The Mad Tycoon of Rome

Chapter 46: The Choice of the Era 

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In the early 67 BC, Rome was on the verge of exploding with the discontent of its citizens.

The distribution of grain was barely maintained, but the citizens’ anxiety did not subside easily.

They could not tolerate the feeling that their lives were threatened by mere pirates.

The assembly was constantly denouncing the incompetence of the Senate and the greed of Lucullus, who had caused this situation.

“We want to live without worrying about food!”

“Lower the price of grain to its original level!”

“How can we let the pirates enter the Italian peninsula! The Senate must come up with a plan!”

If this situation continued, there was a possibility of a riot breaking out.

In fact, the reason why the Senate was silent was not only because they were incompetent.

The senators knew how to solve this problem from the beginning.

The reason why the price of grain skyrocketed was because of the social unrest.

If they could reduce this unrest, the price of grain would likely drop significantly right away.

All they had to do was announce that they would entrust full authority to a renowned general who could sweep away the pirates.

The Lucullus case was a matter that could be dealt with later at an appropriate time.

Actually, there was an ongoing debate in the Senate about this issue.

Cicero, who had recently gained a lot of popularity, raised his voice as if he was frustrated.

“How long do we have to waste time on a problem that has a clear solution? No matter how much we think about it, nothing will change. If we leave the pirates alone, it will not only cause a riot, but also make our allies turn their backs on Rome.”

“Who doesn’t know that? We are all worried because there is no proper way to do it.”

“Isn’t it because you are reluctant to choose the obvious solution that everyone knows? The problem can be solved easily by appointing a competent general who can eliminate the pirates and sending a reputable general to replace Lucullus in the East.”

Even with Cicero’s sharp words, the senators still looked unhappy.

Lucullus was a close friend of Sulla, who had strengthened the Senate’s power, and a nobleman who had served as consul and praetor.

Most of the senators did not want to dismiss him, who belonged to the pro-Senate faction.

Lucullus’ brother, Terentius, cautiously suggested an opinion.

“Do we really need to dismiss Lucullus? Even if Mithridates has reclaimed Pontus for now, that is only a superficial appearance. His military strength is not great after suffering consecutive defeats from Lucullus. If Lucullus can recover his troops, he can drive him out again soon.”

“He failed to recover his troops properly and that’s why this happened.”

“He must have learned his lesson from his failure. Don’t we have to give him at least a chance to make up for his mistake?”

“Terentius is right. Even if Lucullus failed in the end, he has achieved a lot until then. We should respect that.”

Other aristocratic senators also supported Terentius’ opinion.

As the conclusion was made not to dismiss Lucullus, Cicero sighed and rubbed his eyes as if he was fed up.

“Then let’s put aside Lucullus for now… What about the pirates? We need to select a commander and draft a plan to eradicate them as soon as possible.”

“Even if you say we should select a commander…”

The senators’ eyes all turned to an empty seat.

It was where Pompey should have been.

He had not attended the meeting because he said he had urgent business.

They thought he would naturally step forward and say he would get rid of the pirates, but he was strangely quiet.

The senators felt uneasy about Pompey’s movement.

“Why is Pompey so still? There is no one else who can get rid of the pirates but him. He must be waiting for us to beg him to grant him imperium.”

“That’s right. He wants us to bow down and come in first.”

“That can’t happen. That would make it look like the whole Senate is pleading with Pompey.”

The senators all had the same mind. If anyone had to ask for help, it should be Pompey first, not the Senate.

If the Senate bowed down to Pompey again this time, the Senate’s authority would be clearly recognized as inferior to Pompey’s.

That was why they could not form a punitive force against the pirates, even though they were causing trouble.

It might seem absurd, but the senators decided that the survival of the republican system was more important than anything else.

Of course, they were the only ones who thought so.

For most of the citizens, having a stable life was much more important than that.

Pompey also knew this very well.

And now he had Marcus by his side.

He advised Pompey to deliberately keep silent.

Time was on his side anyway.

When the citizens’ discontent reached a critical point, the Senate would have no choice but to bow down and come in.

And the longer he dragged on, the more rights Pompey could claim.

Pompey occasionally showed his face at the place where the assembly was held.

Every time he did, the citizens desperately clung to his toga.

“Pompey sir! Please do something about the pirates. We can’t live like this anymore.”

“You are the only one who can calm this situation!”

“Ah, of course I want to do that, but there is a legal procedure for this…”

Pompey did not even mention the Senate, but the citizens were not fools.

The rumor spread that the Senate was jealous of Pompey and refused to grant him imperium.

As the public sentiment shifted, the Senate was in a dilemma.

Finally, feeling that the time was ripe, Pompey began to act. He made a tribune named Gabinius his loyal subordinate.

A tribune was an official elected by the assembly to represent the commoners.

Ten tribunes were elected at a time, and only commoners could be appointed.

The tribunes were given the right to enter the Senate and their status was elevated to nobles.

Their rights were truly powerful, as no one could use physical violence against them. They also had independent judicial and legislative powers each.

Even if the Senate tried to pass any law, the tribunes could exercise their veto power and stop it.

Their given authority was comparable to that of a consul, which was the highest office in Rome.

Sulla had abolished all the privileges of the tribunes, thinking that they were too excessive, but Pompey had restored them to their original state.

That was why Pompey was extremely popular among the commoners.

With this momentum, Gabinius proposed a shocking plan to eradicate the pirates in the assembly.

“Citizens! How long do we have to endure this? We have respected the authority of the Senate and waited for over a year.

But they have proven that they have neither the ability nor the intention to solve this problem. Then we have to take action ourselves. The aristocrats may be able to withstand this situation for a few more years, but we are different! This is a matter of our survival!”

“That’s right! If the Senate is going to ignore this situation, we have to deal with it in the assembly!”

“We have no money left after buying grain! I don’t understand why they are just watching this crazy situation!”

Gabinius unfolded a parchment that he had prepared in advance and read out the contents of the bill he proposed.

“According to the earnest will of the citizens, I, Gabinius propose a bill with the following contents! Twenty regular legions will be devoted solely to this operation.”

Twenty legions meant a large force consisting of more than 120,000 heavily armed infantry and 5,000 cavalry. There were only a few wars in history where such a large army was deployed.

“Secondly, at least 500 ships will be deployed to operate these twenty legions. Thirdly, the commander-in-chief will have absolute authority to appoint his deputies and fourteen senators will be assigned to him!”

Gabinius’ explanation continued.

The budget for this operation alone exceeded 140 million sesterces.

It was more than two-thirds of the national budget.

Moreover, the commander-in-chief of this operation would have jurisdiction over the entire Mediterranean region and its coast up to more than fifty miles inland.

The duration of his mission was also unprecedented.

Unlike the usual practice of renewing imperium every year, he was given three years from the start.

The commander-in-chief with this absolute authority was naturally Pompey.

There had never been a case in Roman history where such a command authority was given to one person.

Even Scipio, who fought against Hannibal, did not receive such authority.

This was practically handing over all of Rome to Pompey’s hands.

Managing the entire Mediterranean region meant that all of Rome’s supply ships would be under Pompey’s control.

The citizens enthusiastically supported Gabinius’ bill.

If he could end this annoying pirate problem, they were willing to give him even more authority than this.

The Senate was literally in an uproar.

Those who belonged to the Optimates shouted that they could not accept this insane bill.

They even criticized Pompey as a seed of tyranny.

But not everyone opposed it.

Cicero, who was close to Pompey, was the first to cast his vote in favor.

He was a thorough republican, but also a loyalist who cared about the security of the republic.

“Everyone, you have to think rationally. If we veto this bill here, the only thing left is a riot. Unless you plan to suppress all the Roman citizens by force, we have no choice but to support Pompey here.”

The senators could not refute him, but only boil with anger.

There was someone who added strength to Cicero’s opinion.

It was Caesar, who had recently entered the Senate as a quaestor.

“If anyone wants to take charge of this operation instead of Pompey, you can express your opinion. Or you should present a more reasonable alternative. If not, the citizens will see this as nothing but a hindrance. Then the Senate will have to bear the consequences.”

The Senate had no choice. Fortunately, Crassus, who was regarded as the leader of the Senate, suggested a compromise.

“What the Senate is worried about is that Pompey will have too much influence after completing his mission. So let’s put at least some safety measures in place to ease everyone’s worries.”

“Safety measures?”

“Pompey will swear that he will disband his army and follow the Senate’s orders after completing all his tasks. If he makes an oath in front of all the gods under the auspices of Metellus Pius, the pontifex maximus, wouldn’t the senators be satisfied enough?”

Pompey gladly accepted Crassus’ compromise.

If he completed the pirate eradication operation perfectly, he would become a national hero of Rome anyway.

Whether he disbanded his army or not, the Senate would have no means to restrain him.

He declared confidently in front of all the senators.

“I, Pompey swear that if I harm the republic with any wicked desires after completing all my tasks, may all the gods’ wrath fall upon my head.”

If they opposed him even after saying this much, they would be criticized for being narrow-minded and have nothing to say.

The aristocratic senators reluctantly threw their votes in favor.

The bill that was passed overwhelmingly in the assembly also obtained the consent of the senators.

At least on the surface, the pirate eradication operation was approved by all classes of Rome.

As soon as it was approved, the price of grain plummeted.

Of course, Marcus had already sold all his grain and made a profit as expected.

If he accumulated this much wealth, he had to spend some money to make the economy circulate.

Marcus went to Pompey and asked him to accept him as his deputy as promised before.

Pompey gladly accepted his offer.

Not only that, but he also promised to teach him and keep him by his side throughout the operation.

Marcus expressed his gratitude by spending a lot of money to supply him with a large amount of equipment.

He also agreed to prepare as many horses as Pompey wanted, on the condition that he would share the spoils.

He wondered why Pompey needed a large number of horses for the pirate eradication, but he already knew Pompey’s intentions.

The flow of the Roman world, or rather the Mediterranean world, in the 60s BC was clearly heading towards Pompey.

Marcus decided to entrust himself to that flow without hesitation.

  ※※※※

As the preparations for the pirate eradication progressed smoothly, Rome regained its vitality after a long time.

The actual operation had not even started yet, but the Romans acted as if the pirates were already defeated.

That was how absolute their trust in Pompey was.

Caesar felt the mood of the people more sensitively than anyone else.

The future era would likely revolve around Pompey.

Everyone praised Pompey as the great man who would lead Rome in the future.

But Caesar decided to make a choice that was contrary to that flow.

He was quick to act once he made a decision.

He met with Marcus without a day’s delay.

“So, you’re going to join the pirate eradication as Pompey’s deputy?”

“Yes.”

“Then it would be better to hear your answer first.”

“What answer?”

Marcus did not know what he meant and tilted his head.

Caesar looked at Marcus with a hard-to-face gaze and asked him.

“You said you didn’t have a fiancée, right?”

Marcus’s eyes widened. He did not expect him to ask so directly. So he asked back.

“A fiancée? You mean…?”

“Yes. Do you have any plans to get married soon?”

“Well, that… Shouldn’t you talk to my father first?”

According to Roman law, the rights of children were entirely subject to their father.

Getting married also had to follow the father’s will.

But Caesar came to Marcus first instead of Crassus.

That meant he valued Marcus’s position highly.

“If you don’t want to marry someone, your father won’t allow it either. So it’s fair to ask your opinion first.”

“That is… true, but…”

“So I’m asking you this. By the way, Julia said you would be the best husband she could wish for. I was originally going to weigh between you and Pompey until the end. But it seems that my daughter prefers you more.”

He was speechless.

He had a lot of things to say in his head, but it was hard to say them out loud.

Of course, he did not feel bad.

Julia was becoming wiser as well as more beautiful as time went by.

He would naturally feel good if such a beauty chose him over Pompey.

“…Do you know why Julia made that choice?”

“It’s only natural that I would say that, since I can see your extraordinary talent.”

“Even if you call me extraordinary, it’s too abstract to really resonate with me. Besides, it’s too sudden…”

“It may be sudden, but you’re about to leave for an expedition, aren’t you? Considering that you might not return to Rome for more than three years, don’t you think you should give me an answer now?”

Caesar said with a smile.

“Besides, this is the marriage of my precious daughter, who is the only one I have. Don’t you think I wouldn’t have made such a hasty decision?”

“Yes. That’s true.”

“Besides, I also had an event that made me firm my mind recently. Can you guess what it is?”

Marcus narrowed his eyes and looked at Caesar.

He had a hunch, but he didn’t make the mistake of blurting it out.

He chuckled and shook his head.

“I have no clue.”

“Is that so? Actually, this is also just a guess, not a certainty. I’ll tell you directly from my mouth to confirm it.”

Caesar paused for a moment and said with an ambiguous smile.

“Didn’t you make a hefty profit from the rise and fall of wheat prices in the past few years?”

“Oh, why do you think that?”

Marcus’s expression didn’t change at all as he retorted.

“This is not my guess, but my daughter’s. She said she had a lot of conversations with you recently.”

“Yes. But I didn’t talk to her about that kind of thing.”

“That’s why she guessed that. She said you didn’t fully trust her yet and avoided talking about important topics on purpose. She thought you might have some clues even if it was a trivial matter, since she was smart.”

“Ah, I see. That was the reason. But still, that’s an amazing deduction.”

Marcus realized his mistake. He had deliberately avoided talking about wheat to Julia, as Caesar said.

But it was strange that the food shortage that had shaken Rome was not a topic of conversation.

Julia had thought of one possibility from Marcus’s deliberate avoidance of such talk.

“It’s not an absurd fantasy that you were involved in the rise and fall of wheat prices. But it’s possible that you predicted it beforehand and did something about it. Of course, you would get a terrible reputation if you made a profit from wheat, so you would keep it as secret as possible.”

“…”

“If it’s you, not someone else, then this is not an unreasonable guess. And if it’s true, then your insight into the times surpasses my imagination.”

Marcus closed his eyes for a moment and thought deeply. Then he opened his eyes again and asked.

“Does telling me this fact itself prove your goodwill?”

“Of course. Julia asked me to tell you this. It’s obviously a signal that you don’t need to be wary of her. Now let me hear your answer again. Do you accept my proposal?”

No matter how much he thought about it, the answer was already decided.

In fact, Marcus had also thought about marrying Julia to Pompey as in history.

It was easier for him to control the situation if it followed the original history as much as possible.

But he had no reason to refuse when Caesar persuaded him so actively.

Above all, he was very attracted to Julia herself.

In the end.

Marcus made up his mind and answered.

“It’s not a matter of accepting or not accepting. Actually, I have to ask for permission from my father and Caesar.”

Caesar’s face brightened up. Marcus stood up from his seat and bowed politely.

“Marcus Licinius Crassus II asks for permission from Gaius Julius Caesar. If you give me your daughter, I will cherish and love her as my wife for the rest of my life.”

Although it was a planned situation from the beginning, Caesar felt something welling up in his chest.

No matter how cold-hearted a politician he was, he was still a father after all.

Caesar smiled with mixed feelings and put his hand on Marcus’s shoulder.

“She is a really pure and tender girl unlike me. Please make her happy.”

“I will definitely do that.”

Caesar sighed with relief and regret after hearing Marcus’s answer.

He thought he had done many things wrong to his daughter.

He couldn’t be with her when she was born, and he couldn’t protect her when she was growing up.

And he had done many things that would make her resent him.

But he had given her the best groom, so he felt like he had done his duty as a father at least.

Marcus also felt a new emotion more than Caesar.

Marriage was a sacred ritual in ancient Rome, as it was in modern times.

Marcus was living his second life, but it was his first time to experience marriage.

He was honestly thrilled.

A new life awaited him, beckoning him.

TL note:
Thank you for support Sebastian.