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Res Publica: A Quest of Ancient Rome

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Telamon said:
Pompey's second wife, incidentally, was Mucia Tertia, the daughter of Scaevola. Sulla married her to him to reward Pompey for his service in the Civil War and bind him to the Optimate cause.





I can't say anything other than this: the one person in Rome literally none of you would ever, in a hundred years, imagine trusting...is the only one who will never turn on you, no matter the circumstance.

Perhaps a prophecy or two could help you narrow it down.

And this person, whoever he might be, is alive, in Rome right now, and has been mentioned in this thread several times, though never in an update.

Oh, and it's definitely not Julius Caesar.
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Right we need to take a prophecy action when we have a chance I really want to narrow this mystery down.

Also if you don't mind me asking two quick questions would the Sybll have given us a prophecy if we had taken that option and is it possible for us to become a capable of making prophecies ourselves? like if we become Pontifex Maximus or an augur or something for example.
 
masterofmadness said:
Right we need to take a prophecy action when we have a chance I really want to narrow this mystery down.

Also if you don't mind me asking two quick questions would the Sybll have given us a prophecy if we had taken that option and is it possible for us to become a capable of making prophecies ourselves? like if we become Pontifex Maximus or an augur or something for example.
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The Sibyl would've given you a prophecy, yes.

If you became Pontifex or a priest, you would recieve training in reading and interpreting auguries, and you'd unlock the Prophecy skill. You can't make actual cool rhyming prophecies, however — that's the domain of the Sibyls and the Oracles (and also I can't write that many rhymes).

A random fact that isn't actually all that random: the greatest of the Oracles is the Pythia, the Oracle at Delphi. The Pythia is the House of Snakes, filled with the living spirit of the god Apollo — any prophecy spoken by her pertaining to your future is automatically an Epic prophecy. Should you ever find yourself in the East, I would strongly recommend paying a visit to the most powerful woman of the ancient world.
 
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Telamon said:
If you became Pontifex or a priest, you would recieve training in reading and interpreting auguries, and you'd unlock the Prophecy skill. You can't make actual cool rhyming prophecies, however — that's the domain of the Sibyls and the Oracles (and also I can't write that many rhymes).

A random fact that isn't actually all that random: the greatest of the Oracles is the Pythia, the Oracle at Delphi. The Pythia is the House of Snakes, filled with the living spirit of the god Apollo — any prophecy spoken by her pertaining to your future is automatically an Epic prophecy. Should you ever find yourself in the East, I would strongly recommend paying a visit to the most powerful woman of the ancient world.
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Here's hoping it doesn't get rekt in the three way clusterfuck going down right now.
 
Telamon said:
The Sibyl would've given you a prophecy, yes.

If you became Pontifex or a priest, you would recieve training in reading and interpreting auguries, and you'd unlock the Prophecy skill. You can't make actual cool rhyming prophecies, however — that's the domain of the Sibyls and the Oracles (and also I can't write that many rhymes).

A random fact that isn't actually all that random: the greatest of the Oracles is the Pythia, the Oracle at Delphi. The Pythia is the House of Snakes, filled with the living spirit of the god Apollo — any prophecy spoken by her pertaining to your future is automatically an Epic prophecy. Should you ever find yourself in the East, I would strongly recommend paying a visit to the most powerful woman of the ancient world.
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Well I officially want to go to the east now, hopefully we will get an opportunity to go their when its not in the middle of a civil war between the two best generals in rome.
 
JamesShazbond said:
Here's hoping it doesn't get rekt in the three way clusterfuck going down right now.
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No mortal ruler would dare harm the Pythia, else he incur the unending wrath of Apollo himself. Armies have disbanded and kings lost their crown at her word. She is consulted for anything and everything, from the well-being of a shipping lane to the fitness of the royal heir.

Make no mistake — I may be keeping you in the dark as to whether or not the gods are real, but to Atellus and his contemporaries, there is no question. The Pythia has made nations set their swords aside and put brothers to war. It is no small exaggeration to say that not only is she the most powerful woman in the ancient world, for a very long time she was the most powerful mortal. The time of the Greeks is waning, but thanks to the hellenization of Rome, her word can still stop conquerors and unmake armies. The armies of Marius and Mithridates would far sooner turn their blades on their beloved leader than upon the Priestess of Apollo.
 
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Simon_Jester said:
You will walk side-by-side with the sun, but never eclipse him, or he will blind you until the three are one."
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That seems a warning not to eclipse the sun (Caesar) who is slightly behind us age wise on the Cursus, but probably more talented and liable to catch up or pull ahead. Or Pompey, but I hope not.

Apparantly, Cicero was offered a part in what became the first Triumverate (which he turned down), so they saw a role for Mr Gifted Orator, a niche we also seem to be cultivating. So... could we become a part of that triumverate? Preferably instead of that ass Pompey... ;)
 
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Telamon said:
No mortal ruler would dare harm the Pythia, else he incur the unending wrath of Apollo himself. Armies have disbanded and kings lost their crown at her word. She is consulted for anything and everything, from the well-being of a shipping lane to the fitness of the royal heir.
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Yo don't think I can't see you bullshitting them, bucko, Sulla sacked the temple this very year, you troll :V
 
Telamon said:
If you became Pontifex or a priest, you would recieve training in reading and interpreting auguries, and you'd unlock the Prophecy skill.
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Oh hey, my notes for the FATE omake's Caster class turned out to be right!
Telamon said:
The armies of Mithridates, Sulla, and Marius would far sooner turn their blades on their beloved leaders than upon the Priestess of Apollo.
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And I think I now have his weakness too...
Cetashwayo said:
Yo don't think I can't see you bullshitting them, bucko, Sulla sacked the temple this very year, you troll :V
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And the Republic paid for it with its life.
 
I'm not entirely sure Sulla did 'sack' the Temple of Apollo at Delphi -- that implies more of battle, of slaughter and damage. According to Plutarch:
He wrote also to the Amphictyons at Delphi that it was better to have the treasures of the god sent to him; for he would either keep them more safely, or, if he spent them, would restore as much. And he sent Caphis, the Phocian, one of his friends, with the letter, bidding him receive each article by weight. Caphis came to Delphi, but was loth to touch the sacred objects, and shed many tears, in the presence of the Amphictyons, over the necessity of it.

And when some of them declared they heard the sound of the god's lyre in the inner sanctuary, Caphis, either because he believed them, or because he wished to strike Sulla with superstitious fear, sent word to him about it. But Sulla wrote back jocosely, expressing his amazement that Caphis did not understand that singing was done in joy, not anger; his orders were therefore to take boldly, assured that the god was willing and glad to give.

Accordingly, the rest of the treasures were sent away without the knowledge of the most, certainly, of the Greeks; but the silver jar, the only one of the royal gifts which still remained, was too large and heavy for any beast of burden to carry, and the Amphictyons were compelled to cut it into pieces
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Pretty sure the word you're looking for is 'chutzpah'.
 
Always Late said:
Oh hey, my notes for the FATE omake's Caster class turned out to be right!

And I think I now have his weakness too...

And the Republic paid for it with its life.
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Rome tends to accrue curses a lot. The Punic Curse was the most famous, but most Roman conquerors trampled over a god or an oath or two in expanding the Republic, and later, the Empire.

Olympus (if, indeed, it exists) is basically a twenty-way bitchfest over who, exactly, gets to tear Rome a new one, with Mars sitting in the corner smiling smugly.

EDIT: For example, Caesar's Gallic Wars were essentially Caesar promising he wouldn't conquer an allied tribe, conquering them anyway, then repeating the process for half a decade.
 
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Telamon said:
Rome tends to accrue curses a lot. The Punic Curse was the most famous, but most Roman conquerors trampled over a god or an oath or two in expanding the Republic, and later, the Empire.

Olympus (if, indeed, it exists) is basically a twenty-way bitchfest over who, exactly, gets to tear Rome a new one, with Mars sitting in the corner smiling smugly.
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With the neighbours from Hispania to Mesopotamia regularly calling, too, right?:D

By the way, how big is Bovianum?

And maybe the 24 hour moratorium was unnecessary. It's not like anyone is actually discussing something related to the vote.:p
 
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Telamon said:
Rome tends to accrue curses a lot. The Punic Curse was the most famous, but most Roman conquerors trampled over a god or an oath or two in expanding the Republic, and later, the Empire.
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I'm reminded of an explanation I got in Religion 101 when talking about the Old Testament that I think is rather valid here:

Wars between kingdoms and cultures in the ancient texts were not just mortal clashes of arms, but where the gods of each side duked it out, with the gods empowering the soldiers with their divine might, the soldiers empowering the gods in turn with their prowess and courage, etc.

I'm going to have fun writing about the end of Atellus' life.
Telamon said:
Olympus (if, indeed, it exists) is basically a twenty-way bitchfest over who, exactly, gets to tear Rome a new one, with Mars sitting in the corner smiling smugly.
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He's already planned out how the post-greek conquest fusion is going to work out.

I'm wondering if I should get F!GO Romulus involved in my omake somewhere...
 
Publicola said:
Pretty sure the word you're looking for is 'chutzpah'.
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That is true, but there were occasions where Delphoi was sacked or damaged during warfare between Greeks. For all their rhetoric, there would be, especially during the Hellenistic period, an enormous amount of rule and trucebreaking. No sacred law was too sacred not to be broken by the "necessity" of warfare.
 
Thyreus said:
With the neighbours from Hispania to Sumeria regularly calling, too, right?:D

By the way, how big is Bovianum?

And maybe the 24 hour moratorium was unnecessary. It's not like anyone is actually discussing something related to the vote.:p
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Oh, it's population is officially 90,000 or so people, but the Social War and Sulla, followed by starvation and banditry, have brought them down to about 70,000 - 60,000.

And I was swayed to increase the moratorium time because of the fact that people who live in different time zones might not see the post at all until it's too late, especially when I post after midnight where I'm at.
 
Yeah, I think the 24-hour moratorium is a good idea, even when discussion dies down while people are waiting. Better to have a quiet thread for a few hours, than disenfranchise readers from being able to contribute.
 
Thyreus said:
And maybe the 24 hour moratorium was unnecessary. It's not like anyone is actually discussing something related to the vote.:p
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Not for a lack of trying on my part :V
I think I will go with this:
[] Plan Hearts, Minds & the Legion's purse
-[] Send Mercator and the 7th cohort immediately back to Nola, he is to inform Sertorius of your success, thank him for the assistance provided and inform him that you plan to follow soon.
-[] Send Pompolussa's 2nd and the 6th cohort, together with all the wounded, ahead to Bovianum to better tend to the injured, and ensure that the supply lines stay secured until you return from the western towns.
-[] Take the 3rd & 9th cohorts as well as the Gallic auxiliaries to pacify the western towns that supported Gemino, and ensure that the entire region is solidly under Roman control.
-[] March the captives back to the western towns, there you offer their families a chance to ransom them at affordable rates. This offer only extends to those you determine to having recently been levied from the western towns. The rest are to be sold as slaves.

I don't think that letting these 150 men go will cause a significant amount of trouble. Gemino's best men probably died or evaded capture anyway.
My worry is that our men won't be happy, if we are too forgiving with the Samnite rebels. Let's not forget that it was the legionaries who had to endure enemy guerrilla warfare over the last few weeks. Making the western towns pay a small ransom for their levies should boost our army's pay after this battle and help smooth over some ruffled feathers.
Also I'm not sure whether our 'Censure their Rivals' promise becomes applicable here.

Here is the old plan though:
[] Plan Hearts & Minds
-[] Send Mercator and the 7th cohort immediately back to Nola, he is to inform Sertorius of your success, thank him for the assistance provided and inform him that you plan to follow soon.
-[] Send Pompolussa's 2nd and the 6th cohort, together with all the wounded, ahead to Bovianum to better tend to the injured, and ensure that the supply lines stay secured until you return from the western towns.
-[] Take the 3rd & 9th cohorts as well as the Gallic auxiliaries to pacify the western towns that supported Gemino, and ensure that the entire region is solidly under Roman control.
-[] Free them, and order them to return to their homes and farms. With Gemino gone, they are no longer a threat.
I still like this plan. It's just that I can't see how the slightly higher level of Samnite gratitude caused by this plan would benefit us more than even a miniscule increase to our victorious legionaries pay.
 
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