Will of the Senate - Senate Deliberations II

[flyd]

Senator Pansa, the Seleucids and the Ptolemies are already at war. This is a fact you would be aware of if you looked at the discussion on the previous page between me and Consul Aemilius. Another fact you would be aware of is that the Seleucids have been losing a lot of ground; it is their position that is weak in northwestern Asia rather than the Greek one. I have also already mentioned that Debeltos could be given to Seleucus.

[Death the destroyer of worlds]

Conscript fathers,

I bring you an update of my reign.

Finished Interim Report part I
Finished Interim Report part II

This ends the first section of the reign of Lucius Aemilius and Amulius Coruncanius. It will continue as the reign of Lucius Aemilius and Publius Pansa.

Our current situation :

The Legio I Italia Victrix is stationed in Luvavum to the north of the Alps to draw the Thracians away from our provinces.
The Legio II Sabina Quintia is stationed in Gergovia in Gaul.
The Legio III Sicilia Aemilia is stationed in Comata in Gaul.
The Legio IV Gallica is stationed in Philippi.
The Legio V Alaudae is aboard the Eastern Fleet, about to sail trough the Bosporus.
The (revived) Legio VI is stationed at a Danube crossing notheast of Delmatia.
The Field Army I is stationed at a Danube crossing north of Ratiaria.
The Cispine Legion is stationed in a fort north of Jenuensis.
The Sicily Legion is in South Italy marching towards their fort in Sicily.



The Republic of Rome is at war with the Greek cities, the Republic of Carthage, Gaul, the kingdom of Thrace and the Kingdom of Macedon.
The Kingdom of Macedon is allied with the Germans and the Greek cities and is at war with the Republic of Rome and the Greek cities.
The Seleucid empire is at war with the Ptolemaic empire, the kingdom of Parthia and the Greek cities. They have the kingdom of Armenia as a protectorate.
The Republic of Cathage is at war with the Republic of Rome and Iberia.
The kingdom of Parthia is allied with the Sarmatians and the Greek cities and is at war with the Seleucid empire and the kingdom of Armenia.
The Germans are allied with the kingdom of Macedon and is at war with Iberia and the kingdom of Thrace.
The kingdom of Armenia is a vassal of the Seleucid empire and is at war with the Sarmatians and the kingdom of Parthia.
The kingdom of Thrace is allied with the Sarmatians, Gaul and the Ptolemaic empire and is at war with the Germans and the Republic of Rome.
The Greek cities are allied with the kingdom of Macedon, the kingdom of Parthia, Gaul and the kingdom of Bactria and are at war with the Republic of Rome and the Seleucid empire.
The Sarmatians are allied with the kingdom of Parthia and the kigndom of Thrace and at war with the kingdom of Armenia.
The Iberians are allied with the Ptolemaic empire and at war with the Germans, Gaul and the Republic of Carthage.
The kingdom of Bactria is allied with the Greek cities.

Our strategy is one of consolidation. We will strive not to get involved in any more wars. Yet we want to continue the expedition to Debeltos to destroy the kingdom of Macedon. Once the city is conquered and thoroughly pillaged we will abandon it and offer it to the Seleucid empire, and if they do not want it, the Ptolemaic empire as a gift, as it is strategically indefensible. The Greek cities will be ignored as we do not want to get involved in the war between the Ptolemaic empire and the Seleucid empire and we do not have a blood feud with them, as we do with the Macedonians for the destruction of the Consular Army I and the Legio VI, and the death of co-consul Amulius Coruncanius and his son-in-law tribune Hernennius Genucius. Roman honour will be satisfied !
On all other fronts no new conquests will be undertaken, unless of course we are attacked.
We will strive to raise several new legions and bring the current ones up to strength.
We have already begun to improve the road network in Greece and Italy. Our goal is to extend the Via Appia and create paved roads for better supply to our distant borders.
Attempts to improve the living conditions in our major cities are well underway. The first Aquaduct is now under construction in Roma. These projects, and the cultural integration of our new provinces, will continue.
In many provinces we have begun the cultivation of farmland. This is a very time consuming process, requiring 4.5 years (18 turns), but the returns will be bountiful.
If we look at the diplomatic relations in detail, it is clear that the only useful allies we can gain are the Germans and the Sarmatians. I intend to send envoys to both of them.

EDIT : finishing touches wil be done tomorrow
EDIT 2 : Corrected mistake

[econ21]

[SENATE SPEAKER]: The Senate is now open for the proposing of motions. Recall, they should be presented thus:

Motion 10.x: This House does x, y and z.

Each motion requires two seconders who should explicitly state "I second motion 10.x"

Motions that override earlier motions should explicitly note that feature.

The Senate will be open for debate for a period of 3 days, with the deadline for submitting or seconding motions is Saturday 6pm UK time. There will then be a 24 hour period of voting.

[flyd]

Since the senate needs to approve of any territorial transfer, I propose this motion:

Motion 10.1: This house authorizes the First Consul to sell or give away Debeltos upon its capture to any neutral nation.

On the issue of Byzantium, I believe we should capture it. I don't believe that this will drag us into an immedate war with Ptolemy, assuming we don't get into one anyway. I propose the following:

Motion 10.2: This house instructs the First Consul to conquer Byzantium.

According to the Consul's latest report, Ptolemy has aligned himself against us by allying with Thrace, our enemy, and Iberia, a potential enemy and rival. Further, he threatens to upset the balance of power in the east, as first argued here. It is for those two reasons that I believe that we should support his rival, the Seleucid Empire. To that end I propose these motions:

Motion 10.3: This house instructs and authorizes the First Consul to seek an alliance with the Seleucid Empire.

Motion 10.4: If Byzantium is captured, this house instructs the First Consul to finish off the Greeks by taking also Nicomedia, and authorizes him to give Nicomedia back to the Seleucid Empire (from whom it was taken).

[TinCow]

Roman honor demands that Argeos of Pharsalus be sent to the underworld, but I see no need, either for honor or strategy, to take or keep any of the remaining Macedonian and Greek cities. As we have already seen with the Gauls, the small territories controlled by these nations will require them to make desperate assaults on their neighbors in an attempt to survive. We are not one of these neighbors. Greece is already directing their attacks east towards the Selucids. Even if they succeed and again become powerful, we have no interest in Asia Minor and their war with Selucia will certainly continue on for decades even if they meet with nothing but victory. The Macedonians will most likely be destroyed by Ptolemy. If they are not, then their borders will expand to meet ours and we can then assault their cities without fear of causing a border dispute with Ptolemy.

In addition, our Legions are depleted and we have many new provinces which must be properly absorbed into the Republic. Senators, I believe that, contrary to the statements of others and the formal states of war in existence, that we are largely at peace for the first time in my memory. Of our five wars, three, Gaul, Macedon and Greece, are against people with only one or two provinces, all of which no longer share borders with us and all of which are likely to be completely destroyed by larger nations very soon. Of the remaining two, Carthage has had no significant conflict to speak of in well over a decade and a great sea divides us from them. This leaves only Thrace as an active threat to our borders, and their warmaking ability has been greatly debilitated by Consul Aemilius himself.

Senators, we may not find ourselves in such a situation again for a very long time. Despite the diplomatic advances of the Iberians, we are bound to find ourselves in conflict with them shortly. I suspect too that our control of the Macedonian homelands will draw us into the civil war being fought over Alexander's empire. Both of these conflicts will require massive levies and extensive campaigning for many years. I do not anticipate living to see another peace once those wars begin. Let us take this opportunity, won for us by Roman arms, to rest the Republic and prepare for the future.

Accordingly, I propose the following:

Motion 10.5: No attack will be made on a Macedonian city unless their borders once again become adjacent to ours.

Motion 10.6: No attack will be made on a Greek city unless their borders once again become adjacent to ours.

Motion 10.7: Assassins will be sent out to kill Argeos of Pharsalus and will continue to make attempts on his life until he is dead.

Motion 10.8: No provinces will be conquered except those specified by the previous legislation authorizing expansion to the Danube. This Motion will be void if Rome is attacked by any currently neutral nation.

Motion 10.9: The Consul must attempt return all Legions to full strength by the end of his term and should prioritize the construction of a paved road network in as many provinces as possible.

(Constitutional Amendment) Motion 10.10: If Rome does not share a land border with a hostile nation and no land battle has been fought against that nation in 10 years, the Consul may use RomeSage to lower the difficulty level to Easy only for an instant to allow a ceasefire to be negotiated with this enemy. No other actions of any kind may be taken while the difficulty is lowered and it must be returned to Very Hard immediately after the negotiations are complete.

(Constitutional Amendment revised) Motion 10.11:
(1) Candidates standing for First Consul can specify whether they wish to serve full terms (5 years) or half terms (2.5 years).
(2) No candidate may serve more than 5 years in any given 15 year period.
(3) First Consuls may delegate powers to pro-Consuls provided that they indicate that is their intention during their candidature (the pro-Consul need not be named).

Motion 10.12: If Motion 10.10 passes, the Consul will make peace with Carthage on terms that he deems to be honorable to both sides.

[econ21]

[NUMERIUS AUREOLUS]: I second the motions 10.1, 10.2 and 10.4 proposed by Tiberius Coruncanius regarding the expedition of Legio V.

My men are eager to end two of our most costly wars - with Macedon and with Greece. And they will end it the only way such wars can end - in the utter destruction of our enemies. We do not propose to give our foes time to recover and regroup.

Moreover, Byzantion is a great city. Senators are no doubt aware of the differences in the settlements that surround us - most cannot even built walls and will never become great cities. But a few are capable of becoming great metropolises, that will bring unparalled wealth and population to our Republic. Byzantion is one of those rare prizes.

Byzantion is also situated at a key strategic point, giving us easy access to the Asia Minor and the steppes. It would be a useful staging post for many possible expeditions that the Senate may wish to endorse in the future.

Senators, we must think where does the future of the Republic lie? We have secured Italy, Greece and Macedon. Where will be our greatest challenge in the future?

Fighting barbarians in Iberia? I think not - I suspect Legate Verginius could cut through them as easily as he did the Gauls.

In the dusty tracks of Africa? No, the Carthaginians lick their wounds and dare not challenge us; they are outclassed.

No, Senators, it is in the East that the true challenge lies. The East, where the successors of Alexander command vast Empires that rival even our expanded Repubic.

Senators, we must prepare for that challenge. Taking Byzantion from Greece is a first step. We have an opportunity to do so almost costlessly now, before Egypt or Seleucia steal the prize from under our noses.

Finally, Senators, think on this. To turn Legio V back now, while they are at sea entering the Bosphorus, and to rely on assassins and our rivals to do their work, is to insult our men.They will think we lack confidence in them. Or more to the point, that we lack confidence in ourselves. The men will not understand. And nor will I.

For all these reasons, I also urge you not to support motions 10.5, 10.6, 10.7 and 10.8.

I may speak to other motions after further reflection.

[GeneralHankerchief]

I do believe you have your priorities in the wrong place, Senator Aureolus. You say that we "could cut through the Iberians as easily as we did the Gauls"; is that not the idea, Senator?

Conscript Fathers, you know my stance on attacking the Seleucids or Ptolemy. Imagine all the losses we went through in attacking Greece and Macedon -Pleminius and Coruncanius spring to mind- and multiply that number by five. It would stretch our resources to the point of breaking, especially when there is a fat target much closer to Roma that clearly is afraid of us.

Motion 10.13: Debeltos is to be raided - sacked, then abandoned.

Motion 10.14: This motion authorizes the Consul to start actively conquering Iberian lands. This motion authorises a declaration of war on Iberia.

I also second Motions 10.10, 10.11, and 10.12.

[econ21]

SENATE SPEAKER: Senator Marcellus Aemilius, the scribes have ammended your motion 10.14 to make explicit that it authorises a declaration of war, as is required by convention. If authorising a declaration of war is not your intent, you are free to edit the motion back to its original state but then its execution would have to wait for the Iberians to declare war on us.