The Will of the Senate - Senate Deliberations IV

[Death the destroyer of worlds]

* Lucius Amilius enters the senate in mouring dress, looking old and careworn *

Words fail to describe the grief I feel at the passing of my friend Augustus Verginius. He was one of ther few men left that could still recall when, under the standard of Quintus the Victor, Rome drove the Greeks and Cartheginians out of Italy, turning a tiny nation into a force to be reckoned with. A former consul, who made the word 'Roman' into a byword for defeat and terror for all our enemies, he was also a brilliant general. Who among you has not studied brilliant Gaul campaign ? Aside from his brilliant qualities as a general and statesman, he was a Roman of the old school. Never in his long life did he put his own ambitions before the good of the state, an example I hope you young men take to heart.

* sadness shows in his face as he walks out of the senate, and a few senators can hear him speak to himself *

Now all I have left to talk to is Tiberius, ah, it is a cruel fate to grow old...

[Lucjan]

Senators, Appius Barbetus has just been given the order to advance on the Ptolemite army holed up on the outskirts of Side. We've spent the last two seasons blocking this army in the province and with the fall of Arsinoe, our route to it has been opened. This will be the most significant battle in our eastern campaign since the expulsion of Seleucia from Thrace. This battle will make or break Roman dominance in Asia Minor by ending the Ptolemite presence on the mainland once and for all. Let us all extend our prayers to Mars for Senator Barbetus's victory.

http://www.totalwar.org/patrons/pbm/252-Appius-Side.zip

[Braden]

Consul,

Was it also Appius Barbetus who took Arsinoe? I do not see any entries in reports about it falling to us.

I am gladdened that my forces will be rejoined again by our alie who have been missing for so long and that there may be a light at the end of the tunnel for my men. More duties elswhere perhaps? we are all still young.

[Lucjan]

Senator Barbetus has, in a covert maneouver down the coast, taken Arsinoe from the Seleucids. The lack of any public mention was to avoid the Seleucids warning the Ptolemites ahead of time. Let's face it, enemies they may be, but a chance for them to break a Roman army together would be enough to unite them for at least a moment.

As for your legion, Manius, I will be honest with you. The future of Rome is now with consolidation. We have reached our limits in the eastward push, but cannot now withdraw the legions there without suffering events that would cost us dearly. To move you west at such a critical time would be folly. Defending the Republic may not seem, at first glance, to be as glorious as conquest, but taking such a view could not place one farther from the truth. I would lay my very life down if the meant the defence and salvation of Rome, but I would not so much as entertain the thought of conquest unless I was absolutely certain I could win.

As the situation stands, I wish the state of affairs to become as such by the end of my consulship.

The East - Manius Coruncanius will hold two forts in the central riverlands of the Ancyran plateau. Appius Barbetus will defend a fort at the mountain pass near Heracleia. Numerious Aureolus will defend a fort near the straits of Cyprus. The eastern consular fleet will reside in the port at Smyrna, with two sub admirals endowed with 3 ships each at Rhodes and Sparta, for the purpose of pirate and stray foreign navy watchers.

Carthage - Oppius Aemilius will reside in Tingi, in preparation for the Iberian war. I myself, will reside in Palma, also, awaiting the Iberian war. The western fleet will be split into two praetorian size fleets, one stationed in the port at Tingi, the other at the port in Palma. Flavius Pacuvius will be mobilised within the region on the central fleet, ready to respond wherever necessary.

Italia, Hellas, Macedonia, Illyria - Various Upper house generals will be allocated to our cities where order and good governance are of significant need.

Danube - Lucius Aemilius, Quintus Libo and Tiberius Coruncanius will oversee the continued defence of the Danube.

Transalpine Gaul - Marcellus Aemilius will take over in Gergovia when he is finished in Carthage, and Cornelius Saturninus will take over command of the Comata legion. I will be relocating Servius Nero to act as Tribune for senator Saturninus, he is an adopted son of Quintus Libo and, regardless of being an upper house general, has proven of significant capabilities against the Thracians near Oduba. He could learn much as a tribune, and become a promising lower house general in the future.

This is the general plan, but you never seem to know with the world these days, anything here can change.

[Tamur]

(hastily scribbled letter from Appius)

My men and I are closing on Side. Good morale after the fall of Arsinoe despite the phalangites. My apologies to the Senate for a lack of report but in all respect, my duties have lain with my troops at this most pressing time. Will report again after the inevitable and bloody fall of those Ptolemite dogs at Side.

Vale.

[Tamur]

Fellow members of the Senate,

Side is ours.

I can only claim that my men, especially the cavalry, were not only strong and tireless in their execution of my commands, but also frightening for our enemies to behold! Our cavalry mercenaries in particular defied the enemy to break them, and in large measure they have won this victory.

I myself took part in the fighting only to have the pleasure of putting Antigonos Auletes to the sword myself. It is a pleasure fraught with difficulties to slay one who, were he not a Ptolemy, could possibly have been a noble member of our own company. What will happen to his wife? His aged parents and his children? These question plague me as I write this message. The fear in his eyes as he knew I had battered his sword away for the last time is something I will not forget soon.

It is with sorrow also that I note that my noble and trusted record keeper, Marcus Vibanius, fell to a stray javelin from some Ptolemite skirmisher. I will fill his position as quickly as possible, but because of his fall I have only pictures of the first half of the battle for Side.

I will post a full report soon. In summary, the enemy fielded well over 1500 troops to our 1000. They had perhaps a dozen leave the field, while nearly 900 of ours walked away from the field under their own power.

Truly the gods have blessed us this day!

[econ21]

[A letter from NUMERIUS AUREOLUS]: Senators, while private matters are preventing me from taking up duties in the Lower House, it is with a sense of shock that I learn of the death of my father-in-law, Augustus Verginius. Although we had become estranged over time, he was a most formiddable Roman who cut a swathe across any foe unfortunate enough to cross his path in battle (and some will say, in the Senate too). My wife, his daughter, is of course deeply saddened. I will make offerings to the gods in thanks for a life well lived. With sons like that, can anyone doubt Rome's destiny?