“Problems?” said the voice of Javenoli as Cincinnatus, shocked, adjusted his eyes to the gloomy interior.
“Nothing my men won’t handle” he snapped in return. “Know who they are?” he asked, his voice suddenly wary that it was all Javenoli’s doing.
“My guess” he said, frowning “is that they are Capitolinus’ followers of Jupiter.”
Cincinnatus frowned at the reply. “Really?”
Javenoli leant in closer. “Taking a close interest in land and tenancy rights is what I heard” Javenoli smiled.
Cincinnatus shook his head and moved on, cursing internally that he hadn’t been warned about Capitolinus and his followers more aggressive tactics and that Javenoli seemed to be one step ahead of him. He looked up to see his clan and supporters standing and beckoning him over eagerly. He quickened his step and nodded to his younger brother in query at the man’s anguished face. “What?” he asked.
“You haven’t heard?” the man said, almost fearfully. “There’s been some trouble in the houses on the Caelian Hill. Tenants have refused to pay their bills and the men were beaten by a gang” he whispered as the faces around them looked on angrily.
“What?” he hissed in response. “When was this? Why wasn’t I informed?”
“Today, first thing” came the hushed reply as he was beckoned towards a seat at the sound of the bell clanging to announce the start of the meeting. “It’s being sorted, don’t worry.”
“Don’t worry?” he spat “I was just attacked outside by a mob whom Javenoli thinks were Capitolinus’ followers. One of my men took a stone to the face, another looks like he has a broken arm.” He bared his teeth with hardly suppressed anger.
This caught his brother by surprise as he pinched his lips and turned his head towards the seats to his right where Capitolinus sat with a group of older senators, each man laughing as they shared a private joke. “Really?”
*****
“It looks like Cincinnatus has a few problems” Marcus said to his brother Lucius as the two men sipped from wooden cups they’d brought with them to the meeting, expecting it to be lengthy.
“Hmm.” Lucius looked across at the group of men surrounding Cincinnatus who appeared very agitated, Cincinnatus himself looking purple with rage as his bared teeth hissed some reply to his brother’s words of greeting.
“Probably another of his business deals hasn’t worked out as he planned” Marcus replied with a shrug.
“Speaking of business deals, how is your man getting on with collecting the rents?”
“Brutus. Yes, very well, though not without its problems. He found a small gang who had set themselves up, but they were a lone group, no link to anyone else that he could find.” He looked back across at Cincinnatus. “They lost two men before Brutus and his lads threw the rest in the Tiber and told them never to come back.”
Lucius nodded. “Is that the end of it then?”
“Who knows. So far they’ve had no further problems, though it seems I now have more people who want protecting from their own landlords” he laughed with a glance to the angry Cincinnatus.
“The joys of sorting out one problem is that several more then arrive” Lucius said with a smile. “Look” he nodded.
Marcus looked up as Javenoli entered and moved quickly to the table to sacrifice a chicken and dedicate the meeting to the gods. Marcus considered if the reading was as bad as those he had seen on the Capitol with Javenoli recently, but Javenoli soon claimed the gods were happy to listen to the words of men and give them their wisdom.
The meeting was called to order and Lucius Iulius stood to call forward a group of weather worn men who were waiting by the rear door, their appearance showing that they had recently arrived in Rome and had not yet had the opportunity to clean and dress themselves beyond a cursory scrub with a bucket of water and a cloth. It took them several minutes to explain that another uprising of Latin tribes, led again by the Volscan alliance, had risen and destroyed the town of Antiate, a territory to the north west. The men said that the army was several thousand strong and composed of mercenaries from across the sea as well as local tribes, which caused some concern amongst the listening senators who demanded to know which city states were plotting against them. The messengers, however, could not confirm the details and carried on with their request for support from Rome as the leader of the Latin League of cities.
“We beseech you, Patres, to send forces to our aide. Our women, children and old are all at the mercy of these raiders who come to destroy our lands” stated the leader of the group, a tall, thin, man with jet black hair streaked with grey lines which was tied into a neat knot at the back of his head. His laughter-lined eyes sought faces in the senate as he pointed to old friends. “I brought you ten amphorae of wine for your anniversary” he said to one man, “two baskets of fish for your daughter’s wedding” he said to another as he continued to look around the clans of the Roman senate. “Antiates has been a good ally to Rome. We lost men at the Allia with you, defending Rome with you against our joint enemies. We have asked little in return for your taxes and we have always paid on time, but now we come as humble beggars to ask for relief from these aggressors as is our right” he said as he turned and thumped his chest, water welling in his eyes. “I, and all the men of Antiates, will fight with you” he shouted.
Several senators began muttering and the noise level grew as Marcus watched Iulius move to the leader of the bedraggled group of messengers and place a hand on his shoulder, nodding slowly with a grim smile. “Surely, we’ll help?” Marcus asked his brother, who shrugged in reply.
“Silence” came the call as Iulius turned to the senate, his jaw set into a thin line. “Our neighbours and allies have been attacked” he said as he swept his hand to the group of riders. “An attack on a member of our alliance is an attack on Rome itself” he said slowly and deliberately as he stared at the ranks of senate leaders. “We must consider our response. Clans, do we support our friends and allies? Do we require a dictator in this circumstance? Please vote” he said as he turned back to the riders. The senators convened into their family groups and reviewed the message, it was clear to all that action was needed but the decision on who should lead the army soon led to raised voices across the room, especially from the Manlius clan where Capitolinus was angrily waving his arms and jabbing his finger at other clan members. After a vocal half hour, the votes were made and the senate returned to their positions to listen to the decision. Iulius moved to the rostrum and nodded at the wax slate he was handed.
“I am pleased to announce that we agree we must send a force to the aide of our friends and allies” he turned towards the Antiate ambassadors who smiled in gratitude. “And I thank you all for your wisdom.” Handing the slate back to the grey bearded man who had brought it forward he lifted his chin and looked around the room. “The decision is that we do not need to appoint a dictator in these circumstances” he started to say.
“How?” interrupted a voice from the centre of the room as Marcus Manlius Capitolinus jumped to his feet, several arms grasping to pull him back as he shrugged them off. “I will speak” he said to his fellow clan members as they shook their heads and looked around themselves, some angry, some embarrassed. “It is my right to have my say” he half shouted as he looked back at Iulius. “I have put myself, beloved of Jupiter, forward to lead this war. I, who have the divine love of the gods and saved the Capitol Hill from the barbarian onslaught, will draw my sword across the necks of our enemies and destroy them” he said as he clenched his teeth. “How can we choose not to have a dictator when these men tell us that another of our enemies is under siege from rogues and warmongers who would steal their lands, lands which feed us here in Rome at a time when every Roman man is struggling to plough his own fields. The danger is real, my friends” he said with a look to Javenoli, who was watching him impassively. “Rome needs to show its strength now more than ever. Without strong leadership Rome will fall again as it did at th
e Allia. We” he stared back at his own clan “the Manlii, have served Rome in its hour of need and we are prepared to do so again. Rome needs one leader. One man like Jupiter, greatest and best of the gods who rules over all the gods. Without this strong leadership our armies will fail again” he said as his anger began to spill out in his words. “Here” he shouted as he pointed at the emissaries from Antiate. “Here are men who I have stood beside in battle, men to whom I owe a debt as do many others in this room. My record is impeccable. I have saved the Capitol from the barbarian hordes as well as stood side by side with the best men in the front line. My arms, my chest, bear the scars of not turning my back to my enemies. Jupiter has chosen me as his emissary. The time is right for a Dictator to make the single choices that are needed now.” He finished by raising his voice to the final word as the senate sat in momentary silence before all around him erupted into shouts of anger, fists being waved and men calling for silence. The noise became louder as Marcus leant across to Lucius.
“Capitolinus will never give up until he has been made Dictator” he said shaking his head. “Every debate becomes about how he is a strong leader, the man for the moment. I wonder what goes through his mind.”
“The man’s an idiot” Lucius said dismissively.
“He has a lot of followers” replied Marcus casually. “Look at the clans who are rising to his defence” he added with a nod in the direction of several groups of men who were calling loudly for Capitolinus to be installed as dictator. He looked across at Javenoli, a long-time collaborator with Capitolinus and watched as the Pontiff seemed to shake his head slowly before standing and waving for silence. “This’ll be interesting” he added as he nudged Lucius, who followed his brother’s eyes.
Lictors bashed their ceremonial rods on the floor to call the meeting to order as Iulius looked across at the standing form of Javenoli and waved his hand in his general direction. “Silence” called Iulius. “The Pontiff wishes to speak” he shouted as men turned their heads and began to sit and become silent.
Javenoli bowed his head and waited for silence, stretching it long enough to make the point that he was angry at the outburst he had just witnessed. He looked across at Capitolinus, who was watching with a pinched expression on his face, lips tight, head slightly cocked to one side and eyes narrowed. “Gentlemen” he began. “The laws are clear in these circumstances. The votes are clear and the rules cannot be changed. There will be no dictator” he said, at which Capitolinus shot up from his seat as if he’d sat on a nail. “No” called Javenoli loudly as he stared at Capitolinus and his supporters, men already shaking their heads and frowning at the words. “The laws are correct, we have voted and it cannot be changed” he added as he stared fixedly at Capitolinus. Murmurs shot around the room like a cracked whip as Javenoli took a deep breath and looked back at Iulius. “These laws are god given Marcus Manlius Capitolinus, and you of all men should ensure that you follow them. Please continue” he added as he sat down, Iulius nodding and turning, with a curve of a smile on his lips, back to the men from Antiates. Capitolinus was dragged back to his seat by his followers as he stared angrily at Javenoli.
“Have the love birds fallen out?” Lucius whispered to Marcus with a wicked grin.
“It would appear so” came the reply.
Iulius took a step forward and picked up where he had left off before the interruption. “As I stated, the senate has decided that we do not need to appoint a dictator in these circumstances” he glanced towards Capitolinus as he spoke. “Our concerns have risen over recent months” he said as he leant one arm across the rostrum and looked out at the senators. “Volscans, Etruscans, Latins, Hernici” he shook his head. “The list of tribes who fight against our rule grows every day. We have put off this concern, gentlemen, allowing our thoughts to move towards rebuilding our own city and dedicating new temples to the gods who have stood over us and allowed us their favour in these troubled times. Yet now the time has come to resolve these issues. Their actions force our hand. Antiates is but one of many cities which require these raiders to be forcibly removed from their lands, for the aggressors to be stamped on by the feet of our soldiers and removed from our thoughts once and for all. You have heard that the army in the field is several thousand strong, so we must match it with an army of equal size and strength. I thank the gods that we have Camillus as Tribune, for surely we would have thought it necessary to vote a dictator in these circumstances if he had not already been in office.” He turned towards Marcus and nodded. “Surely the gods have given us a man who we can all trust to lead us in this war” he added as Capitolinus, once again shot to his feet and was pulled quickly back by his clan members. After heads had returned from the noise made by Capitolinus, Iulius continued. “We have five good men, under the leadership of Camillus, who can lead our glorious armies to success against our enemies. Our Tribunes will confer and confirm their battle plans and we will, with the grace of the gods, support our neighbours in their hour of need.” He turned to the Antiate ambassadors and nodded as they nodded their replies. With a final turn he looked up to Marcus and gestured for him to speak. Somewhat abashed Marcus stood and looked around at the men of the senate.
“I am humbled, as a simple man, to be asked to lead the forces against our enemies once again” he said as he looked down at his clasped hands. He gazed at the ambassadors and smiled. “I am certain that the outlook for Rome is threatening but not dangerous. Our enemies fight with young boys and men used to farming, not fighting wars. Our army, as a paid force of well-trained men, will prevail once more. We” he raised an arm and allowed it to circle the room slowly “have seen many battles in recent months. Against farmers for the most part, young hot-heads who are angry at the roles the gods have given them in life. Yet we cannot allow ourselves to think that there is no danger. We cannot treat these attacks with indifference. My fellow tribunes will, no doubt, agree with me that hatred is all around us, that our enemies are spreading lies and sedition everywhere. So we must do two things, gentlemen. We must stamp out this threat, as my esteemed friend has suggested. But we must also prepare for the future. Rome can no longer look down at its feet and claim that it understands the feelings of the city states around us. We must look up and see what is happening across the land, knowing where enemies lurk, rooting out hatred of our gods and our laws, stamping on those who do not follow our ways” he added with a look to Iulius. “We must sacrifice to the gods so that we can understand what they want from us. We should look abroad gentlemen, and we should know what Rome intends for those we conquer. How often do they come back and bite us repeatedly like a mosquito in the marshes that we cannot catch? Each bite burns deeper into our resources, taking more of our vitality and strength. Gentlemen, we must learn to wage war on our enemies, not to smack them as we would a naughty child. Those that oppose us should be destroyed. Utterly” he added with a cold look in his eyes. “We should resettle our own soldiers on their lands, put our own magistrates in charge of their cities, feed Roman families with the produce of these new farms and strengthen our homeland. We must expand the Roman frontier, assume command of territories as if they were our own border and defend it with all our strength and the love of the gods. Without this approach, we will be forever fighting wars on every front, taking our young men from their homes and leaving their blood on the fields of strangers. This is not what the gods want from us, they want us to conquer our enemies. This is our future” He looked around at the faces of the senators as they watched him in silence. “We must create a stronger Republic. A state in which every man can play his part, strengthen his family bonds and worship his gods. Today marks the start of that journey, friends. We will set out to support Antiate, and each step we take will make Rome a stronger city, a stronger Republic. The sale of the slaves from our last campaign filled the city vaults with enough wealth to pay for more men to join our legions, for better equipment, for more horses and supplies. I, with support from you” he took a moment to allow his ga
ze to circle the room. “Will build more ships, create stronger defences and add another eight cohorts of paid soldiers to our legions.” He gripped his toga again as he looked to Iulius before speaking. “We have previously agreed to add four new tribes to the order, the Stellatine, the Tromentine, the Sabatine, and the Arnian. These good men, men who have spilled their blood for Rome, will be the backbone of these new cohorts, with their own leaders voted to champion their men. I ask Fabius Fidenas to lead those men who will camp at the gates of Rome, defending our houses as the main army marches to Antiate. Publius Valerius I ask to be joint commander of forces for your counsel and wise tactics in warfare. Lucius Horatius, of the Aetius clan, I ask you to make good all weapons and military equipment, drawn from the public purse to ensure each man who stands in the legions will not be lacking anything which could help us to victory, for it is known that your skill in manufacture is second to none.” He glanced to Flavius Aetius, whose dark eyes looked at him impassively despite the curl of a smile on his lips. “I ask Titus Cincinnatus to hold the title of leader of the council of the state until the war is finished, supported by Gaius Javenoli, our spiritual leader. In this way we will maintain the law and order in the city that troubles many of our leading men at present.” At this he paused to look around the room before slowly nodding to Iulius and seating himself next to his brother, who placed a hand on his shoulder before clapping his hands together as a thunderous applause broke out across the room.
As soon as the noise dimmed Iulius stood and turned to the senate. “Surely, gentlemen, we will be victorious in the eyes of the gods on this campaign. The Republic does not need one leader when such men as those we have just heard from are in office, surely the gods are with us on this journey to a new Rome. What strength we have, gentlemen, when each man is able to work so harmoniously in command, to share the burden and toil of leadership, prepared equally to share the burden of command or to obey, prepared to give glory to their homeland instead of looking to take this glory to themselves” he added loudly as men around him clapped and agreed heartily. “Our forces will secure new lands for Rome. We will be victorious.”
The King of Rome Page 25
