The Mad Tycoon of Rome

Chapter 71: Antonius >

The Senate was pursuing a strategy of indefinite delay to tame Pompey, but not everything was at a standstill.

Two tribunes had been impeached for their involvement with Catiline, so new ones had to be elected to replace them.

The date for the by-election was set a week after Pompey’s speech.

It was not a common occurrence to elect someone to fill the position of someone who had lost their qualification before their term even began.

The Senate did not pay much attention to this election, which was only for two tribunes.

Their main focus was on Pompey.

But a huge incident happened that diverted the Senate’s attention from Pompey.

The protagonist of the commotion was Clodius Pulcher, who had been suspected of infiltrating the Bona Dea festival in drag.

He announced his candidacy for the tribunate, shocking the Senate.

The same person who had shaken Rome not long ago was at the center of controversy again.

At first, the Senate thought Clodius was just spouting nonsense.

How could a Claudius, the highest noble family in Rome, run for the tribunate, a position for the plebeians?

The Senate ignored him, thinking he just wanted some attention.

But Clodius followed Marcus’s advice and gave up his noble status by becoming a plebeian through adoption.

The Senate was stunned by this unprecedented method.

“This is an insult to the Senate!”

“How can the purest and highest noble blood in Rome become a plebeian? This is a contempt for all nobles.”

“Is this his way of getting back at us for accusing him a while ago? Surely he doesn’t really intend to run for the tribunate…”

“Anyway, an adoption that changes one’s status requires the approval of the Pontifex Maximus. Even Caesar wouldn’t allow such an absurd thing. Caesar is also one of the most prestigious families in Rome, the Julii.”

“Of course. This will end as a simple disturbance.”

The Senate hoped that even Caesar would not accept such an act.

Of course, Caesar betrayed the Senate’s expectations and granted Clodius’s request.

He allowed Clodius to become a plebeian just before he left for Hispania as governor.

Clodius abandoned his noble name and used a plebeian name, Publius Clodius.

Because of this process, the Senate mistakenly thought that Clodius was Caesar’s servant.

It was understandable from their perspective.

Caesar had covered up Clodius’s intrusion into the Bona Dea festival, and Clodius had done this as a way of repaying him. 

That made sense.

In fact, in the original history, Caesar and Clodius had that kind of relationship.

Feeling threatened by this, the Senate put forward candidates who were close to them to prevent Clodius’s election.

Pompey, who had been staying at his villa, also looked for someone who could be his pawn and nominated him as a candidate.

The by-election for the tribunate turned into an unexpected three-way battle.

Among them, the least influential person was originally Caesar.

His titles of Pontifex Maximus, consul, and representative of the populares were certainly splendid, but he was still inferior to the Senate and Pompey.

But Clodius was an exception. 

He was so popular that it didn’t matter much.

He was a Claudius, who was known to everyone in Rome, and he had given up his noble status to join the plebeians’ side.

There had never been a candidate with such a story before.

Moreover, the fact that he had been acquitted in the trial not long ago also boosted his popularity.

The voters naturally felt that he had been unfairly oppressed by the nobles.

Clodius also spent a lot of money to solidify his popularity.

It was money he had received from Marcus, but the Senate only thought that Clodius had used his own savings as a former nobleman.

The citizens gave their generous support to the famous newcomer politician.

In the end, the election resulted in Clodius’s overwhelming victory as first place.

The candidate supported by the Senate barely managed to get elected as second place and saved face.

The candidate Pompey had hoped for sadly came in third place.

It wasn’t because the citizens didn’t support Pompey.

There were two reasons for this outcome.

The first was that Pompey had nominated his candidate too hastily before the by-election.

As a result, the citizens didn’t have enough time to recognize that he was Pompey’s candidate.

The second was the lack of presence of the candidate.

With a short campaign time, the candidate’s popularity had a big impact.

Clodius was a good example of that.

The problem was that Pompey had chosen a candidate who he could easily control.

Naturally, the candidate’s presence was weak.

The fact that he came in third place was actually proof of Pompey’s popularity.

Pompey, who was greatly disappointed by this result, did not step out of his villa until the inauguration ceremony.

From the Senate’s point of view, they had gotten rid of the burden of Pompey, but an unexpected obstacle had popped up.

They had a bad feeling about this.

And Clodius soon proved that the Senate’s worries were not unfounded.

Clodius’s first order from Marcus was to pass the bill for the reorganization of the eastern provinces.

He didn’t give any specific instructions, as it was also a test of his abilities.

However, he strictly warned him not to touch anything other than the bill for the reorganization of the provinces, which Pompey had requested.

He planned to use the land distribution as a useful card later, and it was beneficial for Pompey to suffer a bit more.

Of course, he also had a bit of resentment for ignoring his advice and acting on his own.

Clodius faithfully followed Marcus’s order.

He criticized the Senate without hesitation every time the assembly was held.

He had no intention of joining the Senate even after his term as tribune ended, so his speech was more intense than anyone could imagine.

“Citizens! Rome is in unprecedented chaos right now. The bills that need to be passed are piled up like a mountain and remain stagnant. Do you know why? It’s because the Senate and Pompey are fighting for power. The only ones who suffer from this are the innocent citizens.”

One of the agitators that Clodius had planted in advance raised his hand and threw a prepared question.

“Didn’t the Senate pass several reform bills recently?”

“That was only a temporary measure to gain the support of the citizens. Do you know where the funds came from to reduce the debts of the debtors? The eastern provinces. If money doesn’t come from there, the reform bills will be passed, but there will be no budget to execute them. They will become nothing but empty promises.”

The citizens were swayed by Clodius’s agitation.

They didn’t understand very well when Pompey talked about what was going on in the eastern provinces.

But when he explained it in relation to their interests, they understood how serious the problem was.

The citizens who had been promised debt relief but had not yet benefited were especially anxious.

“So you’re saying that the reforms promised last year might not actually be implemented?”

“At least, the execution will be indefinitely delayed. There is no way to execute them without a budget. We are now being sacrificed by the power struggle between the Senate and Pompey!

That’s why I dare to propose this. We should pass the bill for the reorganization of the provinces in the assembly, without the approval of the Senate, according to Hortensius’s law!

We can no longer tolerate our interests being trampled on by the power struggle of the privileged class! I, Clodius, will be your shield to protect your rights with all my strength!”

The citizens responded with thunderous cheers to Clodius’s passionate declaration.

The cheers that spread from Forum Romanum to far away were loud enough to deafen the ears of the senators.

The guards at the nearby gates were also startled.

The citizens welcomed with open arms a tribune who would unilaterally take their side.

Clodius immediately made a bill to pass the reorganization of the provinces.

Cato, who had watched this scene, sighed and tapped his forehead.

“Did we create a madman…”

Calpurnianus, who was serving as consul this year, clicked his tongue in annoyance.

“That’s what happens when you poke a hornet’s nest. We already have enough trouble with Pompey, and now we have another lunatic as tribune. I have a headache already.”

“It was a matter that everyone agreed on, to use Clodius to bring down Caesar from his position as Pontifex Maximus!”

“Yeah. So I’m not blaming you alone. We should all reflect on our hasty decision.”

“We can’t just worry about this. We need to come up with a countermeasure.”

Cicero, who had been sitting with a stiff expression, finally opened his mouth.

He was the most anxious among the current senators.

It was because of Cicero’s last testimony that Clodius had almost been convicted.

If Marcus hadn’t bribed some of the plebeian jurors in advance, Clodius would have been found guilty.

Clodius knew this fact and hated Cicero fiercely.

And Cicero knew that too.

He couldn’t predict what kind of nonsense this insane tribune would use to attack him.

The usual means of controlling a tribune, which was the Senate’s personnel authority, did not work on Clodius.

Nor could they invoke the Senate’s ultimate decree against someone who hadn’t caused as much trouble as the Gracchi brothers.

Rather, other senators who suggested actively accusing Clodius were secretly glad that his anger wasn’t directed at them.

A tribune couldn’t shake up the entire Senate, but if he was willing to sacrifice himself, he could drag down one person.

None of the senators wanted to die a miserable death by being stabbed by a lunatic’s knife.

Calpurnianus shook his head and muttered.

“We’ll have to let it go for now. The bill to pass the reorganization of the provinces in the assembly seems to be certain. There’s nothing we can do about that.”

Cato frowned and asked.

“Don’t you think this is all Caesar’s scheme?”

“What are you talking about? Caesar is in Hispania right now.”

“He chose Clodius as his proxy to mess up Rome while he was away as governor. And I suspect Pompey too. Maybe Caesar and Pompey have made some kind of agreement and are using Clodius to push through Pompey’s demands.”

The other senators reacted as if it was plausible, but Cicero raised an objection.

“I think that possibility is low right now. First of all, if the two of them form an alliance, the leader should be Pompey, not Caesar.

There is a big difference in their positions and popularity. And Pompey tried to nominate his own candidate for this tribune election.

It was a risky move that could have cost both Clodius and his rival their seats, but well… If Caesar and Pompey had joined forces, they would have unified their candidates.”

“Clodius’s victory would have been more certain then. Didn’t he win by a landslide anyway?”

“But even so, he can’t do much more with just one tribune. The Eastern provinces bill passed because it was in the interest of the citizens. Distribute land to Pompey’s old soldiers? There’s no reason for the citizens to agree to that. Caesar and Pompey know this too. Especially Caesar.”

Cato had to step back from Cicero’s logical rebuttal.

He still believed in his conspiracy theory, but he didn’t budge from his opinion that Caesar had to be checked.

“Everyone who is watching this spectacle should remember this. When Caesar finishes his governorship and returns, he will surely run for the consulship, right?

If he becomes a consul, that mad tribune will manipulate the assembly, and Caesar will pressure us in the senate. We shouldn’t be complacent just because we defeated Pompey. Our real enemy is Caesar, who is pulling the strings behind Clodius.”

This time, no other senator raised an objection.

It was true that Caesar had shown more and more anti-senate actions lately.

Crassus seemed to be reaching his limit in controlling him too.

But even though they thought they should be careful, they didn’t feel a sense of crisis.

To the senators who were successfully suppressing Pompey, Caesar was nothing but a nuisance.

They thought they couldn’t lose if they dealt with him properly.

Even Cato, who was the most vigilant against Caesar, was optimistic for now.

※※※※

Clodius lived up to Marcus’s expectations and tormented the senate.

Sometimes he went too far, but then Marcus would send him a signal to restrain himself.

The senate, who was waiting for Clodius to make a mistake, missed their chances every time.

Now they admitted that Clodius was not a mere hothead who acted on impulse.

The only consolation for them was that Clodius didn’t touch the land issue, which was Pompey’s main concern.

Cato’s conspiracy theory that Caesar and Pompey had made a secret pact was completely discarded.

While the senate was on alert for Clodius’s actions, Marcus calmly built his career.

The main duty of a quaestor was to audit and manage the finances of the government.

Marcus used his family’s experts to do the job quickly and accurately.

He also took on the role of chairman of the Young Men’s Meeting for the Defense of the Republic, which had been held more frequently lately.

It was because Cicero, who used to host the meeting, couldn’t afford it because of Clodius’s problem.

So now the meeting place was not Cicero’s mansion, but Marcus’s reception room.

The young men who attended the meeting as usual continued their heated debate today.

The topic was ‘Is Pompey aiming for dictatorship?’

Brutus and Cassius argued that he might not be now, but he could in the future.

On the other hand, Curio and Decimus countered that Pompey had no such ambition.

After everyone gave their opinions, their eyes turned to Marcus.

“Personally, I don’t think Pompey has such a desire. I have a personal relationship with him, but he values his personal honor and glory more than ambition. If he really had thoughts of dictatorship, he wouldn’t have disbanded his army.”

Brutus tilted his head and asked.

“Then do you think Pompey was unjustly sacrificed by the senate’s decision?”

“Not necessarily. I’m sure many senators didn’t try to check him because they thought he was really trying to become a dictator.”

“I see. I had a vague feeling about it. It may seem cruel, but this is also an inevitable choice for the sake of the republic.”

The intelligent Brutus quickly understood Marcus’s words. 

He even doubted the senate’s choice while doing so.

Cassius was the same.

He felt that even if there were one or two innocent victims for the sake of the republic, it couldn’t be helped.

Marcus covered his mouth with a cup filled with diluted wine and smirked bitterly.

Those two would accept it willingly even if they were the ones being sacrificed.

That’s why people with blind faith are scary.

‘Well, that’s why they stabbed someone who treated them like a son and saved their lives twice.’

He had talked about Caesar with Brutus a few times and surprisingly, he had a favorable impression of Caesar.

He was annoyed by the false rumor that he was Caesar’s bastard, but he didn’t hate Caesar himself.

He was different from his uncle Cato.

He even firmly believed that Caesar would reconcile with the senate even if he was in conflict with them now.

In other words, Brutus assassinated someone he personally liked for his faith.

This was not surprising, as it was a common occurrence until the Cold War in modern times.

It was just a reminder to be careful and cautious again.

Being assassinated was a possible future for Marcus too, who had great power regardless of time and place.

It was the most common case for someone with strong power to lose their life.

He didn’t want to live behind bodyguards and worry about assassination for the rest of his life, even if Spartacus was by his side.

The young men who harbored the idea of assassinating the tyrant in front of him made him think more strongly about it.

‘A way to seize power without offending the republicans, and to reduce the risk of assassination as well…’

He wondered if there was such a good way, but it wasn’t entirely impossible.

It was just that the conditions that had to be met were too demanding, and there were too many mountains to climb for Marcus at the moment.

After the debate was over, Brutus, Cassius, and Decimus left their seats, but Curio stayed.

He had said beforehand that he had something to ask, but he couldn’t open his mouth even when they were alone.

Marcus asked first.

“Didn’t you say you had something to ask?”

“Ah, yes. Well… I know it’s very shameless of me to ask this. But I know that you have the ability to solve it easily, so I’ll ask you anyway.”

Marcus nodded his head as a sign to continue.

Curio took a deep breath and said.

“I have a friend who I’ve been close with since childhood. He’s also from a plebeian noble family, but unfortunately his father was killed by the Marians when he was young.

So he wasted his natural talent and wandered around, causing trouble and getting into debt. He also has a family to support, so he borrowed money from everywhere. He came to his senses too late, but he already has too much debt to pay back.”

“Can’t he use the personal bankruptcy system that was recently introduced?”

“I think that system requires a steady income. But sadly, he’s currently living on debt. He used to get money from political gangs, but now he wants to quit that kind of thing.”

“That’s a good decision. So, do you want me to pay off his debt or be his guarantor?”

“Of course not!”

Curio shook his head hastily.

“I’m not asking for such a brazen favor. I want to help him, but I’m also in debt myself, so I can’t do anything.

My friend is planning to go on a study abroad trip to Greece. If it’s not too much trouble for you, could you sponsor his ship and tuition? He’s really talented, so he’ll be able to pay you back someday. If he can’t, I’ll make sure to repay you instead.”

Curio was one of the hopes of the republic, who received attention from the senators for his excellent eloquence and scholarship.

Marcus was curious about the identity of his friend who Curio praised so highly.

“If he’s such a brilliant young man, I can easily arrange a ship and sponsorship for him. But if he’s that brilliant, I think I would have heard his name at least once… What’s his name?”

“Oh, he’s not outstanding in scholarship or eloquence. But he’s very brave and has a great military talent. When he was in a political gang, he often beat up rival gangs twice as large as his with fewer numbers.”

Curio listed his friend’s strengths and finally revealed his name.

“His name is Antonius. I believe he’s a distant relative of Caesar, your father-in-law.”

“Antonius…!”

Marcus exclaimed almost involuntarily.

It was one of the names of the people he had been looking for an opportunity to contact.

He had planned to make connections with him soon, but he didn’t expect his name to be mentioned at this point.

A satisfied smile appeared on Marcus’s lips as he seized an unexpected opportunity.