Will of the Senate - Senate Deliberations II

[econ21]

[QUINTUS]: Senators, we are at an important cross-roads. The actions we take now will dictate the term of the next First Consul and beyond.

One observation I must make at the onset is that an Iberia army is adjacent to the settlement of their Gaulish allies at Gergovia. Consequently, I suspect that if we try to seize Gergovia and Comata as per motion 6.3, or indeed if we attempt to destroy Gaul as per motion 6.1, there is a strong risk that we provoke a war with Iberia. Hence I would urge all Senators who oppose motion 6.4 to withdraw their support for these earlier motions and to vote them down.

Senators, there is another possibility: that the First Consul return to Massilia after his historic raid, leaving Gergovia and Comata as Gaulish "buffer states" between us, Iberia and the Germans. I doubt the Iberians will declare war on us if their lands do not adjoin ours. And Gaul may be hostile, but with only two decimated settlements incapable of raising troops, I cannot see that they would ever be able to breach the ford at Massilia.

Senators, if we try to eliminate Gaul or to hold Gergovia and Comata, I fear we will soon become embroiled in war with Iberia. Until this day, I had not heard one voice in the Senate argue for a war with that power. Were there not calls for an alliance to be made with her, not long ago? I fear we are being sucked into war that we did not plan for little more reason that the momentum created by the First Consul's raids. Yes, we have the men available to invade Iberia, but would not those men be better employed against our existing enemies, Greece and Carthage, rather than making new foes?

The First Consul is to be congratulated on the magnificent military victories he has achieved on his great raid. He has effectively broken the power of Gaul - she will not rise again. In the last election, I almost alone agreed with senator Publius Laevinus that the time was right to bring down Gaul. But the problem is that the First Consul has delivered much of Gaul to the Germans, not to us. And the Germans are a rather more formiddable power than Gaul - a power that we have never intended to fight. Moreover, if we move to occupy what little remains of Gaul, we are likely to be sucked into a war with both Germany and Iberia.

Senators, the First Consul promised us a period of consolidation. I believe this would best be achieved by him sticking to his manifesto plan and returning to Massilia after his great raid has been completed. In doing this, he will have effectively destroyed one of our most troublesome enemies. And through his raids, he will have enriched the Republic with gold and slaves. Returning to Massilia, we will be in a most defensible position, without lands bordering Iberia or Germany. The next First Consul will then be free to devote his reign to another project, without being committed to a new war with Iberia.

Senators, I propose:

Motion 6.8: This house instructs the First Consul, after raiding Bourges, to return all Roman troops back to the Republic. The raided Gallic settlements of Gergovia and Comata are to be left as buffers between us and Iberia and Germany. This motion invalidates motions 6.1, 6.3 and 6.4.

I call upon any of the many Senators who voted for the First Consul to second this motion and insist that the First Consul honour his manifesto commitments.