- Location
- Italia
[X] Plan Carota et Bacculum
Res Publica: A Quest of Ancient Rome
- Thread starter Telamon
- Start date
- Original Historic
- Location
- Hawaii
[X] Plan Divide et Impera
-[X] Accept Spurio's offer, and have him and his soldiers simply sneak out of town one night, reducing the forces in the town by a good fifty men.
--[X] Offer him only 6 talents, a tenth of our wealth. He isn't taking the same risk so he doesn't get the same reward.
--[X] If Spurio rejects your offer or doesn't leave, tell the defenders about his offer.
--[X] After Spurio's desertion or rejection of our proposal, offer the town one last chance to surrender and guarantee that everyone with the exception of the ringleaders will be spared. If they don't take you up on your generous offer, the consequences will be most dire. Rome doesn't tolerate defiance twice. If they surrender, enslave them all.
-[X] Charge
-[X] Vae Victis
--[X] Leave at least few alive and free in order to spread the word about the town's fate.
-[X] Accept Spurio's offer, and have him and his soldiers simply sneak out of town one night, reducing the forces in the town by a good fifty men.
--[X] Offer him only 6 talents, a tenth of our wealth. He isn't taking the same risk so he doesn't get the same reward.
--[X] If Spurio rejects your offer or doesn't leave, tell the defenders about his offer.
--[X] After Spurio's desertion or rejection of our proposal, offer the town one last chance to surrender and guarantee that everyone with the exception of the ringleaders will be spared. If they don't take you up on your generous offer, the consequences will be most dire. Rome doesn't tolerate defiance twice. If they surrender, enslave them all.
-[X] Charge
-[X] Vae Victis
--[X] Leave at least few alive and free in order to spread the word about the town's fate.
If we pay him he will just join the larger army and bring them 10 talents to further their cause. We need to kill as many of these armed rebels as we can in penny packets, not pay them a fortune to consolidate their forces.
Mr.Controll
Lord of the un-nessisary thread bump.
- Location
- The 5th dimention
Being too nice backfired last time. Therefore, my vote is going to be
[X] Plan Fuck this guy and this town too
[X] Plan Fuck this guy and this town too
UbeOne
Daydreaming CPU
- Location
- Philippines
- Pronouns
- She/Her
xa na xa
A.E.I.O.U. - Antarticae est imperare orbi universo
- Location
- σ Octantis
This guy Spurio is insane.
Rome has an official going rate for traitors: 30 pieces of silver. (it's even written down in the prophecies of some cult in Judea; look it up!)
Half a silver for each of these guys and five for Spurio to vanish in the night while we look the other way is an (dis)honest wage for a (dis)honest day's work like that. Each of them getting a moneybag with that much coin in it, I'd expect them to become loyal auxiliaries of the VIth legion for the rest of campaign. Loyal as far as one would expect of people recruited by such means.
But that motherfucker wants to shake us for 1/6th of our loot!!
To make a comparison in a modern context, it's as if some US commander was asked for a bribe by a Taliban village chief, but instead of the request being a duffel-bag full of benjamins, it was 1/6th of the annual budget of the international occupation force in Afghanistan. The disparity doesn't translate exactly, but the orders of magnitude of the difference are comparable.
But he talks about talents... TALENTS, PLURAL!!!
Why has the meaning of the word "talent" shifted from an amount of money to its modern meaning? Because it was so much money that it got you things that you weren't supposed to get with money. That's how much money it was.
I'm suspecting it's some devious plan to destroy our reputation, so that our name becomes synonymous with "that idiot that bought his worthless and hollow victories with fortunes by bribing his enemies that snickered behind his back while they pocketed his gold".
Hell, just think about what it will do the morale of the troops. Remember all the effort we put down in writing to Scaevola, to get their backpay, for getting strings to be pulled to get at the guy that was siphoning off the money? All that will be forgotten, along with any gratitude we got for doing this, when they learn that legion resources on the same kind of scale were given away. We would be pissing away a previous action and roll that went extremely well for us.
So my only dilemma is whether to laugh in his face, draw my gladius and decapitate him right here and right then and answer his proposal with "No." before his head bounces on the ground, or make soothing noises that of course we agree with whatever he has in mind, as one does with madmen, and send him back whilst planning to do whatever course of action that least involves his delusions.
First in my mind is that we want no siege. The whole point of the Sulla Redux plan with having the first cohort and having a light touch with the slaving, desecrating, razing, and looting of Aequum Tuticum was that so we could move hard and fast on Aeclanum.
Sertorius did not detach his best cohort to sit on its ass and waste precious time while ha moves around Nola. The sooner the cohort can participate in strategic manoeuvres with the legion's main body, the better. Velocity, initiative, concentration of force and momentum and inertia are the military principles we should have in mind at the moment.
Mercator's plan is the natural and logical conclusion along those line, taking into account both our earlier actions and the overall strategic situation.
[X] Plan Mercator Revised
-[X] Reject Spurio's offer
- [X] Charge
- [X] Vae Victis
A sneak attack is valuable if force protection was of high priority, but with the odds ratio of 50 bandits and 350 farmers against the 600 best legionnaires of a whole legion, it wouldn't make much of a difference when they are so decisively in our favour in both quality and quantity. Also, what it saves in blood a sneak attack costs in time compared to an immediate attack, and "speed is life" is a valid military motto. That's before taking into account that the use of such a stratagem always has a backfire risk, bribery or no bribery with lunatics.
Both the carrot and stick plan and the divide and conquer plan involve haggling with Spurio, and haggling with Spurio is not saving money, it's reducing the nominal price tag of your booby prize.
Better to let Aequum Tuticum and Aeclanum serves as examples of carrot and stick, or how to divide Aequum Tuticum apart from the enemy while Aeclanum is conquered.
Rome has an official going rate for traitors: 30 pieces of silver. (it's even written down in the prophecies of some cult in Judea; look it up!)
Half a silver for each of these guys and five for Spurio to vanish in the night while we look the other way is an (dis)honest wage for a (dis)honest day's work like that. Each of them getting a moneybag with that much coin in it, I'd expect them to become loyal auxiliaries of the VIth legion for the rest of campaign. Loyal as far as one would expect of people recruited by such means.
But that motherfucker wants to shake us for 1/6th of our loot!!
To make a comparison in a modern context, it's as if some US commander was asked for a bribe by a Taliban village chief, but instead of the request being a duffel-bag full of benjamins, it was 1/6th of the annual budget of the international occupation force in Afghanistan. The disparity doesn't translate exactly, but the orders of magnitude of the difference are comparable.
But he talks about talents... TALENTS, PLURAL!!!
Why has the meaning of the word "talent" shifted from an amount of money to its modern meaning? Because it was so much money that it got you things that you weren't supposed to get with money. That's how much money it was.
I'm suspecting it's some devious plan to destroy our reputation, so that our name becomes synonymous with "that idiot that bought his worthless and hollow victories with fortunes by bribing his enemies that snickered behind his back while they pocketed his gold".
Hell, just think about what it will do the morale of the troops. Remember all the effort we put down in writing to Scaevola, to get their backpay, for getting strings to be pulled to get at the guy that was siphoning off the money? All that will be forgotten, along with any gratitude we got for doing this, when they learn that legion resources on the same kind of scale were given away. We would be pissing away a previous action and roll that went extremely well for us.
So my only dilemma is whether to laugh in his face, draw my gladius and decapitate him right here and right then and answer his proposal with "No." before his head bounces on the ground, or make soothing noises that of course we agree with whatever he has in mind, as one does with madmen, and send him back whilst planning to do whatever course of action that least involves his delusions.
First in my mind is that we want no siege. The whole point of the Sulla Redux plan with having the first cohort and having a light touch with the slaving, desecrating, razing, and looting of Aequum Tuticum was that so we could move hard and fast on Aeclanum.
Sertorius did not detach his best cohort to sit on its ass and waste precious time while ha moves around Nola. The sooner the cohort can participate in strategic manoeuvres with the legion's main body, the better. Velocity, initiative, concentration of force and momentum and inertia are the military principles we should have in mind at the moment.
Mercator's plan is the natural and logical conclusion along those line, taking into account both our earlier actions and the overall strategic situation.
[X] Plan Mercator Revised
-[X] Reject Spurio's offer
- [X] Charge
- [X] Vae Victis
A sneak attack is valuable if force protection was of high priority, but with the odds ratio of 50 bandits and 350 farmers against the 600 best legionnaires of a whole legion, it wouldn't make much of a difference when they are so decisively in our favour in both quality and quantity. Also, what it saves in blood a sneak attack costs in time compared to an immediate attack, and "speed is life" is a valid military motto. That's before taking into account that the use of such a stratagem always has a backfire risk, bribery or no bribery with lunatics.
Both the carrot and stick plan and the divide and conquer plan involve haggling with Spurio, and haggling with Spurio is not saving money, it's reducing the nominal price tag of your booby prize.
Better to let Aequum Tuticum and Aeclanum serves as examples of carrot and stick, or how to divide Aequum Tuticum apart from the enemy while Aeclanum is conquered.
- Location
- Canada
[X] Plan Mercator Revised
- Location
- United States
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Plan Mercator Revised
-[X] Reject Spurio's offer
- [X] Charge
- [X] Vae Victis
-[X] Reject Spurio's offer
- [X] Charge
- [X] Vae Victis
- Location
- Mid-Atlantic
Alternatively, we could assume that the grouchy, literally-scarred veteran is the voice of the QM and knows everything and has his priorities right.
Seriously, I refuse to just decide that we made a mistake based on one man's say-so.
As for the battle-plan I'm thinking fierce and overwhelming, but need to look over the plans more.
Claytonimor
WE WILL TAKE JERUSALEM
- Location
- Loudon, TN
[X] Plan Mercator Revised
-[X] Reject Spurio's offer
- [X] Charge
- [X] Vae Victis
-[X] Reject Spurio's offer
- [X] Charge
- [X] Vae Victis
Professor Vesca
Good News Everyone!
[X] Plan Mercator Revised
- Location
- Classified
So, side note, just watched the Historia Civilas video on the Pontifex Maximus.
The relevant bit about the College of Pontiffs starts at 2:35. Basically, they work with the Pontifex Maximus to decide religious & moral laws, and sit as judges of religious law cases. When one of its members dies, they meet to elect another. They primarily pick their new members from young aristocrats, where they learn on the job. The position is a lifetime appointment, and there's no conflict with having a normal political career at the same time. Now, our house is currently rather battered, but we've got the pedigree, and we've got a good relationship with Scaevola. It'll be hard, and require a good deal of luck, but I'd like to take advantage of our association with the high priest of Rome and see if we can't get strong enough to be able to secure a position. It would be years before we would be ready to even try, but it's something to look forward to.
The relevant bit about the College of Pontiffs starts at 2:35. Basically, they work with the Pontifex Maximus to decide religious & moral laws, and sit as judges of religious law cases. When one of its members dies, they meet to elect another. They primarily pick their new members from young aristocrats, where they learn on the job. The position is a lifetime appointment, and there's no conflict with having a normal political career at the same time. Now, our house is currently rather battered, but we've got the pedigree, and we've got a good relationship with Scaevola. It'll be hard, and require a good deal of luck, but I'd like to take advantage of our association with the high priest of Rome and see if we can't get strong enough to be able to secure a position. It would be years before we would be ready to even try, but it's something to look forward to.
- Location
- Mid-Atlantic
Welp, since this is the place that hosted the actual army (or mini-army), this is the place that gets flattened.
[X] Plan Mercator Revised
- [X] Refuse
- [X] Charge
- [X] Vae Victis
[X] Plan Mercator Revised
- [X] Refuse
- [X] Charge
- [X] Vae Victis
- Location
- Orlando,FL
Useful for giving our faction more legitimacy
The most i can see us do immeidatly would be start using our position to fuck with pompei, frame him for some high tier blasphomy(not sure how we could pull that off really) and chase him out of rome. Long term we might be able to consolidate the main roman cults into one single religion which is very hard and would probably be a very, very longterm goal
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Panory
The Omake Dragon
- Location
- New York
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Alternatively, we could let him betray the the town, then reward him... as a traitor deserves. It would be a pretty Roman thing to do.
- Location
- Tarn-Vedra
[X] Plan Mercator Revised
ThatGuyWithIdeas
Treize died for our sins
- Location
- Romania
I must question why people are voting for Mercator Revised when Carota et Bacculum is basically the same, but done smartly. Not making some use of the traitor and charging the town seems like a bad idea that will only ensure that we will lose men, whereas Carota et Bacculum causes infighting between Sammites and makes it easier for us to take over the town.