Res Publica: A Quest of Ancient Rome
- Thread starter Telamon
- Start date
- Original Historic
Yeah,to be the good man or great man question.
To let other decide our fate or determine our fate with our decision.
Also any idea to prevent decline of Republic,I think we should tax the woman but also give them right to vote.
"No taxation without representation",This way we can gain more tax because women become wealthy by doing business and that is quite big loophole in my opinion.
Tax women in exchange for their right to senator should be reasonable.(We can have more money double with taxing half of population but senator need a lot of influence to be elected anyway)
Nothing against you but that has to be one of the more a-historical ideas I have seen so far and I struggle to see how one would amass the necessary political power for such a massive political and social change, because make no mistake the Roman society (and law system) is deeply patriarchal (and the Senate even more so). Indeed I don't really know how you would implement such reforms in any reasonable time-frame without becoming totally unbelievable. And I think you overestimate the wealth of said women, or to be more precise the amount of taxes we would gain.
That isn't to say that some reform of the legal position of women couldn't be useful (and certainly would be nice from a modern perspective) but what you suggest goes far beyond that and I don't see how it does anything but destroy any hope we have of a political career.
It also does nothing (or at best extremely little) to solve the key issues of the late Roman Republic. If you want to stop the decline of the Republic you are far better advised to try and reform the legal system (How tribunes work is the obvious choice but there are also things like the courts, the handling of the provinces and much more) , rework the relationship between generals and the army and the relationship between the army and Rome/the Senate, change the social and cultural values of the elite (maybe renew an interest in military service so there is more competition for guys like Caesar (but then again it is not like the more militaristic mindset of the early/mid-Republic didn't cause a number of issues too)), change the administration of provinces, look into a way to prevent those insane concentrations of wealth into the hand of a few (before the second punic war (and especially the eastern expansion afterwards) the difference between the wealth of the Senators was considerable less noticeable) and of course my personal favourite - establish a functioning and effective police force for Rome so that the mob becomes less powerful and you don't need to call in the troops every time riots happen.
(Really, the introduction of a semi-professional police force is really one of the mid to long term things I would see us accomplish and which I think aren't to unrealistic either.)
And always remember that the Romans did actually try to "fix" a lot of those issues but more often than not ended up with an ineffective solution or a new, perhaps even worse, problem. (To which I can only say, welcome to the art of government and politics)
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Well,I am not well verse in Roman history but see form the wiki that "No taxation without representation" is actually issue in Empire Roman era.
That emperor of that time try to tax women business owner but face with "No Taxation without representation "rhetoric.
Women in ancient Rome - Wikipedia
My opinion is the idea is try to counter some social issue at fundamental level.
Women is scheming and hold influence with their wealth and network without accountable like men do with public service.
They hold power in religious and social activity,I just want to made everyone accountable for their action and their wealth under Roman law code of conduct.
I don't mean equal right like modern sense just as Roman law made women as business owner have privilege in court.
I just want women who have wealth need to be under regulation and code of conduct because money is power like any other.
To sum up my position is "Tax the rich".
To sum up my position is "Tax the rich".
Nice to see that some ideas are good throughout all of history...
Tax rich is good on paper but when in action that risk civil war.
Women use their legal limbo status to get wealth and gain political influence ,some even can command army and support their husband.
I always see women in this case as tax evasion of Ancient Rome.
Give them power they want but also give them more accountability in their action too.
No more tax loop hole in women business owner that work as money laundering for their husband and family.
- Location
- Mid-Atlantic
Skaro, um... with all due respect, I don't think this idea is going to get a lot of traction, and I don't think you explaining the idea over again in the same tone you explained it the first few times is going to help.
Going to be Blood to prevent that...
VIII: The Samnite War, Turn II
- Location
- Texas
[X] Plan Fidelis Constans
- [X] Court-Martial
- [X] A Social War
- [X] Coin Is Mightier Than The Sword
- [X] The Left Hand Strays
- [X] The Legate
- [X] The Old Teacher
- [X] Court-Martial
- [X] A Social War
- [X] Coin Is Mightier Than The Sword
- [X] The Left Hand Strays
- [X] The Legate
- [X] The Old Teacher
669 Years After The Founding Of Rome
The Year of Flaccus and Marius.
- The Fourth Samnite War (85 BC - Ongoing)
The Samnites, for their part, do not take the declaration of war sitting down. For nearly three years, the three thousand men that make up their primary force have held the city of Nola, which up until last year was besieged by Roman auxiliaries and militia. The Civil War and the conflict in Greece have forced Rome to withdraw even those meager forces, allowing food and supplies into the Samnite-held city. This has effectively restored the flagging will of their army, and bolstered their resistance against Roman efforts to subdue them.The Samnite cause has long had no one leader, being divided among many warlords and chieftains who quarrel as much among themselves as they do against Rome. However, their disparate forces have recently united underneath the most capable and dangerous of these warlords, one Medix Appius, a Samnite revolutionary who served as a Roman auxiliary in his youth. Medix learned of war at the teat of Rome herself, and he has turned the skills he learned in the legions to the service of his countrymen, rising to become the foremost leader of the army at Nola. A powerfully charismatic leader as well as a brilliant general, he has rallied the last and bravest of the Samnite race to his sword, to fight against the ancient archrivals of their people one final time.
Under his command, Samnite raids and sorties have increased almost tenfold, with the towns near Samnite-controlled space being looted and harried with increasing frequency. As the Sixth Legion marches into Samnium, the Italian heartlands where the Samnite tribes have dwelt since time immemorial, Medix uses the threat of Rome to galvanize his people to arms, drawing volunteers from across all of Italy. Old men who have hated Rome in their bones since they were babes march to join Medix at Nola alongside boys barely babes themselves, young men desperate to protect their families and their homes. Scouts the legion sends ahead report entire towns deserted as fathers, sons, and grandsons march to take up arms against the legion, like their ancestors who defied the might of Rome in the days of tooth and stone.
The Samnite Leader: 1d20 + 5 (Unbent) = 25
Needed: 6
Epic Critical Success
To Arms Against The Enemy: 1d20 + 5 (Unbent) = 20
Needed: 14
Critical Success
Needed: 6
Epic Critical Success
To Arms Against The Enemy: 1d20 + 5 (Unbent) = 20
Needed: 14
Critical Success
What follows is actual dialogue from the Rollz:
Telamon rolls 1d20+5 = 25
Telamon rolls 1d20+5 = 20
Telamon rolls 1d20+3 = 6
Telamon rolls 1d20+6+1 = 22
Telamon rolls 1d20 +1 +2 +1 = 21
Telamon: uh....what.
Telamon: my dice have been hacked again
Telamon: halp
One thing, then, is clear -- the Samnite's heart of steel is not so easily bent. To tame the fiercest race of Italy will require your legion to be one of the finest and most skilled which Rome has to offer. To this end, Sertorius steps up the legion's training, increasing the amount of exercise and training each cohort must put forward. He entrusts you with a heavier score of duties, to which you take eagerly.
Some tasks are still left to your own discretion and initiative however, first and foremost among them an issue which Sertorius himself could not solve before leaving Rome -- that of the legion's oft-delayed wages. The Republic's stretched finances have made paying even those legions closest to home difficult, and the bureaucratic snarl that is Rome has not exactly helped matters. However, you write back to Rome and send the legion's fastest courier with a message for Scaevola, urging him to press your case in the Senate and elsewhere, and find out where your soldiers' money has gone.
In a few weeks, you receive a letter back, written in Scaevola's own precise hand. It states that Scaevola, himself a capable administrator and steward, pulled some strings with the quaestors, the city's chief financiers. By moving around a few minor appointments and granting a priesthood to the son-in-law of a well-connected Senator, Scaevola pressured the financiers into letting him look over the legion's finances. He discovered several vastly illegal 'redistributions' of funds meant for the legion's pay, carried out by a minor official who had relied entirely on his obscurity and low office to keep his audacious plan under wraps.
Scaevola quickly took the embezzler to trial, prosecuted him for crimes against the Senate and People of Rome, and won the case with his masterful oratory, managing to convince the people that such an act was akin to treason against Rome herself. The accused was executed in the Forum, and his property has been seized and sold off, with Scaevola seeing to it that all profits from the sales go to the legion itself. Lastly, the letter finishes, the case has become a minor scandal in Rome, and Scaevola himself has regained a measure of the popular support he once held due to his gripping prosecution.
The legion is positively overjoyed -- this is far more than any of them could have hoped for. Not only their pay is returned, but more than they were owed, as well, in the form of fresh supplies and new equipment, bankrolled by the very man who had taken their coin from them. You benefit as well -- your mentor prospers, and his sponsorship of you seems to be repaid in dividend after dividend, a fact he as much states in his letter. It is an unfortunate fact of the Roman political system that your own name has largely gone overlooked in this matter -- at least in Rome. In the legion, however, you are greeted with praise and adulation, and the name Atellus quickly becomes well-respected and liked among the men. Sertorius himself congratulates you on doing what he could not, and grants you several ceremonial privileges around camp.
It is a few days after this resounding success that you carry out the military tribunal of Caius Castus, the legionnaire accused of murder. Many of the legionnaires protest against the tribunal, claiming it will be an outright farce -- all of the tribunes sitting, including yourself, are patricians, and more than a few are optimates. You and Rufus try to assure the men that it will be a fair trial, but your attempts fail almost dismally. From the get-go, it is certain that any verdict you set will be tainted in the eyes of the legionnaires. The equites, on the other hand, are overjoyed, expecting a speedy trial which will provide them with the blood they so desire.
What follows is anything but. You and Rufus examine and interrogate the witnesses, tearing into their stories and sketching out as clear a picture of the event as possible, disregarding both the equites' attempt to make themselves into the victims, and the legionnaires' attempts to appear blameless. The other tribunes, shiftless and lazy young men, are nonetheless drawn into the trial, and by the time the examinations and judgments wind down in the late afternoon, some of them even appear to be paying attention. Finally, you draw up a verdict -- Castus is to be executed, as has been price of murdering a fellow soldier since time immemorial. However, the equites drew up the conflict by provoking the legionnaires, and their pay is slashed to pay for funerary arrangements, while their rations are also curtailed for several weeks. Finally, you issue a permanent ban on the fighting -- any man caught inciting conflict will be subject to Carcellus' lash, no matter his standing or rank.
The judgement itself is not out of the ordinary, but you manage to present it in an understandable and simplified manner that gets across the bare facts of the case to men who may be far from capable of understanding legal jargon. The legionnares are upset, but they accept the matter as justice served, and, eventually, so do the equites, though they grit their teeth at the comparatively harsh judgement.
(Scaevola) The Pontifex Returns: 1d20+6 (Epic Administrator) +1 (Proficient Charisma) = 22
Needed: 10
Great Critical Success
The Tribunal: 1d20 +1 (Proficient Law) +2 (Accomplished Charisma) +1 (Gift of Minerva) = 21
Needed: 14
Critical Success
Needed: 10
Great Critical Success
The Tribunal: 1d20 +1 (Proficient Law) +2 (Accomplished Charisma) +1 (Gift of Minerva) = 21
Needed: 14
Critical Success
In the weeks after the trial, you think that the legion might be better served if the thin-striped tribunes were more competent. Aside from Rufus, the five tribunes elected by the common people have proven themselves to be skilled at nothing beyond having powerful connections that won them their elections with little to no effort. They are all average or adept military minds, but it is obvious that they see the position as little more than a stepping stone to the halls of power. With permission from Sertorius, you attempt to whip them into shape, and perhaps make them more useful to the legion than they are now -- that is to say, not at all.
If that was your intention, it is a dismal failure. Though you are charismatic enough to sway the other tribunes into going along with your efforts initially, when it comes time to order them around or delegate tasks to them, they crumble away with some excuse or other, slipping through your hands like sand. Rufus is the only one willing to remain and actually learn under you, and even then, it is due to your prior relationship from Scaevola's tutelage, not out of any skill you might have at ordering people around.
The Tribunes: 1d20 +2 (Accomplished Charisma) +0 (Average Command) +1 (Gift of Minerva) = 6
Needed: 10
Minor Failure
Needed: 10
Minor Failure
The majority of your free time, however, is spent talking with your commanding officer. Quintus Sertorius, though only 37 years of age —relatively young among the great men of Rome — is one of the most accomplished and celebrated Romans of his generation. A skilled legalist and orator, his military ability nonetheless eclipses his considerable skill in the courts. When he was a military tribune, as you are are now, he learned at the feet of Marius, then the rising star of his own generation, and rose to prominence battling the Celtic hordes that threatened Rome over a decade ago. It was in Hispania that the young tribune gained true acclaim however, serving so well that his men gave to him the Grass Crown — Rome's highest and most esteemed military order, awarded only to one whose actions have saved an entire legion, and given to him in gratitude by the men he had saved. At 26 years old, he was awarded his own seat in the Senate and heaped with prestige and laurels, launching a career which is still on the ascent a decade later — a career many whisper may someday rival that of Marius himself.
Perhaps he sees a reflection of himself in you, for the general often invites you to dinners with him, and he discusses politics, law, and military matters long into the night. He soon takes a great liking to you, as, in his words, he sees a thousand of your father in you. Though not a formal or organized education, he begins to teach you of the realities of military command and warfare, grooming you from an already capable officer into what he hopes will be one of the finest military minds of your generation. Like Scaevola, he commends your ability to quickly take things you have learned and apply them to your own situation, a valuable trait for any man in Rome.
(For as long as the campaign lasts, you will gain 1d1000 Military XP per turn unless you or Sertorius is incapacitated or a meeting becomes otherwise impossible. This will take up a permanent slot in your 'free time' choices)
Sertorius is not your only teacher, however. Tercerus, the old centurion who has served under two generations of your family, is almost constantly at your side. Brown, lean, and weathered from years marching under foreign suns, Tercerus is more than eager to impart even a little of his extensive knowledge to you. Where Sertorius teaches you of stratagems, formations, and how to conduct a war, Tercerus advises you on the men themselves. Himself a lifelong legionnaire, he has a valuable understanding of the inner workings and ties of a legion, and he tries his best to teach this to you. A man may study for a lifetime and be a master of tactics and strategy, but he is nothing on the battlefield unless he can understand the men below him, unless he can make men leap to their deaths with his name on their tongues.
(For as long as the campaign lasts, you will gain 1d850 military XP per turn unless you or Tercerus are incapacitated or separated)
Meeting With Sertorius: 1d20 +2 (Accomplished Charisma) +1 (Gift of Minerva) +2 (Accomplished Military) = 23
Needed: 11
Critical Success
(Tercerus) Imparting Knowledge: 1d20 +4 (Epic Command) + 1 (Renowned Military) = 17
Needed: 10
Great Success
Military XP Gained: 1000
(1000/10,000) to Rank 14
Command XP Gained:
(850/5,000) to Rank 6
Needed: 11
Critical Success
(Tercerus) Imparting Knowledge: 1d20 +4 (Epic Command) + 1 (Renowned Military) = 17
Needed: 10
Great Success
Military XP Gained: 1000
(1000/10,000) to Rank 14
Command XP Gained:
(850/5,000) to Rank 6
669 Years After The Founding Of Rome
The Year of Flaccus and Marius.
The smoke rises up into the sky, obscuring the moon with thick black clouds that hang heavy in the air. The flickering remnants of the fires which birthed them hiss and snap as they dance among the ashes and still-cooling embers of what was once a sprawling town. As you watch from above your horse, a legionnaire forces a struggling man with a wild black mane of a beard to his knees, then draws his gladius swiftly across the man's throat. Blood bursts out into the warm spring air, and the soldier lets the corpse slide to the earth in a rapidly-forming pool of its' own blood. As you look on coolly, the legion advances slowly through the town, cutting down any few who still resist.
This town which has so recently seen the might of Rome is Aequum Tuticum, a dwelling of the Samnites since time immemorial. Built on three hills, if fortified it might have been the perfect defensive position for an army, and it had long been a source of dissension and rebellion among the Samnite tribes. Sertorius marches to lay siege to the city of Nola, in the southeast of Italia, and will by necessity have to leave all of Samnium at his back. An attack from behind could bring ruin during a protracted siege, and so the general has sent out messages to most every town in Samnium, promising Roman citizenship in return for capitulation and total surrender. As expected, many have not answered, but the chief of Aequum Tuticum had the sheer gall to send a message in return -- the messenger's head, with the scroll he bore nailed to his forehead.
In response, Sertorius placed you in command of a single cohort and sent you to visit the wrath of Rome upon the town. You were placed in command of...
Cohors Primus [] The First Cohort. The finest of the finest, the First Cohort is the first to battle and the last to leave, manned only by the hardiest and most daring of veterans. These men, battle-hardened and well-tested, are among the best the legion has to offer, and the centurion of its' first century is the primus pilus -- literally the first-to-war, the first man in the legion to bring his blade against the enemy in every battle. This prestige and glory means that the First Cohort is understandably proud -- too proud, perhaps. Tercerus warns that such men might chafe under an untested commander.
Cohors Alaria [] This cohort is an auxiliary unit, a cavalry unit formed primarily of non-Romans from 'allied' states firmly under her control. This volunteer force was raised in southern Gaul, and its' men are everything you have ever heard of Gaul, and more. Great of size, fair of hair, and clear of eye, these Gauls speak a butchered, growling dialect of Latin, and their attempts at Roman dress are almost pitiable. However, they are fierce warriors, filled with all the brutality and savagery of their distant homeland. This fierceness is both a boon and a gift -- the Gauls are terrible to behold in battle, but are not as well-trained as the average legionary, and when their bloodlust and greed overtakes them, they may well disregard orders altogether. Their chieftain is a tall man with broad shoulders and braided red-blonde hair that falls to his waist, and his eyes gleam with a dangerous pride.
Cohors Peditata [] A regular infantry unit of Roman legionnaires, commanded by ten centurions, the foremost of whom is one Titus Gallio. Gallio and his fellow centurions are veterans of the Social War, but many of the men under him, he is quick to inform you, are reinforcements added by Marius. Though these men have been harshly trained and taught for the last half-year, they are largely untested in battle. However, they are quick to follow orders, and the majority of them are plebians rallied by Marius from the poorest slums of Rome -- not men with something to prove against their commander or to themselves.
Cohors Alaria [] This cohort is an auxiliary unit, a cavalry unit formed primarily of non-Romans from 'allied' states firmly under her control. This volunteer force was raised in southern Gaul, and its' men are everything you have ever heard of Gaul, and more. Great of size, fair of hair, and clear of eye, these Gauls speak a butchered, growling dialect of Latin, and their attempts at Roman dress are almost pitiable. However, they are fierce warriors, filled with all the brutality and savagery of their distant homeland. This fierceness is both a boon and a gift -- the Gauls are terrible to behold in battle, but are not as well-trained as the average legionary, and when their bloodlust and greed overtakes them, they may well disregard orders altogether. Their chieftain is a tall man with broad shoulders and braided red-blonde hair that falls to his waist, and his eyes gleam with a dangerous pride.
Cohors Peditata [] A regular infantry unit of Roman legionnaires, commanded by ten centurions, the foremost of whom is one Titus Gallio. Gallio and his fellow centurions are veterans of the Social War, but many of the men under him, he is quick to inform you, are reinforcements added by Marius. Though these men have been harshly trained and taught for the last half-year, they are largely untested in battle. However, they are quick to follow orders, and the majority of them are plebians rallied by Marius from the poorest slums of Rome -- not men with something to prove against their commander or to themselves.
You fell upon them in the night, when the few bandits and marauders who passed for the town's militia were largely asleep. Those who were not were swiftly butchered as the five-hundred-odd men under your command overran their defenses and set fire to vast portions of the town. You had hoped to capture the chief, but the man apparently met his end on his own blade when he saw the ruin his defiance had brought to his home. A pity -- you would have liked to march him in chains before Sertorius.
Tercerus, at your side, nudges your shoulder to bring your attention to something in front of you. Amidst the surviving villagers and townspeople, whom you have had gathered in the town square, there is a young woman with raven-black hair in a dress of pure white silk -- a priestess of some sort, obviously. She has asked one of the soldiers to bring her up to your horse, and she walks up to you amidst the ruins of her home with her back straight and her head held high. As she approaches your horse, she calls out to you in a clear, strong voice.
"I am Visellia Tertia, High Priestess of Mephitis and Keeper of the Pools of Amsanctus."
You know of Mephitis, the Goddess of Death, Poison, and Smoke. A minor goddess in Rome, she is a major deity in the Samnite pantheon, and Amscantus, the great volcanic pool near to Aequum Tuticum, has been worshiped as one of her holy places since before the days of Romulus and Remus. A great temple to the goddess stands on the pool's shores, and this must be the temple to which this priestess belongs.
"You are young to hold such a high position," Tercerus remarks wryly. The priestess casts him a cold look.
"My fellow priestesses took up arms against your butchers, and were slaughtered. I would have gladly died with them, but the Pools must not go untended. I was chosen by my sisters to live on and preserve the ways of our order. There is no other left, so the title falls to me." At this, her voice wavers. "I am the High Priestess of the Grey Lady, Mephitis, and you will watch your tongue, Roman." Her voice drips venom, and you can easily believe she is a priestess of the Goddess of Poison.
Tercerus, however, merely scoffs at this, a small grin playing across his face. "Big words for such a little girl. Yet here you stand, and there they lie." He waves towards the crumpled, white-clad bodies littered amidst the wreckage of the town.
Visellia does not turn her head to look, but you can see her skin grow a shade paler as she sneers at Tercerus and turns to look you in the eye.
"I come before you with a request, and a warning. Whatever fate you visit upon this town, I ask that you leave the Temple untouched. Your men, though it fouls tongue to call them such, have already begun looting the holy places. I would ask that you call upon them to stop this, or there will surely be grave repercussions."
"Repercussions?" Your voice is tight, curious.
"Yes. The Grey Lady is a vengeful god, Roman, as vengeful as the Samnites ourselves. Should her place of worship be fouled, her revenge will be thousandfold. The land will rot, the skies will bleed poison, and there will be no good thing to eat or drink. Death shall come to Samnium."
Tercerus snorts again. "Pleasant god you've got there."
You look down at her, gripping the reins of your horse loosely, then glance around at the smoldering town. Sertorius has placed the ultimate fate of Aequum Tuticum in your hands. As the highest-ranking Roman officer present, you are the will, the word, and the hand of Rome. Whatever you command will be done.
VOTING
The Temple at Amscantus
The Temple of Mephitis at Amscantus has been one of the defining monuments of Samnite culture and religion for longer than the wheel and fire. Whatever the fate of the town at its' feet, as long as the temple stands, the Samnites may yet believe that their Goddess stands beside them, ready to wreak vengeance upon their foes with smoke and poison. Tercerus advises a soft hand, as the Samnites are famously slow to forget slights, but the ultimate choice is yours.
Mercy [] You show the priestess the mercy of Rome, sparing her Temple and her life. You even order the men under your command to return the artifacts and idols they have stolen away, preaching respect to all the gods -- even Samnite gods.
Black Mercy [] You show the priestess the mercy of Rome -- you burn her temple to the ground and raze the very foundations, but you spare her life. Her order and her teachings shall live, and when her goddess bestows no great plague upon the land, it will break her spirit even further.
Rome, Triumphant [] You order the priestess dragged off and executed. Her last sight is her beloved temple, going up in smoke into the night sky as the banner of the legion waves above her -- Rome, triumphant over death itself.
Victor Over Death [] You order the priestess executed, but you make a promise to her and keep it -- her temple goes untouched. You bar the doors and seal them forever, ensuring that no Samnite may ever again worship in its' halls, but you leave the Temple unburnt and unbroken, a living monument to the power of Rome.
[] Write-In
Black Mercy [] You show the priestess the mercy of Rome -- you burn her temple to the ground and raze the very foundations, but you spare her life. Her order and her teachings shall live, and when her goddess bestows no great plague upon the land, it will break her spirit even further.
Rome, Triumphant [] You order the priestess dragged off and executed. Her last sight is her beloved temple, going up in smoke into the night sky as the banner of the legion waves above her -- Rome, triumphant over death itself.
Victor Over Death [] You order the priestess executed, but you make a promise to her and keep it -- her temple goes untouched. You bar the doors and seal them forever, ensuring that no Samnite may ever again worship in its' halls, but you leave the Temple unburnt and unbroken, a living monument to the power of Rome.
[] Write-In
Looting
Aequum Tuticum is not the wealthiest of towns, but it has many ancient families going back centuries. Their hoarded artifacts and treasures will be worth much in Rome -- those that have survived, at least. The cohort is eager to take its' fair share, and you...
[] Allow them to loot as much as each man can carry along with his equipment, and nothing else. You hope to make these people Roman citizens, not abject beggars, after all. (Incompatible with And Where They Make A Desert... or Vae Victis)
[] Loot most of the town's wealth, leaving some few funds and the most hidden valuables behind. They will not be destitute, but they certainly won't be rich, either.
[] Ransack the town from top to bottom, taking everything that isn't nailed own, and much that is. Weigh the horses heavy with stolen goods, and return to Sertorius with the wealth of a people in your hand.
[] Loot most of the town's wealth, leaving some few funds and the most hidden valuables behind. They will not be destitute, but they certainly won't be rich, either.
[] Ransack the town from top to bottom, taking everything that isn't nailed own, and much that is. Weigh the horses heavy with stolen goods, and return to Sertorius with the wealth of a people in your hand.
The Conquered Town
Aequum Tuticum, place of the Samnites since time immemorial, has fallen to you. The ultimate fate of the town and it's people lies in your hands.
And Where They Make A Desert... [] This town has had its' chance, and it chose rebellion. You order your men to finish burning the town to the ground, and raze the very ground where it once stood, destroying every trace that there ever stood a city here. Once the sack is over, you bind the still-living in chains and take them as slaves for Rome. Such is the price of defiance.
Vae Victis [] You sack the town and raze it to the dirt, but your forces are stretched thin. You can spare no men to watch slaves day and night, and no escort to take them to a nearby city. No, there is a better use for the population. You have them executed one by one in the former town square until only a half-dozen are left. This handful you set free to spread word of the might of Rome to neighboring villages and towns, and tell them of the price of defiance. Tercerus idly remarks that this might be a bit much for some uppity provincials you're trying to pacify -- though it would certainly frighten the Samnite towns into line.
An Open Hand [] You leave the ruined town as it is, and set its' people free. They may take up residence in their flame-scarred homes and rebuild what is left of their lives, knowing now and forever that they were only spared death and bondage by the mercy of Rome. Those who have seen the legion's ire are not quick to rekindle it in this lifetime, and you know that one town, at least, will stay quiet when the Sixth turns its' back on Samnium.
[] Write-In
Vae Victis [] You sack the town and raze it to the dirt, but your forces are stretched thin. You can spare no men to watch slaves day and night, and no escort to take them to a nearby city. No, there is a better use for the population. You have them executed one by one in the former town square until only a half-dozen are left. This handful you set free to spread word of the might of Rome to neighboring villages and towns, and tell them of the price of defiance. Tercerus idly remarks that this might be a bit much for some uppity provincials you're trying to pacify -- though it would certainly frighten the Samnite towns into line.
An Open Hand [] You leave the ruined town as it is, and set its' people free. They may take up residence in their flame-scarred homes and rebuild what is left of their lives, knowing now and forever that they were only spared death and bondage by the mercy of Rome. Those who have seen the legion's ire are not quick to rekindle it in this lifetime, and you know that one town, at least, will stay quiet when the Sixth turns its' back on Samnium.
[] Write-In
The Survivors
According to those defeated Samnites who will speak to you, as well as several scouts you sent ahead to corroborate their story, the lion's share of the town's militia were out of the town when you attacked, and were instead out reinforcing the nearby, larger town of Aeclanum, which had defied Sertorius as well. A vital position, if this town fell, the Samnite rebellion would be severely hampered. You are unsure if your roughly five hundred men could take this town -- but, Tercerus advises, the risk is tempered with reward. Defeating the forces massed there and overrunning the town would surely win you accolades and glory.
[] You decide to leave the other town alone. If Sertorius wishes, the legion can easily wipe out the forces at Aeclanum, though it would cost him yet more time on his march to Nola. Some among the men may grumble at what they see as leaving a good fight behind, however.
[] You decide to launch an attack on Aeclanum, preparing the cohort to strike at a well-defended position. This, while not a true siege -- as Aeclanum has no walls worth mentioning -- will still be a battle of some note, your first such should you choose to strike.
[] You decide to launch an attack on Aeclanum, preparing the cohort to strike at a well-defended position. This, while not a true siege -- as Aeclanum has no walls worth mentioning -- will still be a battle of some note, your first such should you choose to strike.
There is now a TWELVE-HOUR MORATORIUM on all votes.
Use this time to discuss the choices available and create different Plans. As previously discussed, any votes not in plan form, or submitted before the moratorium is up, will not be counted.
As always, discussion is rewarded. (As are Omakes and Reaction posts.)
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Too bad about the tribunes.
Thank you,I just suggest idea around .We can find other way to help the republic thought but civil war is very likely no matter what we do.
I always think we can find "Peace" at the cost of any reform.
Drastic change will made a lot of enemy and will lead to unrest and war.
The Sandman
So Zetta Slowpoke
- Location
- Wherever I am, which isn't where I'm not
Okay. So.
My instinct here is to loot most of the town's wealth but to leave its population intact and in place, in order to neutralize their militia when we attack Aeclanum. Prioritize damaging the town in ways that can be repaired but that will require manual labor, then bring a few representatives from the surviving population with us so that we can have them tell their sons, husbands and fathers what befell their home and its likely fate without any of its men to help rebuild it.
For the temple, I wonder if it might be best to take the priestess and those artifacts that are required for ceremonies instead of simply decoration, then send her with them to Scaevola in order to build a new (also smaller and less ornate, obviously) temple in Rome itself. Force the Samnites to make a pilgrimage to Rome itself in order to worship their patron deity in her temple. Hell, maybe even dismantle rather than raze the temple, so that at least some portions of the structure can be reused in the new temple in Rome. This should allow the Samnites to continue practicing their religion while turning doing so into another display of Rome's dominance.
EDIT: We would have gone with the Cohors Peditata, I think, because Sertorius will need the Cohors Primus more as the vanguard of the legion and because the Cohors Alaria is all but guaranteed to undo any progress we make in pacifying the Samnites by looting, raping and murdering when we don't want them to. Plus, as cavalry, their job during this phase of the campaign is to serve as scouts and possibly bushwhack isolated parties of Samnites that haven't reached Nola yet.
My instinct here is to loot most of the town's wealth but to leave its population intact and in place, in order to neutralize their militia when we attack Aeclanum. Prioritize damaging the town in ways that can be repaired but that will require manual labor, then bring a few representatives from the surviving population with us so that we can have them tell their sons, husbands and fathers what befell their home and its likely fate without any of its men to help rebuild it.
For the temple, I wonder if it might be best to take the priestess and those artifacts that are required for ceremonies instead of simply decoration, then send her with them to Scaevola in order to build a new (also smaller and less ornate, obviously) temple in Rome itself. Force the Samnites to make a pilgrimage to Rome itself in order to worship their patron deity in her temple. Hell, maybe even dismantle rather than raze the temple, so that at least some portions of the structure can be reused in the new temple in Rome. This should allow the Samnites to continue practicing their religion while turning doing so into another display of Rome's dominance.
EDIT: We would have gone with the Cohors Peditata, I think, because Sertorius will need the Cohors Primus more as the vanguard of the legion and because the Cohors Alaria is all but guaranteed to undo any progress we make in pacifying the Samnites by looting, raping and murdering when we don't want them to. Plus, as cavalry, their job during this phase of the campaign is to serve as scouts and possibly bushwhack isolated parties of Samnites that haven't reached Nola yet.
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@Telamon, do you allow write-ins? Because I'd vote for something like this.
- Location
- Mid-Atlantic
From what I've heard, picking up the artifacts of a foreign temple and carrying them off to Rome as a way of symbolically 'kidnapping' the gods of the people they were fighting was well within Roman practices, so I can totally see this and it's probably a good idea.
- Location
- USA
So I'm thinking we don't fuck with the temple. Although I'm thinking maybe to stop more looting of it, seal it forevermore, and take the priestess as our slave.
Gods seem real enough here, so I don't want to fuck with them, but I don't want to just roll over for her. Need a middle option for it.
As for the men we lead, I'd say the first legion would be nice if we fight the other town, although we'd probably have to let them loot more.
Gods seem real enough here, so I don't want to fuck with them, but I don't want to just roll over for her. Need a middle option for it.
As for the men we lead, I'd say the first legion would be nice if we fight the other town, although we'd probably have to let them loot more.
- Location
- Europe
Hmm.
Caesar was a successful man because he understood when to be merciful to his enemies and when to be a ruthless bastard.
I suppose choosing the Gauls will make trying to keep looting limited extra hard, but a cavalry force which can move quickly under our command can have advantages.
Also lol at the epic Samnite leader. This campaign will be interesting.
Caesar was a successful man because he understood when to be merciful to his enemies and when to be a ruthless bastard.
I suppose choosing the Gauls will make trying to keep looting limited extra hard, but a cavalry force which can move quickly under our command can have advantages.
Also lol at the epic Samnite leader. This campaign will be interesting.
- Location
- Texas
I do allow write-ins, and I definitely approve of something along those lines. It's historically accurate and plausible for Rome to literally kidnap people's gods, and it wouldn't be the first time.
Mars was once Ares, after all.
MasterDrakus
DEUS SOL
- Location
- Minas Gerais, Brazil
What kind of Roman are you? Afraid of some minor god when we are the children of Mars himself, our god could beat the shit out of theirs before it fucked with us.
Hmm, thinking something like:
Victor Over Death - Leave the temple as a memory of what happens. Your gods last. You won't.
Ransack the town
And Where They Make A Desert...
These two to send a message of what happens with defiance. And the wealth is badly needed as well
Not sure which would carry this out properly though
Victor Over Death - Leave the temple as a memory of what happens. Your gods last. You won't.
Ransack the town
And Where They Make A Desert...
These two to send a message of what happens with defiance. And the wealth is badly needed as well
Not sure which would carry this out properly though
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@Telamon Can we do some Mongol practice of take children and women as hostage and use men as labor?
There are Jenghis Khan tactic that more brutal like kill every child that taller than sword but I don't want to do that.
Mongol use slave to soften up the enemy and can kept his army fresh in war.
There are Jenghis Khan tactic that more brutal like kill every child that taller than sword but I don't want to do that.
Mongol use slave to soften up the enemy and can kept his army fresh in war.
The Sandman
So Zetta Slowpoke
- Location
- Wherever I am, which isn't where I'm not
Trickiest part of Grand Theft Religion here, I think, will be getting the priestess and her stuff back to Rome without any mishaps. Definitely keep her with ourselves or Tercerus so that she's considered to be under our household's protection until we hand her over to Scaevola.
- Location
- Classified
Scaevola came through big time for us. What do you get for the man who has everything? Maybe pieces for a new temple.
The tribunes continue to be useless, unfortunately.
Those bonuses to xp gain, combined with the bonus from our trait, makes this the military-focused level grinding masterclass I thought it would be and then some.
Alright, we voted for a hearts and minds campaign, so annihilating this place is off the table, unless we want to transition to Call it Peace. Even a Social War may require a few purges, but resistance this pathetic doesn't warrant it. That said, you can't just kill messengers and get away with it, and their leader killed himself, so maybe some extra looting wouldn't be out of line. It would also help develop ties with whatever cohort we choose.
Speaking of the cohort, the Gauls feel like a trap. Wild men and pacification campaigns do not mix. I feel like with Scaevola's assist to our reputation, we may have enough credit to manage the First Cohort. Our Command skill is strictly average, but we are good at talking, so we may be able to manage them. The noob cohort won't give us any trouble, but we'd have to make them good, so we don't get killed like an idiot.
I feel like saying fuck it and going for the attack on the town. We obviously shouldn't do this if we take the inexperienced cohort.
A tentative plan:
[ ] Who Dares Wins
- [ ] First Cohort
- [ ] Victory Over Death
- [ ] Loot most of the wealth
- [ ] An Open Hand
- [ ] Attack
The tribunes continue to be useless, unfortunately.
Those bonuses to xp gain, combined with the bonus from our trait, makes this the military-focused level grinding masterclass I thought it would be and then some.
Alright, we voted for a hearts and minds campaign, so annihilating this place is off the table, unless we want to transition to Call it Peace. Even a Social War may require a few purges, but resistance this pathetic doesn't warrant it. That said, you can't just kill messengers and get away with it, and their leader killed himself, so maybe some extra looting wouldn't be out of line. It would also help develop ties with whatever cohort we choose.
Speaking of the cohort, the Gauls feel like a trap. Wild men and pacification campaigns do not mix. I feel like with Scaevola's assist to our reputation, we may have enough credit to manage the First Cohort. Our Command skill is strictly average, but we are good at talking, so we may be able to manage them. The noob cohort won't give us any trouble, but we'd have to make them good, so we don't get killed like an idiot.
I feel like saying fuck it and going for the attack on the town. We obviously shouldn't do this if we take the inexperienced cohort.
A tentative plan:
[ ] Who Dares Wins
- [ ] First Cohort
- [ ] Victory Over Death
- [ ] Loot most of the wealth
- [ ] An Open Hand
- [ ] Attack
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