Res Publica: A Quest of Ancient Rome
- Thread starter Telamon
- Start date
- Original Historic
- Location
- At your local SPCA
Plan The Way:
[X] The Law
[X] Optimiate
[X] Traditionalist
GM, is it alright if we do an omake to find a Roman Engineer? I have a few ideas to upgrade siege equipment.
[X] The Law
[X] Optimiate
[X] Traditionalist
GM, is it alright if we do an omake to find a Roman Engineer? I have a few ideas to upgrade siege equipment.
Telamon
A corvid.
- Location
- Texas
Omakes are accepted, and you're certainly gifted enough in Military and Intelligence to have some genuine insights to the usage/construction of siege equipment. Keep it realistic, though — don't invent counterweight trebuchets a dozen centuries early, for example.
- Location
- the netherlands
PLAN SOLID MIN-MAX [X]
The Priesthood [X]
Law [X]
Debt Collection [X]
Exhibition [X]
Recitals [X]
The Priesthood [X]
Law [X]
Debt Collection [X]
Exhibition [X]
Recitals [X]
- Location
- The Middle of the Howling Wilderness
But... what if we need to launch a 90kg projectile over 300 meters?
[X] Plan Cicero
Politics:
[X] Populares
-[X] Idealist
Connections:
[X] The Priesthood
Education:
[X] Law
Favors:
[X] Training
Free Time:
[X] Exhibition
[X] Recitals
Reasoning: Idealist to define ourselves as a moderate reformer, Priesthood + Law to get the most out of our time with Scaevola, Training + Exhibition to improve our Military in preparation for our ten years as a tribune, and Recitals to put us in contact with Cicero and his circle of allies.
Politics:
[X] Populares
-[X] Idealist
Connections:
[X] The Priesthood
Education:
[X] Law
Favors:
[X] Training
Free Time:
[X] Exhibition
[X] Recitals
Reasoning: Idealist to define ourselves as a moderate reformer, Priesthood + Law to get the most out of our time with Scaevola, Training + Exhibition to improve our Military in preparation for our ten years as a tribune, and Recitals to put us in contact with Cicero and his circle of allies.
- Location
- il bel paese dove il sì sona
- Pronouns
- He
So many choices!
But @Publicola's
[X] Plan Cicero
Is what I find more convincing at the moment.
The only thing about which I am not sure is going to the recitals rather than debates and being an Idealist Popularis rather than a Conservative Optimas.
But getting to know the priesthood (which in Rome was mostly not a separate body from "civil society") and getting a law education are the reasons we chose Scaevola, so for me they are basically locked-in.
The favors are all interesting options, but I am swayed by the perspective of playing some role in defending Scaevola's life, considering where the attempt on his life took place (if things go really well there might even be a marriage with Mucia Tertia being offered out of gratitude?).
But @Publicola's
[X] Plan Cicero
Is what I find more convincing at the moment.
The only thing about which I am not sure is going to the recitals rather than debates and being an Idealist Popularis rather than a Conservative Optimas.
But getting to know the priesthood (which in Rome was mostly not a separate body from "civil society") and getting a law education are the reasons we chose Scaevola, so for me they are basically locked-in.
The favors are all interesting options, but I am swayed by the perspective of playing some role in defending Scaevola's life, considering where the attempt on his life took place (if things go really well there might even be a marriage with Mucia Tertia being offered out of gratitude?).
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- Location
- USA
[X] Plan Cicero
Solidarity behind this plan. A touch concerned by not matching our Patton's faction, but I'm okay with how the idealist sees things
Solidarity behind this plan. A touch concerned by not matching our Patton's faction, but I'm okay with how the idealist sees things
[x] Plan: Shaping Silvery Spoken Soldier
Against the wagon it seems, well man fighting the tide of mass is fitting with the quest. 
Politics:
[x] Populares: You believe in the freedom and equality of all Roman citizens, in the right of every Roman to his own word and voice. This, to you, overrides all other concerns. You speak to the people, telling them that you might see their dreams fulfilled.
-[x] Idealist: You do not simply pay lip service to the ideas of honesty and fairness. Plebian or patrician alike, all Romans should stand equally and have their voices heard. For is every citizen not a Roman true?
Connections:
[x] The Soldiery The armies of Marius, Suetonius, and Cinna are even now encamped in Rome. Officers, Tribunes, and commanders from over seven legions spend their days and nights whiling away the time while trying to keep their legionnaires at the ready should Sulla return. Brawling and looting is not an uncommon occurrence in the streets near to the camps, and the nights often gleam with fires started by a handful of soldiers who had too much to drink. Associating with these officers is dangerous -- if not to your person, then to your reputation -- but may hold many rewards. Men will fight all the harder for one who has drunk with them and traded blows with them. If your constitution is strong enough to handle it, this may be a good stepping stone to earning the love of the army -- and in Rome, he who is loved by the army is loved by the people.
Education:
[x] Law: Scaevola is the lawyer. He has single-handedly reworked and rewritten many of the most antiquated and obsolete laws of the Republic, and created many of his own. His treatises on civil law and jurisprudence have become almost mythical among Roman advocates in his own lifetime, and his simplification and codification of some of the most complex laws of the Republic served to make him a household name long before he became Pontifex. His speeches stand as some of the finest works of oratory not only of your time, but of Roman history. There is no better teacher in the law, living or dead.(Speech, Oratory, and Law ++++)
Favors:
[x] Training: Scaevola has hired a new batch of guards for the the College of the Vestal Virgins, in order to protect the holy priestesses from the depredations of lesser men. Of course, these guards must be thoroughly evaluated and trained to ensure that they are both not a threat to the priestesses and that they are capable of protecting the sacred sisters themselves. Scaevola has placed you in charge of training these men, and has indirectly placed the fate of Rome's holiest women in your hands.
Free Time:
[x] Debates Men of scholarly or political bent often gather in the Forum to hold debates. Those with a sharp tongue and a quick mind might even win the love of the people by soundly defeating a foe in a public contest of minds, and draw the attention of like-minded men.
[x] Attend the Senate: Though only Senators may speak, Senate meetings are free for all Roman citizens to attend. In order to learn of the world which you hope to enter, and better integrate yourself with the people you hope to one day count your peers, you sit in on most every Senate meeting held after your arrival to the city.
[x] Populares: You believe in the freedom and equality of all Roman citizens, in the right of every Roman to his own word and voice. This, to you, overrides all other concerns. You speak to the people, telling them that you might see their dreams fulfilled.
-[x] Idealist: You do not simply pay lip service to the ideas of honesty and fairness. Plebian or patrician alike, all Romans should stand equally and have their voices heard. For is every citizen not a Roman true?
Connections:
[x] The Soldiery The armies of Marius, Suetonius, and Cinna are even now encamped in Rome. Officers, Tribunes, and commanders from over seven legions spend their days and nights whiling away the time while trying to keep their legionnaires at the ready should Sulla return. Brawling and looting is not an uncommon occurrence in the streets near to the camps, and the nights often gleam with fires started by a handful of soldiers who had too much to drink. Associating with these officers is dangerous -- if not to your person, then to your reputation -- but may hold many rewards. Men will fight all the harder for one who has drunk with them and traded blows with them. If your constitution is strong enough to handle it, this may be a good stepping stone to earning the love of the army -- and in Rome, he who is loved by the army is loved by the people.
Education:
[x] Law: Scaevola is the lawyer. He has single-handedly reworked and rewritten many of the most antiquated and obsolete laws of the Republic, and created many of his own. His treatises on civil law and jurisprudence have become almost mythical among Roman advocates in his own lifetime, and his simplification and codification of some of the most complex laws of the Republic served to make him a household name long before he became Pontifex. His speeches stand as some of the finest works of oratory not only of your time, but of Roman history. There is no better teacher in the law, living or dead.(Speech, Oratory, and Law ++++)
Favors:
[x] Training: Scaevola has hired a new batch of guards for the the College of the Vestal Virgins, in order to protect the holy priestesses from the depredations of lesser men. Of course, these guards must be thoroughly evaluated and trained to ensure that they are both not a threat to the priestesses and that they are capable of protecting the sacred sisters themselves. Scaevola has placed you in charge of training these men, and has indirectly placed the fate of Rome's holiest women in your hands.
Free Time:
[x] Debates Men of scholarly or political bent often gather in the Forum to hold debates. Those with a sharp tongue and a quick mind might even win the love of the people by soundly defeating a foe in a public contest of minds, and draw the attention of like-minded men.
[x] Attend the Senate: Though only Senators may speak, Senate meetings are free for all Roman citizens to attend. In order to learn of the world which you hope to enter, and better integrate yourself with the people you hope to one day count your peers, you sit in on most every Senate meeting held after your arrival to the city.
Well, the bandwagon has left the station, but I'll throw this up just in case it interests people. (I quite like Plan Cicero anyway, so I'm pretty happy however things play out.)
[X] Plan Hortensius
Right. I think we're all relatively agreed on Education and Favors, and slightly less so on Connections, so I'll focus on the other choices.
-Politics: I wentConservative Optimate Traditionalist Optimate because it feels like a natural outgrowth of the time we would have grown up in. (Populares have been causing trouble for around the last fifty years.) There's more flexibility in it than the Traditional option (which reads to me as hardcore Catonian), and (again, IMO) seems the closest match to the politic of Cicero and Drusus the Younger. There's also the fact that, OTL, after the death of Catulus and the effective retirements of Hortensius and Lucullus, the Optimates lacked anyone with the dignitas and auctoritas to provide a counterbalance for Cato and his ilk. There's a possible opportunity there, both to increase our own standing and possibly even to preserve the Republic.
-Free Time: Is a misnomer. As an aspiring Roman politician, we no longer have free time. This is marketing, which means we need to opt for things that a) we are good at, and b) are things that appeal to the electorate. So I chose the options that reflect the two main things Romans expect their magistrates to be good at- war and debate. Happily, these are things we're good at. Even more happily, these are two good options for socialising too. (I imagine we still have a good chance at meeting Cicero with Debates as well.)
Edit: I originally had what flavour of Optimate did what backwards. I switched to Traditionalist in response to Telamon's clarification below.
[X] Plan Hortensius
[][Politics] Optimate
-[] Traditionalist
[] [Connections] The Priesthood
[] [Education] Law
[] [Favors] Training
[] [Free Time] Exhibition
[] [Free Time] Debates
-[] Traditionalist
[] [Connections] The Priesthood
[] [Education] Law
[] [Favors] Training
[] [Free Time] Exhibition
[] [Free Time] Debates
Right. I think we're all relatively agreed on Education and Favors, and slightly less so on Connections, so I'll focus on the other choices.
-Politics: I went
-Free Time: Is a misnomer. As an aspiring Roman politician, we no longer have free time. This is marketing, which means we need to opt for things that a) we are good at, and b) are things that appeal to the electorate. So I chose the options that reflect the two main things Romans expect their magistrates to be good at- war and debate. Happily, these are things we're good at. Even more happily, these are two good options for socialising too. (I imagine we still have a good chance at meeting Cicero with Debates as well.)
Edit: I originally had what flavour of Optimate did what backwards. I switched to Traditionalist in response to Telamon's clarification below.
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That is a very good point. I like Idealist because it struck me as the closest match to Cicero
, but you're right that there is a notable lack of a standard-bearer for the Optimates, which is a major opportunity.My problem with both Optimate options is the overt dogmatism -- Traditionalist is obviously inclined to 'nobility should hold power because tradition!' but I worry that 'Conservative' might point us towards an idea of 'nobility should hold power because they are better people' (that is, leading us to dismiss the worth and value of non-nobilis, potentially including Cicero). At the same time, you're right that a Conservative view might inspire us to be the better man, drive us to actually make ourselves the best and brightest.
...I'm gonna think about this some more. I'm going to be afk for quite a few hours, but I'd love to hear what others have to say.
That is a very good point. I like Idealist because it struck me as the closest match to Cicero
My problem with both Optimate options is the overt dogmatism -- Traditionalist is obviously inclined to 'nobility should hold power because tradition!' but I worry that 'Conservative' might point us towards an idea of 'nobility should hold power because they are better people' (that is, leading us to dismiss the worth and value of non-nobilis, potentially including Cicero). At the same time, you're right that a Conservative view might inspire us to be the better man, drive us to actually make ourselves the best and brightest.
...I'm gonna think about this some more. I'm going to be afk for quite a few hours, but I'd love to hear what others have to say.
Cicero was definitely an idealist, but he was an optimate. (Though how much of that was due to natural inclination, and how much to his enemies being populares is up for debate). He just thought that talented New Men had a place with the best of the nobilitas, so long as they played by the rules, written and unwritten. I think it's entirely possible for a
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Telamon
A corvid.
- Location
- Texas
They believe in the strict seperation of plebeian and patrician, and while they support the continued power of the Senate, it is largely because the Senate is mainly patrician. They believe in a whole lot of concepts that essentially boil down to: "We're on top because we're the most suitable people to lead Rome — if we weren't, we wouldn't be on top." Keeping the balance of society the way it is will ultimately preserve the Republic.
The traditionalists hold fast to the mors maiorum, the way of the ancestors. This is good to do because tradition demands it. The Senate is on top because it's always been on top. They genuinely believe that the Republic is a net good for Rome and her people, and that it's preservation pleases the gods. They generally understand the need for change or reform, as long as it stays fast to the old ways. They especially respect strength, bravery, self-sufficiency, and piety — the virtues of Rome since her founding.
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- Location
- At your local SPCA
I was actually looking for very, very early artillery pieces laced with Greek fire. Of this isn't doable, maybe upgraded Ballistae.
That might be too OP still. I'll get to work and PM you a potential omake in a few days or so.
I have it backwards, then. Editing.
Telamon
A corvid.
- Location
- Texas
Do you even lift, pleb?
OK, sure.