The Mad Tycoon of Rome

< 237. Conspiracy >

The Senate took Caesar’s announcement as a declaration of war against them.

“Wasn’t Caesar a Roman? No, this is an absurd decision.”

“How can he let the barbarians who are not even civilized into the Senate? This is nothing but an attempt to destroy the Senate.”

“We cannot accept this!”

As everyone expected, there was a fierce backlash from the aristocratic faction.

Especially Cato, who went up to the rostra of the Forum Romanum and publicly criticized Caesar.

But this was not a good choice.

To the citizens who were ready to support everything that Caesar did, the Senate’s behavior looked rather contemptible.

Of course, the Roman citizens were not very happy about opening the Senate seats to the conquered peoples.

But the reality was that two war heroes, Vercingetorix and Surenas, had already entered the Senate.

And at least for these two people, the Roman citizens were also sending enthusiastic support.

It was inevitable that the outcry that it was absurd for the provincials to enter the Senate now sounded hollow.

Moreover, as the history of war grew longer, the number of people who became Roman citizens among the provincials also increased little by little.

It was a reality that these people who had obtained citizenship came to live in Rome.

There were not many Roman citizens who did not feel that the times were changing.

Above all, the general citizens did not care much about how the Senate worked.

“What’s the point of arguing about right and wrong in their own world?”

“They only fight for power among themselves and only appeal to us when they are in trouble. That’s the Senate.”

“I wish Caesar would just overturn everything.”

“Wouldn’t it be best for us if Caesar and Marcus became consuls for life?”

The Romans were not fools.

People do not feel that it is unreasonable when they feel that hardship or difficulty is natural.

But after all those things are over or resolved, they naturally calculate how much they have lost.

This was human nature and there was no difference in ancient times.

Looking back now, when Rome was under the rule of the Senate, it was almost a complete mess.

The farmers became harder as time went by, and it was when the number of people who had to depend on free distribution reached its peak.

The Senate only fought for power every day and could not even say that they cared for the lives of the citizens with empty words.

The dictator Sulla, who had seized power, had revised the law so that the Senate and the aristocratic class could monopolize all benefits. 

There was no choice.

It was Marcus’s reform that uprooted these social ills one by one.

The revival of farmers, the stabilization of finance, and even the improvement of public health and urban security were all done by Marcus.

The Roman citizens knew this well.

The ones who backed him up were not the Senate but Caesar and Pompey. 

No one did not know this fact either.

The number of citizens who became farmers again through Caesar’s land reform law and those who benefited from it had now exceeded almost 100,000.

Considering Caesar’s achievements in war, not supporting him was almost tantamount to treason.

Cato made a speech criticizing Caesar once and almost died from being hit by stones by angry citizens from then on.

The Senate concluded that it was too late to overturn Caesar’s decision now.

The only solution was for Marcus to intervene, but this was not easy either.

It would cause confusion in Rome if the two reformist generals who held power confronted each other.

Moreover, among Marcus’s clients, a considerable number were from those immigrant peoples, so he could not easily oppose them.

“As it has always been, we need to use a compromise.”

The one who was most dissatisfied with Caesar’s decision this time was surprisingly not Cato but Cicero.

He had a stronger attachment to the republican system than anyone else, so he could not see Caesar’s attempt to shake up the Senate in a good light.

He gave up even a fingernail-sized expectation for Caesar from this moment on.

“Cicero, how do you propose we compromise?”

“What do you think is the reason why Caesar wants to expand the number of seats in the Senate?”

“That’s because he wants to crush us.”

Gaius Trebonius answered with an angry voice and clenched his fist.

He was one of the few senators who did not stand up when Caesar passed by at the reform ceremony.

It was an effective way to show his dissatisfaction, but it was not a wise way.

That’s because he was attacked by angry citizens and Caesar’s supporters who witnessed that scene ever since then.

Caesar didn’t even need to personally criticize him.

He was labeled as a brat who did not respect Rome’s hero and he was ridiculed by citizens wherever he went.

Maybe that’s why he hated Caesar so much, but Cicero did not trust him very much.

“Trebonius, you are too simplistic in your judgment of Caesar. He never acts on emotional reasons alone. Caesar’s aim is to weaken the power of the Senate while naturally expanding his own faction.”

“Expand his own power?”

Some people still looked doubtful, and Cato intervened in the conversation with a frustrated thump on his chest.

“Do we have to explain everything to you? Think logically. Who do you think Caesar will fill the Senate with after he increases the number of seats?

Of course, he will bring in a large number of barbarians from Gaul, Germania, and Britannia who follow him. They will act as his puppets, and then Caesar will not need to use the triumvirate anymore. He can just pass laws through the Senate.”

“So you mean he is trying to create a system where he can control Rome without lifting a finger himself.”

Opinions denouncing Caesar poured out like a flood from here and there.

“Is Caesar ultimately aiming for the dictatorship?”

“It would be a relief if he was just a dictator, but isn’t he laying the groundwork for becoming a king legally?”

As soon as the word ‘king’ was mentioned by someone, the atmosphere in the audience sank coldly.

Everyone’s eyes were focused on the young senator who uttered the word.

He was Brutus’s nephew and Marcus’s childhood friend, a fervent republican, Cassius Longinus.

The impact of his words was more than imagined.

Even Caius Metellus Celer, who would grind his teeth even in his sleep at Caesar, warned him with a stern voice.

“You may be angry, but you need to be more careful with your choice of words.”

In Rome, the king was a social taboo.

To discuss it was a shortcut to being dragged into controversy, whether you liked it or not.

The Senate did not want this unspeakable word to become a topic of discussion.

What if the citizens really said that it would be better for Caesar to become king?

They did not even want to dream of such a future.

But Cassius did not back down from his opinion.

“If we keep ignoring reality, we will not be able to act when we need to. I have been watching Caesar’s moves all along. He did the same thing during the reform and he is trying to fill the Senate with his cronies now. The reason is clear. Caesar wants to destroy the republic.”

“I agree with Cassius’s opinion.”

Cato actively supported him.

Feeling that he had gained a strong ally, he continued to fan the anxiety of the senators as soon as Cassius finished speaking.

“Gentlemen, Caesar’s moves are not over yet. He is now trying to make himself divine. He has secretly placed his statue in the temple of Quirinus. Who is Quirinus? He is the deified form of Romulus, the great founder of Rome. Caesar is subtly implying that he is equal to Quirinus.”

“But that alone is not evidence that he wants to be king.”

“Is that so? Well, maybe. He could be not a king even if he becomes a god in Rome, holds the Senate in his grip, and has authority equal to that of a dictator. But if Caesar decides to try being a king, can you stop him?”

In fact, it was not Caesar who placed his statue in the temple of Quirinus.

It was a kind of happening that happened when his fervent supporters ran wild as Caesar gained power and popularity.

Marcus had warned him not to let this happen in Rome before, but Caesar did not care about what others did.

It was not because he liked flattery, but because he did not interfere with others unless it was a public matter.

And he had also received a request from Marcus, so Caesar deliberately made his supporters more reckless.

He did not care even if he knew that it would make the Senate frown.

“If I have to pay homage to Caesar as I do to the gods, I will resign from my office and leave the Senate.”

Cato’s declaration was met with nods of agreement from most of the aristocratic senators, including Cassius.

Trebonius scratched his head as if he did not understand.

“Do you have to leave the Senate? Anyway, Caesar can never be an absolute leader. I think Marcus is no less than Caesar.”

“Don’t you know that Marcus will return to Antioch next year?”

“Then we can ask him to stay here. What are you worried about?”

“Think! How can Marcus stay here when Greece is not fully rebuilt?

Cato shouted angrily, and Trebonius finally shut his mouth.

Watching him, Cicero felt a despair close to despair.

There were many who felt resentment towards Caesar, but few who had proper intelligence.

At best, there were Cato and Cassius, and three senators whose attitudes were not clear.

Most of all, there was no influential person in sight.

Cato was only strong in the aristocratic faction, but his popularity among the general public was dismal, and Cassius’s support was also low.

In the end, it was only Cicero who remained, but he had no confidence that he could stop Caesar by himself.

‘If Marcus would help me, it would be reassuring, but… no, if he comes to the forefront, it might even lead to a civil war.’

Cicero remained silent until the end of the meeting of the aristocrats.

As expected, the meeting was terribly awful and unproductive.

There was no concrete conclusion.

Cassius approached Cicero, who remained in his seat for a long time after the meeting was over, and whispered to him.

“You look troubled.”

“Who wouldn’t be troubled in this situation, as a moderate scholar?”

“That’s true. But the source of your trouble will never be solved unless you act.”

“I would act if I had something to do. The only thing I can think of is to debate with Caesar and win cleanly, but…”

“Cicero, you know that Caesar’s eloquence and knowledge are on par with yours. And I’m sorry to say this, but Caesar has one more advantage that you don’t have. It’s the ability to sway the citizens with his popularity. It will be hard to beat him in a public debate.”

Cicero nodded as if he agreed with Cassius’s cold analysis.

He had no confidence in beating Caesar in a place where the citizens were present, even if he could win in an academic debate.

He would probably be drowned out by the angry shouts of the citizens before he could make a proper argument.

“Well, I’ll try anyway. And then I’ll offer a compromise to Caesar and try to make a law that minimizes the damage. That’s the best I can do.”

“No. That’s not the best. You know very well that there is another way, although it is classic but very effective.”

“What are you…”

Cicero looked at Cassius slowly with a stiff gaze.

He wanted to ask if he was joking, but Cassius’s expression was endlessly serious and heavy.

Silence lingered around the two for a long time.

Cassius, who hesitated several times before opening his mouth, finally took a deep breath and declared in a secret voice.

“There is only one way for Rome to regain its former glory. To cut off the root of the problem.”

Cicero’s eyes trembled as if they reflected his confused feelings.

< 237. Conspiracy > End