't mean they won't use other means if the first ones fail, of course.
I mostly agree here. You have the right idea, the Romans cared at least about some veneer of legality. Octavian was actually the exception early on, which is why he rose so fast after being named Caesar's heir. legality meant little to him at first, as long as he got command of legions and a consulship.
Also, any chance that Burebista of Dacia could be brought onside again by the Optimate/Pompeians? Next to the Parthian King, he was probably the most powerful independent ruler capable of intervening in the civil war.
Burebista may very well meet his death quickly. OTL his assassination seemed to have a lot to do with Caesar's death-the idea being, without Caesar, the threat from Rome was now gone for the time, so they didn't need Burebista to command all of them.
Where are the Caesarian legions now? I don't remember. In Africa? In Syria? In Gaul?
The wise guys do not squabble over elections in Rome. It is smart to go to Syria (for example) and hijack an army; and it is a good idea to get Cleopatra as well with all her wealth and grain - that's what I call a proper "power base" and from that position it's quite comfy to start further negotiations about actions against the Pompeians.

If the local commanders have not started to act independently already. I mean in the provinces. The key to the power is not Rome, the key to the real power is army(s).From my point of view.
Well, even OTL, both the Caesarians and Liberatores were very concerned with legality. None of them really went to "their" province until they were "legally" granted it. Dolabella, both Brutus brothers, Antony, Cassius, Lepidus. Cicero was so influential again precisely because of this concern about legality. Octavian changed the name of the game really.
 
Well, even OTL, both the Caesarians and Liberatores were very concerned with legality. None of them really went to "their" province until they were "legally" granted it. Dolabella, both Brutus brothers, Antony, Cassius, Lepidus. Cicero was so influential again precisely because of this concern about legality. Octavian changed the name of the game really.
I do agree wholeheartedly,
but I want to stress my point of view - legality is important, but in the end the only thing which matters is who has more experienced troops, and who first dares to use them in the big game.
That was my point.
 
I
Burebista may very well meet his death quickly. OTL his assassination seemed to have a lot to do with Caesar's death-the idea being, without Caesar, the threat from Rome was now gone for the time, so they didn't need Burebista to command all of them.
I don't know... Burebista is too difficult guy to predict. I mean he is not hellenized enough as the Egyptian or the African kings... which makes his use hard to contemplate.
I mean his taking part in the "Big Game" is too hard to predict.

My wild guess that taking his dead body in the triumphal procession is the best way to use him in the Big Game.
I maybe mistaken though...
 
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Part III: Of Auctoritas and Imperium:
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[FONT=&quot]Across the Republic:

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[FONT=&quot]The news of Gaius Julius Caesar’s death in the disaster that was Munda spread through the Republic all the way until early Iunius, where it was impossible for governors, senators and kings alike to pretend not having learnt of the fall of the undisputed master of Rome. The carnage of Munda not only had erased some of Rome’s best legions from the face of the earth, it had turned the future as uncertain as it could be. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Panic set across the client kingdoms of the East, as most had easily abandoned Caesar in order to become his personal clients and leave behind the memory of their earlier benefactor. Deiotarus of Galatia began to reconsider his options, Mithridates of the Bosphorus wrote to Cleopatra and did his best to brace himself for a challenge to his throne from his family, Antipater the Idumaean made a point to gather money to try and bribe Antitius Veto and whoever ended up governing Asia, and Antiochus of Commagene and Ariobarzanes of Cappadocia wrote to each other, remembering each other of their steadfast support for Pompeius until Pharsalus.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Egypt reacted in the most ruthless way possible, Queen Cleopatra leaving Rome to return to Alexandria to end any opposition by killing many of the more prominent citizens of the capitol while also having her husband and brother killed to associate Caesarion to the throne. To do so was a risk, but it was better than to risk Arsinoe using Ptolemy to end her exile and rule herself. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]King Bocchus of Mauritania, who had [FONT=&quot]sent[/FONT] the Younger Pompeius some minor auxiliary forces to spite his rival Bogud, learnt of the battle with glee. It did not take long for Boccus’s forces to prepare to move against the now leaderless portion of Mauritania not ruled by him, yet the King was careful enough not to arouse the suspicions of Africa Nova Governor Sallust, too concerned with filling his bags to care on the fate of the neighbor kingdom. The Senate would not learn of it until it was too late, but Bocchus wasted no time in sending a secret embassy to Pompeius to seek a formal alliance and the inclusion of Bocchus into his clientele. A grateful Pompeius would remember the lessons of Theophantes of Mytilene on the Eastern Kings, and an idea started to spring on his mind…[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]King Burebista of the Dacians, concerned as he was with constant plots against his authoritarian and centralizing tendencies, found it to his advantage to being more aggressive raids against the Illyrian tribes near Publius Vatinius, informing himself on the state of the Romans across Macedon and Illyria itself. Perhaps, just perhaps, he could secure his position and his dream in a single stroke, if the Romans were foolish enough to make a mistake.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]And Orodes of Parthia, already sending large amounts of supplies to the besieged Caecilius Bassus in Syria to sponsor his rebellion, also started to take note on roman disunity. Indeed, Orodes’s spies began to swarm the residences of the Satraps and the Asian provinces once again, in search for knowledge to their Lord. And to further safety, Prince Pacorus and General Phranipates were to be kept busy, building a new army for the glory and might of great Parthia.
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[FONT=&quot]Heirs to Caesar and Pompey, by (REDACTED):[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Chapter Three:[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot](…)[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The aftermath of the elections consolidated Caesar Brutus’s standing, as his election to Senior Consul brought over many undecided senators who were starting think of the still young general as Caesar’s heir, from Gallic War legates like Basilus and Lucius Caesar to senatorial big beasts like Piso or Philippus, who secured his standing. Lepidus has salvaged his dignitas by getting elected Junior Consul, but his failure to become Pontifex Maximus had assured he would not be the dominant force. Antony, on the other hand, had lost a lot of influence, but he had both his rivals learn that he could still break as much havoc as he wanted should he fail to get whatever his ambition wanted.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]That, of course, led to the inevitable and fateful Senate meeting in May, in which the issue of the provinces was to be resolved. With Caesar not making the appointments before leaving many Governors had already returned and others were forced to extend their terms, confusion only growing as the Senate became deadlocked when (according to Cicero) both Antony and Lepidus blocked Caesar Brutus’s proposal to sort the provinces between last year’s preators. The move failing, it was left to the Senate to extend the terms of the more reliable magistrates and find replacements for those to be removed or those who did not want to serve.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Africa was the easiest to solve, because at the time the Senate had not learned of Bocchus’s embassy to Pompey the Younger, and considering Calvisius and Sallust to be competent enough their posts were secured. A similar issue was raised with Hirtius and Vatinius’s commands in Gaul and Illyria, both men being considered indispensable enough to be kept (especially Vatinius, who would be commanded to move his legions to Italy as soon as Pompey invaded). A lack of agreement in Syria and the need to defeat Caecilius Bassus also left Antistius Veto in charge once again. The main issue was raised because Vatia Isauricus was already returning to Rome having left Asia and most of the remaining roman governors in the East were considered untrustworthy or irrelevant, and their removal was swift.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]From what we can gather of the situation in Rome it seems Caesar Brutus was desperate enough to reach an agreement with Lepidus and Antony in order to secure his own position to raise an army, and modern historiography has suggested that indeed his promises to both men secured internal peace in Rome, at least for some time. Impossible as it is to know the finer parts of this agreement; Antony got Asia for himself, taking Tillius Cimber and Publius Ventidius Bassus as unofficial lieutenants to govern Bithynia et Pontus and Cilicia, granting Antony an Imperium to satiate his ambition while removing him from Rome. Lepidus would already hold a lot of power as consul and having his friend Plancus as Praetor Urbanus, yet he demanded Macedonia for his key ally Servius Sulpicius Galba and had his friend Furfanius Postumus reappointed to Sicily.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]With Antony placated after such an enormous bargain, it fell onto Lepidus and Caesar Brutus to decide on the matter of Italy and the expected campaign, the belief being that Hirtius would be successful in stalling Pompey enough time to for an army to be raised and trained, Hirtius then retreating into Gaul. Caesar Brutus demanded the North as his area of operations, and got Brutus removed and replaced with Vibius Pansa Cetronianus, taking Basilus and Lucius Caesar as his main legates to recruit as many of Caesar’s veterans as possible. A reportedly irritated Lepidus then demanded and got command over the two veteran legions guarding Rome, the South being assigned to him for recruitment as Plancus would have to preside day to day administration as the Praetor Urbanus.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]All three of the major players scrambled to prepare their own military commands, yet Rome would not find the internal peace it needed. Cicero would be left without a clear rival in the Senate with both consuls spending most of their time recruiting an army and thus allowing him to increase his influence amongst the pedarii, and the Antony brothers remained in Rome as tribunes, determined to harass Plancus as he tried to govern Rome. The danger of open conflict had been averted, but at a high price.[/FONT][FONT=&quot]
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[FONT=&quot]Marching through Northern Hispania, Mid-Iunius:[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]-It’s been so long, father.-[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]-Quintus! –[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Truth be told, Pompeius had been expecting people to join them and the cause after he realized the whole of Hispania would fall, but he certainly did not expect them until Italy was neared and the dangers lesser. Yet here he was, their newest addition, Quintus Labienus, son to the gruff old general who he had been relying on more and more. As to why he had not joined earlier Pompeius could only offer suppositions, but despite being as young as Sextus Quintus was acknowledged to be at least a tough soldier and, if Labienus was to be believed, a man who had learn the lessons of his father very well. Yes, he would be a welcome addition as their army, unlike Cato’s hopes back in Africa, had no intention to adhere to the Mos Maorium. For Gnaeus, it would only get all of them killed to follow ludicrous rules in an all-out war.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]-Ave, Imperator.-[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]-[/FONT][FONT=&quot]Pompeius will be fine, Quintus. How was Rome? –[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]-As dull as ever with that boring vestal of Lepidus running the show. –He spat- It started to get interesting then they realized the old man had croaked, though.-[/FONT][FONT=&quot]-I assume you didn’t get to stay to see who came out on top? – Labienus asked -[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]-Of course not! I’m not a coward, father, but I am not stupid either. Staying in Rome as the son of the man who killed that arrogant cunnus would not have been wise. And I’m up for the fight.-[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]-I’m very glad you did came, Quintus.- Pompeius pointed out – You might say I’m interested in the way you do things. And I have a task for you.-[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Proof that you’re not like the idiots restraining my father before Pharsalus. [/FONT][FONT=&quot]While most of the Hispanic tribes had backed Pompeius without a doubt, the Lacetani and Lusitanians at the forefront, one or two cites had constantly backed Caesar ever since he had governed the region some twenty years ago. As they aimed to move towards the lands of the Lacetani and the Ilergetes to gather some extra strength before crossing the Pyrenai, Turbula remained stubborn in rebellion against his new dominion. Guarded by one of the few cohorts that escaped Munda without linking to the retreating Pollio (still harassed by Aponius’s cavarly), the city had answered in no uncertain terms that Pompeius could stick his demands for a surrender up his barbarian ass. The jibe on his Picenum origins had enraged him so much Munatius and Aponius had found it hard to restrain his worst instincts, and it now it was payback time.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]-Bring me Turbula and [FONT=&quot]the heads of my enemies[/FONT], my dear Quintus, and the world is yours. You can have a few cohorts if you like.-[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Labienus had tried to give him extra advice, but Quintus simply put on his new armor and rode towards Turbula as the rest of the army continued the march and installed a camp at the lack of a major city nearby. It took a few days of march for Pompeius to grow worried on the lack of news from Quintus, until five Hispanic horsemen asked him to come out of his tent to deliver him a present: the half rotten heads of the leaders of the revolt in Turbula. When the younger Labienus had returned having lost very few soldiers and plenty of money after burning the city to the ground, Pompeius had to admit the young man was going to be very useful, and made him military tribune right there by virtue of Attius Varo’s imperium, if only to mock his earlier promise of being light on legality.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]To Pompeius’s disappointment Aponius found his cavalry pushed back by Polio at Burgusia, enabling Caesar’s surviving legate to take about a legion to Hirtus and his growing fortificated camp at Narbo, but on the other hand Hispania was firmly on his side now, and Mauritania and scads of roman exiles were too if Sextus and the messages from King Bocchus could be believed. Recruiting extra cavalry forces under the Hispanic tribes to replenish the losses at Munda, Pompeius found himself commanding an eight legion army, well equipped with Hispanic auxiliaries and cavalry, having left two legions under Titus Quinctius Scapula to guard Hispania and an extra legion for Sextus to take on his trip to Massalia. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Having discussed matters with Labienus and Attius Varus, they concluded it was quite the unprecedented campaign:[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]-Nobody has ever done it so far, yes. – Titus Labienus was saying, his mouth filled with food – Sulla proved marching from the East can be effective and both he and Caesar showed Italy to be vulnerable from North and South. But no one has marched from Spain all the way to fight in Italy since… what, Hannibal? –[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]-Sertorius wanted to try. – Attius Varus intervened – Not that he ever got close to that.-[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]-It’s not going to be a cake walk, yes. But I don’t see why I can’t follow Sulla’s footsteps.- [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Labienus was the first to tell him plans didn’t quite go according to plan, but having inherited Pompeius Magnus’s pride, it was hard to make the Imperator change his mind on a rather simple course of action he had in mind. Smash Hirtius at the Narbonese Gaul, and enact a slow march into Italy, hoping to destroy the separate Caesarian armies as potential allies flocked to the cause. Wishful as that idea was, Pompeius had the common sense of putting Sextus and the fleet to use, sending a message to Massalia for his brother to sail away and put Rome into trouble by attacking the grain supply and the nearby islands. Sextus had legates of his own, and Pompeius, while in command, deferred to Labienus as the best general of the lot. Varus, with a mixed record with his victory over Curio and a humiliating naval defeat in Carteia, was to serve as legate, and the rest tribunes with attributions over a legion or so. It was not Caesar’s Gallic War staff, but it would do.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Of course, what Gnaeus did not say to his supporters that it was not only Sulla’s military actions what he aimed to replicate. Having learned how to hate Caesar yet not everything he stood for Gnaeus was disciplined to consider a dictatorship if he got to Rome, if only because his father had taught him titles could be meaningless if he held the right position. And like Sulla, he would make sure to purge those who had slighted his family and licked Caesar’s boots all the way. He would recover all they had lost, and then… he would take his revenge.

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[FONT=&quot]Mutina, Italy, Mid-Iunius:[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Life was full of all kinds of ironies[/FONT][FONT=&quot], Brutus thought. He had just received the first courier from Rome as the Senate was set to distribute the new provinces, and it had not been a shock that his command in the Cisalpine Gaul was not extended for the upcoming year. It did not pain Brutus to lose his Governorship, for he could not put an end to the endless torture of his nights… Living through the days was easy enough, having found administrative work to suit him as his tenure had been almost exemplary, but every single night the thought of Portia would burn his mind, weaken his resolve, madden his orderly mind. He had tired of Claudia long ago, and the first thing he would do as he returned to Rome would to file for divorce and marry the lovely Porcia, his mother be damned.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]But it wasn’t that particular thought which dominated his mind that day, for Brutus was conflicted. It probably had been easy to Lepidus, Decimus and all those imbeciles on the Senate floor to brand him a mindless puppet to the Pompeians, and it wouldn’t be too hard for Pompeius to believe him to have become another slave to Caesar. The irony being, of course, that he had served both Caesar and the younger Pompeius’s father on a more or less positive standing despite having plenty of reasons to hate both men. Caesar, who had broken off his engagement to the lovely Julia while serving as her mother’s lover. Pompeius, who had had his father executed without a trial during Lepidus’s rebellion and had stolen Julia… and he had served them both.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]His mother would call it lack of courage, but Brutus’s patience was wearing thin. Being left without his command and unmotivated to simply march on Rome to be killed, he would return home as a faithful servant of the Republic. He would send his mother to Avernus, marry Porcia, and get his household and his prodigious finances in order. And he would wait. No use getting killed at the fields of northern Italy, because he could not and would not afford to waste the names of Servilius Caepio and Junius Brutus, sole holder of two of the greatest names in all of Rome. Brutus would wait, and he would profit, because the richest man in Rome was not going to be passed again. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The unexpected surge of ambition forced Brutus to felt far more at ease, and he started smiling as he gave the first orders to vacate some coffers and disappear some documents. If Caesar Brutus was so insistent on using his province as a base of operations, he wasn’t going to do all the work for him.[/FONT]
 
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Caesar Brutus’s standing, as his election to Senior Consul
... Lepidus has salvaged his dignitas by getting elected Junior Consul
If I remember correctly there was never such a thing like Senior or Junior consul.
There were just two consuls always equal to each other.
 
If I remember correctly there was never such a thing like Senior or Junior consul.
There were just two consuls always equal to each other.

Equal in powers yes, but to my understanding the one with the highest number of votes was considered to be unoficially senior consul, and thus had the fasces to preside over the Senate during the first month after the election (and then they would take turns with the other consul presiding over Senate meetings one month each).

I mostly use the term to emphasize Caesar Brutus's first place victory in the election as opposed to a lesser result for Lepidus, thus the shifts in influence.
 
Equal in powers yes, but to my understanding the one with the highest number of votes was considered to be unoficially senior consul, and thus had the fasces to preside over the Senate during the first month after the election (and then they would take turns with the other consul presiding over Senate meetings one month each).
Actually that' the first time I hear about this.
From all I know nobody cared which of the consuls got higher number of votes.
I mostly use the term to emphasize Caesar Brutus's first place victory in the election as opposed to a lesser result for Lepidus, thus the shifts in influence.
Well, the point of having two consuls was their 100% equality. That was the idea.
One of the consuls being even 0,0001% higher than the other consul disagrees with the conception.
 
I don't know... Burebista is too difficult guy to predict. I mean he is not hellenized enough as the Egyptian or the African kings... which makes his use hard to contemplate.
I mean his taking part in the "Big Game" is too hard to predict.

My wild guess that taking his dead body in the triumphal procession is the best way to use him in the Big Game.
I maybe mistaken though...

It could happen, but all but Burebista's worst Dacian enemies would have to fall in battle before they would let their king be taken and paraded in a Roman triumph before being strangled. And he had many, many armed men following him, even if their quality was below that of the Roman legions.

According to Strabo, a contemporary of Burebista,

"when the Getæ and the Dacians had increased to the greatest numbers, they were able to set on foot an army of two hundred thousand men..."

Presumably he was referring to the Getae/Dacian kingdom of Burebista his Geography.

While Caesar was able to defeat larger forces in Gaul, his enemies were not really a centralized force. More importantly, Caesar's internal enemies confined their fight against him to speeches and plotting. The Roman legions of this area could lay waste to Dacia, but it would not be a quick campaign, and no Consul is likely to attempt it voluntarily if he has armed rivals prepared to side with his enemy, or seize Rome in his absence.

By the way, you are spot on with regards to Burebista's relative lack of Hellenization. It is strange to think that the contemporary ruler of Iran/Afghanistan was more steeped in what we would call Western culture than the ruler of large parts of Germany, Romania and Croatia, but that was the classical world circa 50 AD.
 
Part IV: The Rising Suns:


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[FONT=&quot]The [FONT=&quot]Roman Republic, End of 45 BC[/FONT]


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[FONT=&quot]Heirs to Caesar and Pompey, by (REDACTED):[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Chapter Four:

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[FONT=&quot](…)[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The opening moves to the actual war post-Caesar death were taken as Pompey the Younger and his lieutenants put an end to the Spanish campaign, having left Scapula in command after the sack of Turbula and the skirmish of Burgusia. Aulus Hirtius and Gaius Pollio scrambled all the forces they could gather without risking the internal security of the Gaulish provinces too much (in no doubt still remembering the recent Bellovaci revolt). Attempts to block Pompey and Labienus at the Pyrenees were not to be successful, forcing Hirtius and his forces to fight the battle at a disadvantage in the outskirts of Narbo. From the Gallic Wars we can gather Hirtius to be at least a decent commander, yet probably no match for Labienus. Having forced the split of the Caesarian forces with able use of Spaniard cavalry, Pompey fought and killed Pollio in a skirmish near Salsune, leaving Labienus to battle the proconsul with the main army at Livuna. Hirtius was able to achieve an early breakthrough, yet the numerical inferiority proved too much to stand, allowing the Pompeian legates to break through his ranks and later execute Hirtius at Pompey’s behest.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]It had been a swift campaign to take the Narbonese Gaul, which delivered the road to Italy and the full backing of the city of Massilia by the middle of autumn. The news were badly received through Italy, as Lepidus and Caesar Brutus continued to recruit as many of Caesar’s veterans as they could to fill the ranks of their armies, leaving an increasingly battered Plancus to try and keep a restless Rome under control (in no small part due to the return of the gang fights and the demagogic tendencies of the Antony brothers). Faced with the strategic dilemma of a march on Italy as winter nearer and without enough men to march north towards what was left of the garrisons in Gaul, Pompey and Labienus set their command at Narbo over the winter to prepare the upcoming invasion, confident in finding victory over the upcoming year, the sixth of the ongoing civil war.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Initiative would fall on the naval theatre over the last months of the year, as Sextus Pompey sailed from Massilia to disrupt the Caesarians as much as possible. Manning his fleet with veterans from the Spanish campaign and Senatorial level exiles like Plautius Hypaseus, Cornelius, Memmius and Laelius, Sextus showed his skill at naval engagements by setting up a trap for Gaius Didius and the Caesarian fleet at Corsica, constantly harassing his opponent and forcing him to battle near Ursinum, a key victory for Sextus Pompey. Mostly free to raid the seas now, he increased the size of his fleet by capturing several liburnian vessels and raiding both Corsica and Sardinia, an initial expedition to Sicily halted on the intervention of Titus Furfanius. Despite the inability to force an invasion of the grand prize that Sicily could be, Sextus was hailed as Imperator by his fleet and went onto to boast on having the skills of Neptune, having succeeded in capturing a source of grain supply in Sardinia which reflected badly on the Caesarians. [/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]A veteran’s colony in the Cisalpine Gaul, End of Autumn:[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]-My name is Gaius Julius Caesar Brutus Albinus, quirites. – He would often say, the obvious emphasis on the first three names – And I am in need of your help.-[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]He had always found it hard to understand how the old man exactly did it for the men to following him without a single doubt, but even if the finer points of that skill escaped him the sound of his name was enough for most of the men to listen to him very carefully. Appeals to Caesar’s horrifying and brave death here, a story of the Gallic Wars there, and from time to time an appearance from Basilus or Lucius Caesar if the particular colony of veterans had fought with them. It was true enough that the man who used to be Decimus Brutus had not looked like Caesar given his pale face and his healthy amounts of hair, but those words somehow, did the trick for them to enlist in the attempt to crush Pompeius’s son.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]-We seem to be doing rather well. – Basilus was saying, devouring a chicken as they took a much needed rest –[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]-It’s not well enough. – Lucius Caesar had been downcast ever since Munda – Even assuming we will have enough time to retrain and set everything up for next year, we will need more men.-[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]-Eight proper legions are more than enough, do you think? – Basilus answered – Not even Lepidus can botch recruiting eight more, and there you have two armies ready to punch the bastard on the nose.-[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The bastard[/FONT][FONT=&quot]. Caesar Brutus was not fond of Basilus ever since he had learned the man tortured his slaves from time to time, but he could not deny he had his uses, especially since he had spread through Italy the rumor of the younger Pompeius being a bastard born out of Mucia Tertia’s infidelity. Who the father was varied among the different versions (a random picentine legate, the exiled Scaurus, the late Lucius Afranius, even Labienus himself in the more humorous one), but it never failed to amuse him. Lucius Caesar was often depressing, yet indispensable not only due to military skill, but the sheer prestige of being Caesar’s cousin. Pansa was everything but brilliant, yet very measured and loyal until the end. He regretted not being able to count on Hirtius, but such was the nature of war. A lot of the talent available to the Caesarians had fallen onto Antonius or Lepidus’s hands somehow, but with most of the big beasts on his side he felt confident enough on the aftermath of the victory.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]There was a lot to be done.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]It would take a lot of time to cement his influence and everyone could tell that only a very specific set of circumstances would see him wield anything resembling absolute power (mainly Lepidus, Pompeius and Antonius’s heads on display at the Rostra), but it was not out of the question. A political genius he was not, but he did not felt disadvantaged at all when it came to the battlefield. The others warned him of Labienus, but believing as he did that Caesar’s death had been nothing but an accident, a stroke of bad luck at the last throwing of the dice, he would dismiss such talk as overrating the man and his supposed skill. Had not he, the new Caesar, crushed the Bellovaci? Had he not fought the Veneti and burnt their fabled fleet? Had he not been amongst the first to fight in the walls of Alesia, Massilia, Uxellodunum and a hundred other places? [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]-Courier from Rome, Gaius Julius. – Pansa entered the tent, dressed in military attire – Sextus Pompeius crushed Didius near Sardinia.-[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]-Well, Lepidus can’t blame me for that one. – Caesar Brutus coldly replied – Is Sicily in danger? –[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]-It seems to be the case[/FONT][FONT=&quot]. – Pansa replied – Although the Senate is not being particularly helpful when it comes to troops.-[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]-I bet on Cicero causing the trouble. – Basilus said – You’ve heard the tales, often lecturing the Senate on legality and unity and then asking for some of the honors granted to Caesar to be struck down.-[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]-It’s not just Cicero, Basilus, don’t be a fool. – Lucius Caesar warned, standing up – My good nephew Antonius is also up to some disruption of his own, not to mention the Republicans too.-[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]-What shall we do about it? It’s far too evident neither Plancus nor Lepidus are keeping the Senate in line.-[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]-It’s very simple. We proscribe. - Basilus’s words cut through the room –[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]-We can’t! It would be Sulla’s excesses all over again! – Pansa was terrified –[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]-It would do far more harm than good. – Lucius Caesar warned – The moment you do that, the Republicans and even some moderates will flock to Pompeius, or even to Antonius in the east if he proves reasonable enough.-[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]But Caesar Brutus had stayed silent, and none of them would get a definite answer on his thoughts. It was quite the dilemma for he, who was more or less forced to follow Caesar’s legacy if he was to succeed in his unexpected quest for power. Could he do it? Would he dare to do it? Was he willing to put the heads of Cicero, Cassius and the rest on spikes, as it had been the case forty years ago?[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]To his surprise, his mind had no clear answer yet.

[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[FONT=&quot][/FONT]​
[/FONT]​
[FONT=&quot]The House of Servilila Caepionis, Rome, near the end of the year:[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]It had been months since Caesar had died, and she found it hard not to miss him despite everything that had happened. He had refused to share a bed with her ever since he had returned from Gaul, yet Servilia never stopped caring about the man who had been her lover for so long. She cared on her own egoistical and calculating manner, but she had cared about him all the same until he had suffered the most unexpected of deaths at the hands of an imbecile with a big name. Who was Pompeius Magnus Filius to take Caesar away from her, to defeat the one man who no one in Rome could best? Even as the months passed, the disappointment and the bitterness still ate away at her.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]-Are you feeling bad, Lady Servilia? – The younger Lucullus asked, unusually deferent – [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]-I’m fine, Lucius, just thinking. – She replied, a bit absent – Leave me to my thoughts, will you? –[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]To be honest, she did not enjoy the parties her sister had organized in the past couple of years, mindless family reunions which lacked the grandeur and the sheer exotic feeling she and others would find when visiting the now gone Egyptian Queen. Instead of finding decent conversation with Atticus or the Queen herself, she was forced to look again at the technically influent family connections, only to realize most of them were idiots anyway; Her little sister Servilila, Lucullus’s widow, obsessed as always with raising the younger Lucullus for a career he wasn’t ready for. Hortensia, the widow of her brother Caepio, still invited for some reason. Her disappointment of a son, Brutus, her detestable niece and daughter in law Porcia, and the younger Bibulus, their useless ward. Silanus, first son of her late second husband, somehow choosing to attend the party instead of doing something productive. Her eldest daughter and Lepidus’s young son (as the Consul was busy trying not to get himself killed while recruiting), and finally, the only bright spot of the evening, Cassius and her daughter Tertia.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]-It has been an absolute mess at the Senate. – Cassius was saying – Every meeting boils down to Plancus shouting profanities at the Antonius brothers and the Republicans as they try to shut down his interventions, Cicero boasting on the strength of the Republic and the need to stand united, or whatever that means, and someone mourning Caesar and wishing he was there in his eternal might and wisdom to guide the Senate.-[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]-No need to be harsh, Cassius, it is known that all of Rome loved Caesar. – Silanus pointed out, drinking a cup of wine –[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Why was it that men would often follow those who had done them harm? [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Servilia could never understand why in the name of Jupiter Silanus the younger liked Caesar and served on his Gallic staff, considering his own father had been publicly humiliated before the Senate as Cato unknowingly forced Caesar to reveal her own adultery. Same with Brutus, following Pompeius Magnus to Pharsalus despite that barbarian having murdered his father decades ago. And then people asked why she did not look happy during family meetings… [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]-I for one have had enough with all the Caesar worship. – Cassius was saying now – It’s about time those imbeciles leading the Senate do something actually worthwhile.-[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]-Like giving you Syria to rule? – It was Hortensia this time, smiling –[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]-I’d do a better job there than anyone else, yes. – He replied, showing a more than fierce smile – It they can give that verpa of Marcus Antonius Asia they can surely give me a Governorship somewhere.-[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]-You would be great as a Governor, Cassius. – Porcia said, not as a compliment, but with certainty – [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]And for once Servilia found herself in agreement with Porcia. Finding Portia to possibly be the most annoying, infuriating and ungrateful fellatrix of Rome after she had somehow stolen Brutus, she had to agree that Cassius was a man to take into account. Unlike Lepidus, she did not regret for a moment that matrimonial alliance, as she was sure Cassius would be smart enough to back the right horse in the upcoming war, and would probably save Brutus by bringing him along. Once Silanus and most of the women had left early, it had been easier to discuss what actually matter.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]-All right, Cassius, I would like to hear your view on it. Who is the man to back? – Servilia asked -[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]-In all honesty, the idea of following the one who defeated Caesar is not one to dismiss easily. – Cassius continued – But Pompeius is all but brilliant, not to mention he doesn’t care much for us.-[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]-Old Ahenobarbus and the rest are to blame for that. – Brutus replied – If they hadn’t forced Magnus to fight in Pharsalus and undermined him at every turn… It’s understandable he wouldn’t think highly of the old optimates, but it can be argued that we’re a different case.-[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]-Says the man who was given Cisalpine Gaul by Caesar himself. – Cassius mocked him – [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]-Lucullus and I will back him. – Bibulus said in a very serious tone, his friend nodding – Anyone who will destroy the legacy of that snake is our friend.-[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]-Tace, Marcus! – Servilia shouted – Who are you to talk about Caesar? –[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]-The son of Marcus Calpurnius Bibulus, a man who died fighting the tyrant himself!-[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]-Fighting Caesar? Your father died of a cold, desperately trying not to embarrass himself while playing with Pompeius’s ships. Don’t speak up if you have no idea what you’re talking about. -[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The party had ended not long after that, leaving Servilia unsure about the future. That Lucullus and Bibulus could kill themselves while playing to be men did not interest her, but Brutus and Cassius’s actions would be decisive in the months to come. One way or another election would be held and then Lepidus and Caesar… Brutus would fight Pompeius in Italy, and neither of them was known to be too merciful. Oh, she would be fine, but would [FONT=&quot]her beloved [FONT=&quot]son[/FONT] survive int[FONT=&quot]act?[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot][/FONT]​
[FONT=&quot]Governor’s Palace in Ephesus, Asia, around the same time:[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]-Gods, it feels good to be alive! – Antonius shouted, looking at the dancers as Dellius and Poplicola sipped more wine - [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Not that it had been nonstop celebration ever since Antonius had taken over his new province, but without Caesar or anyone to censor his conduct he had been able to recover the life he had lived while leading Rome and lost after the old man had cut most of his ties to him. He was the one with the power, and it wasn’t about having a piece of paper and the lictors to prove he was a magistrate once again. No, his power came from himself and his legions, and the whole province of Asia had learned that soon enough. From the small and useless officers who had learned their place, to the etnarchs, to the small kings of Cappadocia, to Dejotarus, who had been struck with the fear of the gods as Antonius had threatened to burn his kingdom down if the proved disloyal, and now to Ephesus.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]He truly liked the city, much more than the boring Pergamum or even Sardis, for Ephesus knew what life was, celebrating Dionysius and Artemisia in their just regard. And sure enough, his entourage had found it easy to adapt to the new conditions, Dellius, Poplicola and the troupe of actors and dancers crafting ever more wild parties. Statius Murcus had proved to be the boring one of his legates, but his sense of practicality and his skill at scaring the pitiful eastern princes made him a great element. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]-We have another message from Syria, Imperator. - Murcus said –[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]-How do you manage to put that tone into your voice, Murcus? – Antonius looked upwards – You’re supposed to be a poet, yet whenever you speak you do sound mindlessly boring.-[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]-Antistius Veto asks for support once again. – Murcus, as always, ignored the jive –[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]-Veto? That useless cunnus has been fighting Caecillius Bassus for a year now, and he can’t even dislodge him from Apamea! – Antonius complained – Veto can wait for the gates to Avernus to open if he wants, he’s not getting anything from me.-[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]What a bunch of whining losers.[/FONT][FONT=&quot] All of them had written to him as he and his men had taken over Vatia’s place, all of them wanting favor from the new ruler of the East. All of them save for Antistius Vetius, with the gall to demand Antonius to march on Syria and assist him in containing Caecillius Bassus. Vetius, the uptight noblemen he was, was probably one of those who felt Antonius presence into Caesar’s high command to be an embarrassment. He could ask the Parthians for men for all the cared, he had bigger fish to fry. Having frightened half the province and half the eastern kings into submission or pretenses of submission, he also had his brothers cause trouble for Lepidus in order to secure a five year term in the East. Since “Caesar” Brutus and Lepidus would not allow him to fight Pompeius, he was fully set to enjoy himself in the East, and a single year would not do. Other than that, he had been constantly messaging Rufus and the officers in Alexandria to secure the loyalty of those four legions should they be of any help, and he had also sent messages to Cleopatra too. To no avail, of course, for the Queen would play it safe and send claims of friendship… without the money to back them. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]So he took action on that front the next day.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]-I assume this is the shrine to Artemisia. – Antonius said, blinking at the massive size of the building –[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]-Why, of course! – Dellius was obsequious as always – The mighty shrine, not only one of the most powerful temples of the East, but also one of the most rich.-[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]-They do have a bank of their own for that. – Murcus intervened – Although they did lose a good deal of money when forced to lend to all sides before and after Pharsalus.-[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]-And the High Priest? –[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]-That would be [FONT=&quot]Megabyzes[/FONT], High Priest of Artemisia. – Murcus again, having briefed himself for Antonius’s mission – A Greek from the area, well known and highly respected. Caesar personally chose him to guard the Princess after the triumph.-[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Antonius, Dellius, Murcus and the lictors penetrated through the entrance of the temple, being received by [/FONT][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]Megabyzes[/FONT][/FONT] and his assistants. Leaving pleasantries aside given the busy day and the hangover he still had, Antonius demanded to enter and did not even bother to give his assurances to [/FONT][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]Megabyzes[/FONT][/FONT] that no acts of sacrilege would happen. He was certainly not going to excuse himself to the High Priest, not on this particular task. Not giving any previous warning his coming, Antonius entered the room followed by his entourage and found Princess Arsinoe reading a lengthy scroll with an expression of boredom on her face, the maids all silent and not giving away a single expression. One of the Greek priests rushed besides Antonius:[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]-Marcus Antonius, Imperator and Governor of Asia, asks for an audience with the Princess Arsinoe.-[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]-Audience granted. – Arsinoe did not raise her view from the scroll, forcing Antonius to laugh –[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]-Leave us alone.-[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]-But sir, we cannot leave the Princess at any time…- The priest began saying - [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]-You can either leave nicely or I’ll have to ask my lictors to shove a spear up a certain place of yours. – Antonius smiled again and then made a departure gesture – Your choice.-[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]And he got the audience he wanted. Arsinoe, while younger than her sister Cleopatra, had played a major role during Caesar’s shenanigans in Egypt, escaping from the palace to lead the fight until her brother had drowned on the Nile. Spared after Caesar’s Egyptian triumph due to the people of Rome, mostly thanks to her fabled beauty and the sheer dignity in which she had confronted the humiliation, she was set to live the rest of her life inside the Shrine to Artemisia, ever a permanent threat to Cleopatra’s rule. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]-I am truly glad to be able to meet you at last, great Antonius. - Arsinoe smiled -[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]-So am I, Princess Arsinoe, so am I. - And he smiled back -[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]He was unsure of how Arsinoe would prove most helpful, but the range of options was rather encouraging. Whether to rattle the bars of Cleopatra’s cage… or something else.[/FONT]
 
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Apologies for the silence here, university has been hell... Moving on, this is the last update for the year of 45 BC, as the last four pasts have been used to set up the immediate aftermath and introduce the readers to some key characters which will probably play a significant part in the events to come.

Thus, we move now into the "second act", if you will, where we shall see Caesarians and Pompeians fighting for Italy in a way that might resemble the war of Sulla against Carbo and Marius the Younger, if only because it won't be an easy or short war. I have most of the key events already planned out, so as more and more butterflies kick in I expect this particular story to cover up some three to five years tops from the battle of Munda on.
 
Having done some extra research on some points that were bugging me, I've found myself having a major problem with this timeline, probably forcing me to suspend it, begin a new version or move into a similar POD.

After rereading and comparing Suetonius, Cassius Dio and Veleius Paterculus I realized I've made two key mistakes: one of them being that Octavian was not involved at the battle of Munda, the battle being fought on March and Octavian arriving to Spain in June at the earliest. The second and most important one, that Caesar did not change his will before going to Spain, he did so on late 45 BC and it was only there that Octavian was adopted and Decimus named second heir.

In light of that, not only would Octavian survive in this scenario, but I would have to contend with a speculative will from Caesar which dates from 48 or 47 BC after Pompey could no longer be his heir, of which we know nothing about (and in some topics of discussion on the past weeks Mark Antony and the deceased Sextus Julius Caesar have been mentioned as heirs).

So in that sense, that means a good part of the scenario is flawed.
 
We could try a different Roman POD entirely.

Indeed, I would very much like to continue writing!

So far I had considered the following scenarios:

-78/77 BC: A series of POD's affect Lepidus's rebellion and the revolt of Sertorius in Spain, leading to an unexpected revival of the "Popular" cause against Sulla's followers.

-47 BC or 46 BC: Caesar either dying in the middle of siege of Alexandria or during the African Campaign (perhaps due to the supposed attack he had before Thapsus), putting Antony, Lepidus and Sextus Caesar against a Republican cause still led by Cato.

-43-42 BC: A series of POD's involving Cicero's survival to the proscriptions, Cassius invading Egypt and a much different battle between the Optimates and the Triumvirs.
 
Have you considered any Hellenistic or Early Imperial PODs?

I haven't really considered potential ideas before 146 BC, mostly because the area in which I handle more information is the 1st Century BC (and I have a certain fascination with figures like Sulla and Pompey), and the most popular subjects before that (Punic Wars, Pyrrhus, Samnites) have already been explored.

Regarding the early Empire, I have toyed with the idea of Sejanus's coup against Tiberius being a success or Otho defeating Vitellius and his legates, but the more I think about it the more it looks like a one-shot rather than a full fledged timeline.
 
Could we have something like the Roman Republic collapsing in on itself from sooo many civil wars that keep popping up after a sucessful Gracchi revolution? Which literally splits the Republic in two between the Populares and Optimates? Or would that be ASB?
 
Could we have something like the Roman Republic collapsing in on itself from sooo many civil wars that keep popping up after a sucessful Gracchi revolution? Which literally splits the Republic in two between the Populares and Optimates? Or would that be ASB?

Well, I would not call it impossible, just hard to achieve and sustain within the timeframe immediately after or with the Gracchi as the civil war culture is just not there (it takes until the late 90's for that to be a real possibility). During the Empire is actually not that hard since you have multiple centers of power and potential capitals for multiple Emperors to arise, but during the Late Republic the objective of most of those making bids for power is Rome, not an independent powerbase as those are not that sustainable (and indeed the closest thing to that would be Sertorius and Sextus Pompey, who held out for some time before going down).

If what you want is sheer madness and chaos you would have to take advantage of the worst crisis available and use a couple of PODs to make then worse:

-The invasion of the Cimbri, for example. Remove Marius out of the picture during Africa or during that campaign and things can go south for Rome. The civil war potential is low, unless extensive use of Saturninus is done.

-The social war, it's not impossible they could secure victory inside Italy, thus forcing the generals to try and use their exhausted provinces to defeat the Italics (but again, the focus would be on the Italic enemy as an external threat).

-Sulla's Civil War. If Sulla is crushed at the Colline Gate then the Samnites turn on the Marians to sack Rome, and the war is made worse as there's no one strong enough to rule Rome, causing a very confusing war.

Other than that you would need to wait after Caesar's death and have a longer lasting Triumvirate or a similar arrangement on several powerful romans (ideally not the OTL ones), as then the Republic would be divided.

But overall, the issue is that these generals would need Rome to either be theirs to be neutral in an arrangement with others.

Either way, I think I'll run a poll in a few minutes with the current options I have, and then see what happens.
 
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