Chapter 234: Triumph 3
< 234. Triumph 3 >
This triumph was unlike any other triumph that Rome had ever seen.
It was not just a matter of scale or splendor.
Pompey’s triumph was also impressive in terms of size and magnificence.
Rather, if we look at the contribution to the state treasury, Pompey had done more service than this.
This war was, after all, a repulsion of an invading enemy, not a complete conquest of that region.
Marcus intended to fully annex the Bosporus and make the Black Soil a Roman land.
If he had led the war to victory, he needed something to boast to the people.
It was good to save the country from an unprecedented crisis, but it was also important to bring tangible benefits that they could feel.
In this respect, the outcome of this war was satisfactory enough for both the Senate and the citizens.
There was one thing that the Huns had helped with, even though they had inflicted massive damage on them.
Thanks to the Huns pushing out the entire vast area from eastern Germany to the Black Soil, there was no problem in occupying it.
The countries that had settled in that area were already destroyed by the Huns, and the minorities who were ruled by them welcomed Rome as liberators.
As a result, Dacia, which had been devastated by the Huns, was quickly incorporated into Rome’s province, and the reorganization of eastern Germany was also underway.
The Romans of this era did not know well, but Marcus knew how rich the Black Soil was.
This area, also known as Chernozem in modern times, had all the conditions for maintaining fertile soil.
It was a bit exaggerated, but it was a land where farming would be better than the Italian peninsula even if you just sowed seeds.
And the resilience of the soil was amazing.
No matter how much you farmed, the fertility of the land hardly decreased.
If it was a burden to pull the border line up here, you could just set up a puppet regime and build a colony.
Marcus’s report to the Senate emphasized this point greatly.
Hundreds of thousands of slaves secured from the Bosporus and new granaries.
These two factors alone would make up for the losses suffered by Rome in this war and leave plenty of change.
Brutus, who was also a senator, was able to access the contents of this report faster than anyone else.
“So how much richer are we talking about?”
“Didn’t Governor Marcus give a simple example? He said that if Gaul and Britain were fully cultivated and food was produced normally in the Black Soil, there would be enough food even if Rome’s population doubled.”
“This is amazing… I couldn’t even imagine this a few years ago. On one hand, I’m worried that there might be other problems if food is so abundant that it rots.”
“Well, that’s true. Maybe there will be a demand to distribute wheat for free to not only the poor but also all citizens. This point needs to be discussed together.”
The senators’ faces were bright as they listed their worries one by one.
The food problem had always been a headache for everyone since Rome’s population increased rapidly.
But when did they stop worrying about that?
This was also entirely due to Marcus’s merit.
His developed new farming and sowing methods took root and increased food production efficiency.
On top of that, he also benefited from taking over Mesopotamia and expanding the granaries.
Now imagine how happy it would be if they cultivated Gaul and Britain and applied new farming methods there.
Cicero read through the report with a satisfied smile on his face.
“Governor Marcus’s report says that population growth is a planned future and we need to prepare for it now. He asks us to use our wisdom to devise a system that suits the new Rome. It naturally shows how much he values ??the Senate.”
“Of course. Isn’t it us who make the foundation of Rome? He knows what is essential.”
“It’s amazing that he still keeps his original intention even though he has reached such a high position. Some people might waver in his place.”
Cato, who had been looking for an opportunity, added a word.
“If it weren’t for Governor Marcus, Caesar would have already revealed his ambition. I guarantee you.”
“Hmm… well… that…”
“Since it hasn’t happened yet…”
As most of the senators hesitated and trailed off their words, Cato snorted and raised his voice.
“Isn’t that true? Of course I don’t mean to belittle Caesar’s merit. Nor do I think he will do anything strange.”
“It doesn’t help to lay out such assumptions anyway. Governor Marcus is healthy and younger than Caesar. Please restrain yourself. We have a glorious triumph ahead of us.”
Cato could not say anything more at Piso’s polite dissuasion and sat down with a dissatisfied expression.
Brutus remained neutral and did not join the argument, but he thought Cato had a point.
Originally, the general who held the triumph was not allowed to cross the sacred boundary until the day of the triumph.
This was the rule that every Roman had to follow until now.
Even the great Scipio Africanus, and Pompey, one of the triumvirs, obeyed this law.
Although they had used various tricks, none of them had openly ignored this principle.
But Caesar had entered Rome too casually this time.
It was not because he had given up on the triumph.
The reason was that this triumph was different from the previous ones and there were many things to prepare for.
Even now, Caesar was not attending the senate meeting, but resting leisurely in his official residence.
Cato was furious and denounced Caesar, but no one sided with him.
There were some who felt uncomfortable with this, but they did not feel the need to make a fuss.
That’s how overwhelming Caesar’s power was now, and he was naturally changing Rome’s customs to his liking.
In fact, Caesar was not pushing his decisions recklessly.
He always backed up his opinions with practical aspects.
The same was true for this triumph.
Unlike before, there were hundreds of thousands of soldiers marching and the crowd that flocked was estimated to be several times more than before.
Naturally, there were more things to worry about and it was also inefficient for the triumphant general to stay outside the boundary line.
It was already meaningless to divide the sacred boundary line since the Servilian Wall had been demolished.
So Caesar’s argument that there was no need to keep this old custom was valid.
He was logically right, so Cato could only criticize him as a destroyer of tradition.
However, people tend to feel reluctant to destroy the traditions they have been keeping, even if they are inefficient.
Brutus felt this complicated feeling from Caesar’s radical actions.
He felt some admiration for his manly and cheerful attitude, but he could not give him a good score from the perspective of valuing the order of the republic.
If he continued like this, he might overthrow the order of the senate under the value of efficiency and try to become a king.
Now that Caesar had entered Rome, Marcus also did not have to stay outside the sacred boundary line by the same logic.
He felt that Rome he knew was no longer Rome, and it was not very pleasant.
Cato knew that too, so he was so angry.
‘Or maybe having these thoughts is proof that I can’t keep up with the changes of the times.’
It was a peaceful time for the country, but he himself had more and more worries, which was really frustrating.
His mother Servilia, of course, both the populist and the optimates were urging him to choose a side, which made him even more crazy.
‘If only Caesar would swear that he would continue to uphold the core values of the republic, I could easily join him without any worries.’
But Brutus could not ask Caesar such a question.
What if?
It was just a hypothetical situation, but what if Caesar could not give him a satisfactory answer?
What if Cato was right and Caesar had an ambition to destroy the republic and become a king?
Brutus was a descendant of the Junii clan who overthrew the monarchy and established the republic.
Then Brutus would be hailed as a symbol of defending the republic against Caesar.
The brief peace that came would be shattered in an instant and another civil war might break out.
If Marcus and Caesar clashed, the damage could be much more serious than the Cimbrian War.
The two were in-laws, but it was common in Rome for families to split over political differences, so it was possible.
No, if that doesn’t happen, then that day will be the end of the Roman Republic.
If Marcus and Caesar join hands, it will be easy to overthrow the republic and establish a monarchy.
Neither side was a future he wanted to imagine.
‘I’ll have to talk to Marcus when he comes back.’
The news that Marcus had left Brundisium and was coming to Rome had already reached the senate.
The Roman citizens were all preparing to welcome the return of the hero.
Some even said that they couldn’t wait for his arrival and went down to Brundisium to join him on his way back to Rome.
This was not a simple exaggeration.
As Marcus approached Rome, more and more people followed him.
But Brutus and even the senate did not expect something that happened.
Marcus, who they thought would come straight to Rome, settled down in Mars Field outside the sacred boundary line.
“I have enough preparations for the triumph here. I will stay here until then.”
He did not add anything else, but it was as good as declaring that he valued Rome’s tradition.
Still, for his supporters who wanted to see him, he showed up near the city gate every day.
Brutus felt something that had been stuck in his chest loosen up at once at Marcus’s move.
He made an excuse that he was sick and skipped the senate meeting to see Marcus’s face.
As expected, today too, people were flocking to see Marcus’s face.
“Oh, there he is. Marcus!”
“Please stay in Rome for a long time this time!”
“Don’t you have any intention of running for the consulship!”
The cheers were so loud that his ears were deafened.
People were leaning their faces to see Marcus’s face better, but they did not do anything rude like blocking his way.
But there is always an exception to everything.
A woman with a deep sorrow on her face suddenly jumped out of the crowd and blocked Marcus’s way, kneeling down.
“Marcus! Please listen to my story!”
“Hey! What kind of rude behavior is this! Get out of here!”
“Don’t you know that some people can’t do that and just watch!”
Naturally, there were shouts from all sides and the citizens moved to drag the woman away.
Marcus raised his hand to stop them and asked in a gentle voice.
“Did you suffer any injustice?”
“My son… he died in Greece. He was a boy who applied for the army with the determination to protect Rome… but not even his body, let alone a decent souvenir, came back.”
The woman started to cry and sob.
Marcus stopped walking and silently listened to her story.
“Even though he fought so bravely… all he got was ridicule that he had disgraced Rome. I was so unfair that…”
The crowd’s mood became solemn at the woman’s cry.
There were more than one or two people who had mocked those who had lost in Greece, swept by the atmosphere, even in this place.
Brutus, who had been watching the scene from the gap between the people, watched Marcus with a pounding heart, wondering what he would answer.
“I know that no matter what I say, it will not comfort the grieving lady’s heart. But still, the work of identifying the soldiers’ bodies and souvenirs is not over yet. I will do my best to return your son to your family.”
“Thank you. Thank you very much. And…”
The woman hesitated for a moment and then gathered her courage to say.
“Was my son’s death really… as people say, a vain death? A shameful fight that disgraced Rome… nothing more than a meaningless defeat?”
Marcus was silent for a moment and did not say anything.
The citizens who were gathered waited for his mouth to open, swallowing their saliva.
Marcus looked around them once and slowly opened his mouth.
“There was someone I wanted to invite here anyway, but this worked out well. I will take this opportunity to clear up this issue.”
< 234. Triumph > End
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