The Mad Tycoon of Rome

Chapter 55: A Prelude to Turmoil 

Rome had changed a lot since he left it three years ago.

It had completely freed itself from the threat of pirates and pacified the East, so there was no worry on the faces of the people.

Marcus, who returned to Rome by carriage from Brundisium, was surrounded by countless crowds of welcome as he climbed up the Palatine Hill.

When he arrived at his home, he was able to see the familiar faces he had missed for so long.

The first names he called were, of course, his father Crassus and his mother Theutoria.

“Father, mother. I hope you have been well.”

“Yes. I’m glad to see you healthy.”

Crassus smiled kindly and put his hands on Marcus’s shoulders.

Theutoria almost ran to hug Marcus tightly.

There was a slight moisture in her eyes.

“You’ve grown up a lot.”

His father and mother didn’t say anything more. It was enough that he came back safely. Their sincerity was conveyed abundantly with that one sentence.

His younger brother Publius greeted his brother’s return with a flushed face.

Marcus, who had achieved brilliant feats in the war, was almost like a hero to his brother.

“Welcome back, brother. I heard you did great deeds in this war.”

“It was nothing but conquering a few weak lands that couldn’t resist. Rather, Spartacus deserves more credit for fighting with his life on the line and earning a medal on the battlefield.”

Marcus spotted Seline among the guests, looking at Spartacus.

She had a silver civic crown in her hand that she would give to Spartacus.

Marcus was not so insensitive as to interrupt their long-awaited reunion any longer.

He poked Spartacus’s waist with a wink.

“You must have a lot of stories to catch up with your wife. You should go now.”

“Yes. Then I’ll go.”

Spartacus smiled brightly and walked toward his wife. Seline also nodded her head to Marcus and went back to their room with her husband.

Marcus had the last time of reunion with his precious ones.

He didn’t want to interrupt their conversation, so he deliberately postponed their order until the end.

One of them waited calmly on one side and ran over with small steps. Julia hugged Marcus in his arms.

“Marcus!”

“Julia, have you been well? Did you have any pain or discomfort?”

Julia lifted her head slightly from Marcus’s embrace and smiled shyly.

“That’s what I should say to my husband who came back from the battlefield. You still worry too much. Thanks to the kindness of others, I had no trouble at all.”

“I can’t help but worry. Anyway, I’m glad you’re well.”

“But you’ve grown taller?”

“Really? Spartacus said the same thing. I guess my growth period hasn’t ended yet.”

Maybe because he had a good nutrition intake, Marcus was much taller than in his previous life.

He was definitely tall by the standards of ancient people.

He unconsciously put some strength on his shoulders and a faint smile hung on his lips.

“You were already handsome, but now you look even more reliable.”

“Ha ha, you’re so beautiful that anyone would think Venus herself came down to earth for a while. I want to brag to all of Rome that my wife is this beautiful.”

“That’s not true. You’re exaggerating too much…”

While the couple’s friendly conversation continued, Septimus and Danae walked slowly behind Julia.

The two of them congratulated Marcus on his safe return first.

Marcus also thanked them for managing the business and taking good care of Julia.

That evening, a splendid banquet was held to celebrate the return of the eldest son.

They ate and drank noisily and vented their frustrations for a while, then Marcus resumed his normal activities from the next day.

First of all, he carefully reviewed the changes in the political situation.

The year 63 BC was a year with quite a lot of changes politically.

Cicero, who had steadily increased his political power in the Senate, finally won the consulship and began his term.

Cicero, who came up from the provinces as a successful lawyer and became a consul, was an unprecedented figure.

It was also unusual that he was not a typical case of success as a war hero.

In fact, Cicero was very proud of his success story.

He even sent a congratulatory speech sincerely welcoming Marcus’s return, who had lent him money for buying his mansion and election expenses.

Next, he listened to brief business reports from Septimus, Danae, and Vitruvius.

The most encouraging report was that they had finally been able to operate the new furnace stably.

Now they had opened the way to mass-produce steel.

This meant not only an increase in military power, but also an improvement in various items, from agricultural tools to tools.

Marcus praised the achievements of Vitruvius and the craftsmen and gave them a generous bonus.

The reports from other areas continued.

“The market for women’s cosmetics is practically ours. We can say that without exaggeration. We are also successfully increasing our market share in jewelry and clothes with our capital power. Madam has a great sense of these things.”

“That’s right. How should I put it? She has an amazing eye for finding products that will be popular. And with her appearance to back it up, the ladies can’t take their eyes off her.”

“She must have inherited that side from her father.”

Apparently, Julia got more than just a brilliant intelligence from Caesar.

A concrete plan to make silk popular in Rome flashed in Marcus’s mind.

He listened to all the reports and then went to Julia’s room to give her a silk dress as a gift.

Julia, who had never seen such a fabric before, couldn’t hide her excitement.

“How can clothes be so light and have such a good texture? It feels great when I wear it.”

Silk was colorful and could make clothes stick to the body, giving a sensual impression.

It was eye-catching when a beauty like Julia wore it.

“What do you think? Can we bring a trend to Rome?”

“Of course. Can I wear this dress to the next scheduled party? I think it will make a huge buzz just by doing that.”

“I don’t mind. I’m just a little worried that other men will look at you with strange eyes.”

“Hey, that’s enough joking.”

It was a hundred percent sincere, but he couldn’t stop her from doing it.

It was bound to be popular in the future anyway, so he couldn’t tell her not to wear silk at all.

‘If someone tries to mess with her later, I’ll just bury them with my family.’

And making money was good, but the high price of silk could also cause inflation, so he had to prepare a countermeasure for that.

In fact, Rome in the imperial era tried to ban silk because it caused too much luxury.

The reason why the price of silk soared was obviously the monopoly of the manufacturing method in the East and the intermediary trade of Parthia.

He could figure out the production method, so he just had to get the silkworms out.

In fact, the future Eastern Rome made silk weaving their exclusive industry.

There was no reason why Rome couldn’t do it.

Marcus’s ears heard Julia’s voice as he was lost in thought for a moment.

“Marcus, there’s something I have to tell you.”

“What is it?”

“I was supposed to handle it on my own as you told me, but I think I have to tell you since you’re here. Father is going to run for Pontifex Maximus (the highest priest) soon and he asked me to borrow some money for his campaign.”

“Of course I’ll lend it to him. As much as he wants. I’ll also mobilize enough campaign workers for him.”

Julia opened her eyes wide and looked at Marcus.

Soon she tilted her head as if surprised.

“You accept it very casually.”

“Huh? Isn’t it natural for a son-in-law to help his father-in-law’s election?”

“No… that’s not what I mean. Aren’t you surprised that father is running for the highest priest position? Everyone else had a reaction of surprise.”

The highest priest was the highest position in the Roman religious world and had a great authority.

Even the Vestal Virgins, who received tremendous respect from Rome, were under the supervision of the highest priest.

But at the same time, it was also regarded as a kind of honorary position that only people who had already made a name for themselves took.

The two candidates who competed with Caesar in this election were both old nobles with consul experience who were about 60 years old.

In fact, when he said he would run, everyone around him was shocked.

The Senate also couldn’t understand why someone like Caesar would pour a huge debt into such an honorary position.

Marcus, who knew Caesar’s tendencies well, had a rough idea of why.

“Do you think your father’s choice is surprising too?”

“I did when I first heard about it.”

“Then not now. I think the same. The position of the highest priest is much more useful than people think. And the most attractive point is that it’s a lifelong position.”

By principle, all positions in Rome were strictly based on plurality as a characteristic of Rome that sparked competition.

And the term of office for elected positions was fixed at one year.

This was no exception for the consul, the highest position in Rome.

But the highest priest was not a political position, so he could keep his seat until he died.

The reason why this election was held this year was because the previous one, Metellus Pius, had died.

Caesar was ambitious but also a huge vanity like Pompey.

He couldn’t help but covet the position of the leader of Rome’s religious world.

“I think father is considering the distant future as well. Actually, the highest priest can interfere with politics quite a bit if he wants to.”

“That’s right. Rome attaches a lot of meaning to religious consciousness.”

Rome always held ceremonies under the guidance of the highest priest when they held national events.

Here, if the highest priest wanted to, he could cancel the event by saying that the divination was bad.

Of course, this was rare, but there was that much authority in the words of the highest priest.

Caesar wanted both power and honor, unlike Pompey who preferred honor over power.

“He may be at a disadvantage because of his short career, but he has used various methods to win. I think he will win.”

“He’s popular with the citizens.”

“Anyway, it’s all thanks to you, Marcus. I thank you again on behalf of my father.”

“Don’t thank me for something like this between husband and wife. Don’t worry about it.”

Originally, the highest priest was decided by a combination of priests, but Caesar persuaded his close friend tribune to change the law.

A bill was submitted to the assembly that said that the leader of Rome’s religious world should be chosen by the hands of the citizens.

The citizens naturally raised both hands and agreed.

With Marcus’s money added to that, Caesar was able to mobilize a large number of campaign workers.

With the support of the citizens and an overwhelming quantity offensive, a comfortable victory was formed, unlike the original history.

To see Caesar elected as the highest priest, Marcus headed to the assembly with Julia.

Women had no right to enter the assembly in principle, but there were occasional cases where noble women came to watch the assembly. 

In this case, they were likely to be family members of someone who ran for election and passed.

Septimus and Danae didn’t accompany them, and only Spartacus followed them as a guard.

The Forum Romanum, where the assembly was held, was naturally crowded with so many people that there was no room to step on.

He saw the Vestal Virgins, who were the envy of the Romans, coming with the escort of soldiers from afar.

Just then, Caesar, dressed in a priestly toga, was about to climb the podium to give a speech.

His many supporters and campaign workers who were hired with money sent enthusiastic cheers.

Julia, who knew that the chances of winning were high, seemed a bit nervous and shook her hand.

Marcus took her hand and went to a good seat he had secured in advance and settled down.

As he got closer to the center of the square, he heard Caesar’s voice better.

It was a skillful speech worthy of one of Rome’s best orators.

Fortunately, the speeches of Caesar’s opponents, Isauricus and Catulus, were not very good.

A young nobleman sitting next to Marcus burst out in anger.

“Such frustrating people! I told them to unify their candidates. Now Caesar is sure to win! Ha ha, how can such a person become the highest priest? How will Rome go from now on?”

He felt the gaze that looked at him sharply just by hearing his voice.

The young nobleman coughed and bowed his head slightly.

“Did I sound loud? Then I apologize.”

“No. I just happened to look that way.”

Marcus and Julia’s eyes naturally turned to him.

The nobleman who felt their gaze looked at Marcus and Julia alternately with an awkward expression.

“Are you related to Caesar?”

Julia nodded her head slightly with a smile.

“Yes. I’m Julia Caesaria, the daughter of Gaius Julius Caesar.”

“Ha ha. Daughter… I see.”

The nobleman realized that he had cursed his father in front of his daughter and scratched his head as if embarrassed.

“I heard that his daughter was a virtuous woman… Now that I think about it, you married into the Crassus family.”

The nobleman’s gaze turned to Marcus.

 “Are you the eldest son of the Crassus family? The one who returned from the Eastern expedition a few days ago?”

“Yes. I’m Marcus Licinius Crassus II.”

“Ah, nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you from Cicero. I’m Porcius Cato.”

Cato suddenly reached out his arm.

Surprised by the unexpected encounter, Marcus calmly grasped Cato’s arm.

“I’ve also heard a lot of rumors about you. A brilliant scholar who is full of love for the republic.”

“Ha ha, who spread such flattering rumors?”

Cato knew that Marcus was one of the republicans he paid the most attention to, along with Cicero and Brutus.

He had already established a good relationship with the former two.

He wanted to make a connection with Cato as well, but luckily he had such an opportunity.

“Cato, did you come to see the result of the highest priest election? You must be busy since you just entered the Senate.”

“Ah, I wanted to see how well those two old men who ignored my words did in the election. But as expected, it seems like they will surely lose.”

“Don’t you like Caesar becoming the highest priest?”

“The highest priest is the highest responsible person in Rome’s religious world. But he’s so immoral in his private life… Ah, this is not something to talk about in front of his daughter. I’m sorry. Anyway, I think Caesar hasn’t shown the proper conduct for the highest priest.”

Marcus and Julia both gave a bitter smile.

Honestly, even if his arm was bent inward, Cato’s point was undeniable.

Cato glanced at Julia and added as if to excuse himself.

“But his daughter is a virtuous and prudent woman, as rumored. So I rather have a favor for her. I have a very different personality from Caesar, so don’t take it too badly.”

“No. Actually, I also wish my father would restrain himself a little in his relationships with women. I’ll take it as a harsh but deserved criticism.”

Cato was slightly moved by Julia’s answer and lowered his head and muttered in a barely audible voice.

“Ha ha… How can he be like that when he has such a wonderful daughter…”

“By the way, Cato, why did the other two candidates oppose unifying their candidacy against Caesar?”

“Of course they believed they would win. Stupid fools.”

“It doesn’t seem like you’re just opposing Caesar for personal reasons. You seem to consider him quite threatening.”

“Don’t you? I thought you were trying to control him by marriage because you and your father had the same idea.”

Cato whispered in a low voice so that Julia wouldn’t hear.

Marcus nodded calmly and answered.

“Similar, but I don’t think he’s a threat now. For now, he has no choice but to listen to me and my father, who are his biggest creditors.”

Cato’s voice became even lower.

“That may be true for now, but he’s like a plague. If we leave him alone, he might collapse the Senate someday.”

Marcus was secretly surprised by Cato’s foresight, but he pretended to be calm and clicked his tongue.

“That’s overestimating Caesar too much. He can’t beat them when there are my family and Pompey holding up in the Senate.”

“Pompey… Well, I don’t believe Caesar can beat Pompey either. But his political skills are at least five steps ahead of Pompey’s.”

“Politics is not something you can do with just political skills. You need a background. And most importantly, there’s Cato who keeps an eye on him with such vigilance. How can he have any other thoughts?”

When Marcus subtly praised him, Cato coughed with a not-so-bad expression.

“Hm hm, of course I intend to keep watching him.”

“Yes. And not only Cato, but also Cicero and many other intellectuals who love the republic. Even if we’re not old enough to enter the Senate yet, there are many young people who share the same will as me or my peers. The will of our predecessors will continue without interruption in the future. You don’t have to worry too much.”

“Ha ha ha, I see. Maybe I was too narrow-minded. There were already seeds of republic like you sprouting vigorously.”

The two men continued to have a friendly conversation and ended their conversation.

Although the final result was decided by Caesar’s election, Cato didn’t look as bad as he did at first.

Marcus bid farewell to Cato who said he was going back to his mansion and got up from his seat with Julia.

“Shall we go too? We have to congratulate your father.”

“Yes. He won by a much bigger margin than I expected. I was nervous for nothing.”

Caesar won a landslide victory in all the electoral districts.

The highest priest position, unlike other honorable careers, received a considerable salary.

Moreover, Caesar planned to move to the official residence provided to the highest priest.

The official residences of other great officials who had no owners also came under his control. 

He could rent them out after repairing them and expect some extra income.

It was a drop in the bucket compared to the money Marcus had lent him so far, but at least he had some leeway to repay a small amount.

“I’ll have to mobilize some of the family’s slaves to help him move to the official residence. And I’ll also raise the rent for the buildings he’s going to rent out…”

As he was walking and telling Julia about his future plans, he heard a cautious voice calling his name from behind.

“Excuse me, are you Marcus Licinius Crassus II?”

He turned his head and saw a middle-aged nobleman who looked quite knowledgeable.

When Spartacus tried to move, the middle-aged nobleman raised his hand hastily and shouted.

“No, no, I’m sorry for stopping you suddenly, but I’m not a suspicious person. I’m a former praetor and a senator.”

“A senator?”

“Yes. I happened to hear your conversation and found out your identity. I had something to ask the Crassus family, so I thought it would be better to solve it now.”

If he was a former praetor, he was a big shot who had been the governor of Sardinia.

Marcus nodded and signaled him to continue.

The middle-aged nobleman continued with an embarrassed expression.

“Actually, I’m thinking of running for consul this year… As you know, money is needed for elections, right? So I want to ask you for a loan. The other creditors don’t want to lend me money.”

“Why don’t they lend you money if you’re a former praetor?”

“Well… I might as well tell you the truth since you’ll find out anyway. I made a radical promise last year and I’m not on good terms with the equestrian class. Oh, I haven’t told you my name yet.”

Having heard his story so far, Marcus had a rough guess of who he was.

The biggest issue of 63 BC was not something like Caesar’s election as the highest priest.

That was not even worthy of being a trivial gossip compared to the huge incident that swept across Rome.

The incident where the structural social contradictions that Rome had accumulated finally exploded.

The middle-aged nobleman who became the culprit of that incident gave a bitter smile and uttered his name.

“Lucius Sergius Catilina.”

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