Res Publica: A Quest of Ancient Rome

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We really need to work on logistics if we plan to be a career military officer. Also let's at least get stewardship to the point where it does not have a malus.
 
KnightofTempest said:
Assassinated after killing his son to assume control of the Bosporan Kingdom. He was in the process of raising 20,000 troops from the Bosporan Kingdom to retake Pontus at the time
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The common legend is him asking his bodyguard to stab him to death, because he couldn't take poison. It's far from impossible that the legend covers basic betrayal, but it's not a sure thing either.
 
Thyreus said:
I just wanted to know how the market looks like. See if there is someone, real or fictional, that might catch the eye.
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Pompey has a sister if we wanted to continue our military career with further connections

Plus Pompey's Dad was a Consul as well so there's political connections there as well
 
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SzechuanSauce said:
I feel that Cassianus doesn't really have much characterization, understandable as we have just met him a few turns ago, so here's my attempt at it.
As the magnificent ball of fire known as the sun ascended towards the heights of Mount Olympus, officially signaling the start of the day for most men, some men had been up for a while before the rise of the sun. Specifically, these men had been given the honor (Or burden, as they sometimes felt) of being in charge of nearly ten thousand men, so their work was hard, their days long, and relaxation was scarce. Still, there was relaxation and rest even with such a strenuous occupation, and in those rare moments, one was asked a peculiar question.

"Have you ever been in a fight, Atellus?"

Of all the things that one Quintus Cingulatus Atellus, tribune of the 6th legion, and current company of Scipio Cassianus, it was not about whether or not he had ever been in a fight. He had expected something much more mundane (Well, what constitutes as mundane for a Roman military officer in Asia Minor) than if he had ever crossed blades with another man before. Perhaps he was going to ask him what the Pontifex Maximus was like in person, or if he could relay the wise words of Philo of Larissa.

He was somewhat thankful that the question was not the latter, it would be quite a blow to his pride if more knew that even he could not comprehend the complex philosophical teachings of Philo of Larissa.

Now thinking the unexpected remark over, after his initial shock at such a question had been subued, he found the inquiry to be rather insulting. He was a follower of Mars Invictus, a man of the legion, an officer who had fought the Samnites, razed their cities, and killed their best. Of course he had been in a fight before!

As if reading his mind, or taking notice of the increasingly offended look he was adopting, Scipio Cassianus opted to try and clarify what he meant by "Fight". "No, my friend, I do not mean crossing blades with the barbarians in Samnium or in our current location, I mean a true fight."

"Its common belief that crossing blades with the barbarians is the most true fight of them all."

"Well common belief can kiss my fucking arse."

Again shocked, but not too much this time by the language, Atellus merely raised an eyebrow as Cassianus moved in to say his piece, "I mean a real godsdamned fight, no polite introductions, no bowing your fucking head in respect, no maneuvering, none of that patrician horseshit."

As Cassianus rambled on, Atellus was starting to understand why he didn't think honorable combat was a true fight. Keeping in mind his comrade's plebian origins, and his very privileged upbringing in comparison, what he saw as common belief may not be as common as he thought.

"When I say a fucking fight, I mean getting as close as possible to the bastard as you can. I mean, putting your fist right in the bastard's fucking face, watching him tumble, watching him fall. Seeing him get back up, looking at the blood on his face, feeling the blood on your fist, nothing is as exhilarating as that feeling."

While rather crude in description, Atellus felt he knew what that was, "You speak of a brawl." Ah, brawls, where one man engaged another with their fists, or what there might be laying around he could use as a weapon. Atellus has seen many a brawls before, mostly in the form of drunken legionaries off duty, but has never been in one himself.

"Ay, call it a brawl, call it what you will, men are never more honest than at those moments."

"Oh? How so?"

"Because, in a true fight, where all is laid bare, where passion overtakes all others, men are never more honest than at that moment of passion."

"Enlighten me, Cassianus, on why exactly passion leads to honesty."

With a light gasp of false shock, Cassianus put on a cocky smirk at what had been said and with dramatic exaggeration, spoke, "Why, this, this is greatest honor I have ever received. Rising to bear the ancient and noble name of the Scipio of the gens Cornelia, it is not such an honor in comparison. To serve under the Third Founder of Rome, he who saved Rome in her darkest hour, and whom bequeathed upon me the honor of leading the legion blessed by Mars himself, it is not such an honor as compared to this. To be asked to enlighten a patrician, me, a common plebian, that honor surpasses all."

With the way he spoke, and the way his body swayed in great dramatic fashion, Atellus thought to himself that Cassianus would have been a fine actor should he have pursued it. Yet Atellus did not voice this deadpan observation of him, lest he partake in the first brawl of his life.

"Oh, what great twists my life has been given, that my greatest honor came not from the great old wolves of Rome, but from a babe, a baby wolf who's fangs are not yet fully grown."

Atellus gritted his teeth at being called a babe, he felt frustration at being called a child, and felt anger at the hypocrisy as Cassianus was hardly a man grown himself, "Be careful of what you say, Cassianus, I shall not stand to be insulted."

Cassianus seemed more amused than frightened at the younger man's statement, "Oh, the little wolf shows me his fangs, do you think to intimidate me with such meager teeth?"

"However small they may be, fangs are still fangs, they draw blood as well as any weapon."

"It may spill my blood, true, but shall it kill me? Here I stand before you." He said, raising himself to full height, "Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken, the heir to the great name of Scipio Africanus and co-head of the 6th Legion Blessed by Mars, lead under the Third Founder of Rome. I, naught but a common plebian have risen high, many men, far better men than you, have attempted to drag me down and not one has succeeded."

"Ay, many men have tried, but I am not just any man." He said, rising to his full height as a challenge to Cassianus, "I am Quintus Cingulatus Atellus, heir to the great Cingulatii, slayer of the Samnites, and your fellow head of the 6th Legion." As he spoke, he came closer to Cassianus, "As I said before, I shall say it again." By now, they were staring at each other, face to face, daring the other to blink "I shall not stand to be insulted, plebian."

At being called plebian, and in such a tone that it seemed to contain venom, instead of lashing out and subjecting Atellus to his first real brawl as the man was half expecting, he was instead given the great sound of laughter.

"Ah, Atellus, you are much more than I could have ever imagined." He said in between his laughter, and Atellus felt himself confused at the turn of event, "Explain yourself Cassianus, what is it you find so amusing." Atellus demanded his fellow co-commander.

"Oh Atellus, it is the most amusing of things, and such a rare thing." By now, Cassianus had tamed his laughter and looked straight at Atellus with a face full of amusement while he was given a face full of confusion, "I have made you answer your question without you knowing."

"When I goaded you, Atellus, what did you feel?"

At that, he was starting to understand his actions, his odd theatrics, and his attempts at mockery "Frustrated, angered, passionate, honest." He spoke laconically.

"And there you see it, the honesty of it all. It draws our innermost instincts, our deep sated ambitions, who we truly are, as you have shown."

"What I truly am? What I have shown? Well, Cassianus, I have seen what you truly are, as you have shown me."

"Oh, and what is that Atellus?"

"I have seen a man full of pride. A man proud of how much he has done by his own hands, and his alone." Atellus stated, and looking at him directly, he did not seem to object at the analysis, "You are a proud man, and more than that, I can see that you are an ambitious man."

"An ambitious man am I?"

"Do you deny that you are, in fact, ambitious?" He questioned him, and was given a shake of the head, "No, I am, in fact, an ambitious man." He seemed to have said in silence.

"Oh, but where shall this ambition of yours? You have risen high, it is true, none may deny that, but so did Icarus. As you have, Icarus was overcome with joy at leaving his old lot in life, to finally leave behind all that held him back, to spread his newly given wings and give flight. And fly he did, higher, ever so higher, until finally, the sun extinguished his wings. Tell me Cassianus, what makes you believe that you shall not fly into the sun as poor Icarus once did?"

"Because." Cassianus stated with all the confidence in the world, "I am not Icarus, I am Cassianus."
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I suppose I find issue in this because Atellus HAS been in a situation where things like "honor" or any other pretense of civility has been stripped away: Nola.

Cheers for the content (And congrats on getting canonized) but I think this is an incredibly uncharitable read of Atellus
 
KnightofTempest said:
I haven't reread the prior chapters, refresh my memory real quick, what did we do to fuck him over?
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Pompey was going to enact a plot that was going to kill a lot of romans in by causing riots. Under the cover of riots Pompey legions would attack the Marians. So we told our Patron and he took care of it because there was a good chance it would not succeed. The slave we sent was killed and dumped into the river. Pompey was not happy.
 
DamnedAeons 187 said:
I suppose I find issue in this because Atellus HAS been in a situation where things like "honor" or any other pretense of civility has been stripped away: Nola.

Cheers for the content (And congrats on getting canonized) but I think this is an incredibly uncharitable read of Atellus
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Remember that Cassianus is actively trying to get a rise out of Atellus, so if Atellus seems to come out of it as some sort of privileged punk who never once got his hands dirty, that's kind of the point.
 
SzechuanSauce said:
Remember that Cassianus is actively trying to get a rise out of Atellus, so if Atellus seems to come out of it as some sort of privileged punk who never once got his hands dirty, that's kind of the point.
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Except he isn't, he's gone over the wall in a siege, he's gone hungry during the siege, he's been on the ground in the thick of combat. He's not some ponce who shirks at the sign of violence or crass language. He's a Roman who's taken cities and led armies.

TL;DR He isn't some genteel Brit who's daddy's money got him a cushy officer job, he's a Roman who's bloodied and capable.
 
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Ok so the first bit of information we had of Sulla and Marius was


As you play a deadly game at a snail's pace in Samnium, word reaches from Rome, news from the east -- Sulla has taken Athens, the greatest and most ancient of the cities of Greece, and his vengeance has been fierce indeed. Reports say the city burned for seven days and seven nights, and that the Sullan legions have sacked it so thoroughly that there remains not a nugget of gold in the whole of the city. They say Sulla himself ordered the Acropolis fired, and that not even the pleas of the Athenians could turn his heart. Lastly, he has bested the armies of the Pontic King Mithridates Eupator in battle, and driven him across the Hellespont into Asia.

Greece is under Roman rule again -- but Rome herself is divided. Even as Sulla triumphs, Marius has landed in Asia, defeating Mithridates' forces from the opposite side of his kingdom, and is even now carving a path of destruction across Asia. Towns and cities turn to the legendary general's side as he marches for the Hellespont, Greece, and Sulla. Rome, it seems, is conquering Pontus from both ends -- but who shall conquer Rome?

Sulla took Greece sacked Athens and than drove Mithridites into Asia. While Marius invades from the other side and proceed to kill every man that got in his way on the other side of the kingdom.
 
DamnedAeons 187 said:
Except he isn't, he's gone over the wall in a siege, he's gone hungry during the siege, he's been on the ground in the thick of combat. He's not some ponce who shirks at the sign of violence or crass language. He's a Roman who's taken cities and led armies.

TL;DR He isn't some genteel Brit who's daddy's money got him a cushy officer job, he's a Roman who's bloodied and capable.
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While I wouldn't use the terminology "never got his hands dirty," Atellus is 19. He was raised on a villa in the Roman countryside. He's spent a year-plus living as a Roman officer — rough, yes, in the thick of battle, yes, as a soldier, yes. He's a soldier of Rome, and no man would question his bravery on the battlefield.

But he's never held a plow, and his hands show that. He's never been in a barroom brawl. He's gone hungry for months, during a siege — he's never *known* hunger for years, never hung over the pit and not known where his next meal is coming from or how his children will eat. He may know how to turn his voice for a great speech, but he doesn't know how to turn his voice to call for certain women in certain neighborhoods of Rome. If our young Tribune were to go for a walk in the Suburra and the plebian slums, every man, woman, and child could name him a patrician and a blueblood from his walk alone. He does not speak as the soldiers speak, but as the men who lead them speak. He eats all his meals every day with the officers, and when the legion returns to Rome, he spends his time with the rich and the wealthy and the powerful.

His men love him, to be sure, for he has fought with them and bled with them. But be sure they are well aware of all these things that Atellus has not done, things which men like Cassianus and Marius were born to.
 
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