Conscript fathers, I vote in the affirmative on both motions and I urge you to do the same!

On the first motion, it is clear to all with sense that the Greek incursion onto Italian soil cannot be tolerated! Pyrrhus is a tyrant and will enslave Italian and Roman alike if he is not confronted. He must be dealt with immediately, without hesitation. Not only will this free Rome from the threat of foreign invasion from the south, but it will also demonstrate Roman honor and justice to our Italian neighbors. Perhaps after such a display of unilateral goodwill, they will join in a confederation with our glorious state. If not, well... there are other means of gaining their support.

On the second motion, I say it is the DUTY of every Senator to vote in favor. Our legions are mighty, but they are few. It will take all our current strength, and then some, to defeat the Greeks. We may take great losses in such a battle. Imagine, fellow Senators, a victory against Pyrrhus, but one in which our brave legions are nearly destroyed, incapable of sustaining a further struggle. I cannot even begin to imagine what such a thing would be called, but I know I do not want it! We must be strong, both to ensure victory and to ensure that that victory is decisive. Not only must we win, we must emerge strong and ready for what awaits us. Raise a third legion? We should raise a third, a fourth and a fifth! We should call upon our Italian allies in Capua and Ancona to provide auxiliaries as well! Let them demonstrate their loyalty to the alliance we have formed. However, such measures go beyond the scope of this vote. Once this one has passed, as I am sure it will, perhaps then we can discuss an even greater expansion.