Chapter 123: The Triumph 2
As the triumph drew nearer, the atmosphere of Rome became more and more ecstatic.
Crassus and the Senate had agreed to make this triumph more splendid than any previous one.
The triumphal gate, which was only opened for the triumph, was wide open.
The enormous wealth that was seized from Orodes and brought from Ctesiphon formed a long procession that was impossible to follow with the eyes.
So far, there was not much difference from other lavish triumphs.
Marcus paid attention to the appearance of the marching legionaries to create a clear distinction.
The soldiers who participated in the triumph had all adorned their helmets with splendid decorations and received new tunics.
The 12th Legion, who marched at the front, were given special silver armor, and the standard-bearers wore silk clothes over their armor.
Crucially, this procession also included the senators.
The aristocratic faction had promoted this victory as a feat achieved by Crassus and Marcus, along with the generous support of the Senate.
Next to the wagons carrying the spoils, there were movable stages.
On the stages, actors in gorgeous costumes perfectly reenacted the victory of the Parthian War.
The citizens who filled the streets could not take their eyes off this amazing spectacle.
Dancers danced and musicians played lively tunes to lift the mood.
When the chariot of the triumphator, carrying Crassus and Marcus, passed by, the enthusiasm of the excited citizens reached its peak.
“Ooooh! Long live Marcus Mesopotamicus, the great hero of Rome!”
“Glory to Imperator Crassus!”
“Blessings to Marcus, who conquered Mesopotamia! The incarnation of Mars!”
Thanks to the people that Marcus had planted in advance, Crassus’ name was chanted as much as Marcus’.
Crassus, wearing a laurel wreath, generously threw silver coins to the citizens, who cheered for him more passionately.
Behind Crassus and Marcus, a man in a purple tunic recited a warning word that was given to all triumphators.
“Hominem te memento (Remember that you are only a mortal human.)”
It was a warning to prevent the triumphator from becoming too arrogant, but hearing such words was itself a great honor for a Roman.
Crassus’ smile never left his face.
The procession composed of prisoners also attracted a lot of popularity from the crowd.
The citizens mocked and jeered at Orodes and Mutares, who were dressed in fancy silk and jewels.
It was a sight that showed that even a mighty king would fall like this if he opposed Rome.
Arsinoe and Cleopatra, who were watching that scene from afar, had somewhat complicated feelings.
Arsinoe sighed lightly at Orodes’ miserable end as a spectacle.
“He was still a king of a powerful country in the east… I feel a little sorry for him.”
“I know. Berenice is lucky. She doesn’t have to suffer like that because she went through the process of becoming a Roman citizen.”
“I don’t like my sister very much, but if someone who was once a pharaoh of Egypt was treated like that… Honestly, I wouldn’t feel very good.”
“I agree.”
Cleopatra nodded her head and looked at the chariot of the triumphator with a doubtful gaze.
No matter how Orodes had lost, he was still a ruler who had dominated a powerful nation.
Moreover, Parthia was still weakened but not completely exhausted.
The Mesopotamian region that entered Rome’s territory was not fully stabilized either.
But if they gave such an insult to Orodes, it would have a negative impact on the opinion of the Parthian nobles.
Cleopatra judged that Marcus would not be unaware of that fact.
He could have used a softer method to boost the mood of the triumph, even if he had that purpose.
‘I don’t know. Am I overreacting or is it…’
As she was lost in thought, Arsinoe suddenly asked her a question.
“By the way, why do you want to stay in Rome?”
“Huh? We came to Rome to study in the first place. Isn’t it more unnatural not to stay in Rome?”
“Don’t lie. You know it too. Studying was just an excuse.”
Arsinoe looked at Cleopatra with a serious expression that was different from usual.
Cleopatra also looked back at her sister without avoiding her eyes.
She smiled faintly and waved her hand.
“Isn’t it better for you if I stay in Rome?”
“…”
Arsinoe glanced around for a moment and whispered in a low voice that only Cleopatra could hear.
“You saw it, heard it, and felt it too. Rome is incredibly strong. The day when the pharaoh rules the world will never come again. Egypt… can’t be Rome.”
Cleopatra’s expression hardened for a moment.
But soon she shook her head with a thin smile.
“Who cares? But you know what? Just as Egypt can’t be Rome, you can’t be Julia either.”
“That’s… I know, but why are you suddenly changing the topic to something ridiculous? Answer my question first.”
Cleopatra, who was looking at her sister whose face turned bright red, held her hand and spoke as if to reassure her.
“Don’t worry, there won’t be anything to worry about. I have my own reasons for staying in Rome.”
“Those reasons… never mind. You seem to have made up your mind already, so there’s no point in me saying anything.”
Arsinoe turned her gaze away from her sister, whose inner thoughts were becoming harder to understand as she grew older, and decided to watch the rest of the triumph.
The lewd songs sung by the legionaries marching in accordance with tradition pierced her ears.
Her face, which had barely regained its composure, turned pink again.
“Ah, really! Why do they sing such lyrics while marching!”
※※※※
After the long triumph event ended, Rome gradually returned to its normalcy.
The distribution of the spoils was done fairly, and Rome’s treasury was filled again.
Crassus shared some of his share with the Roman citizens.
The freemen who received a small amount of silver coins and wheat and oil praised Crassus’ name for days after the triumph.
Finally, Crassus held a large public banquet with the Senate, where all Romans could participate.
There were more than 20,000 tables set up on the streets.
Ten thousand fish were cooked, and the table legs wobbled under the weight of wine and meat.
It was such a lavish banquet that it wouldn’t matter if some people secretly took food home.
The Senate, who had secured the hearts of the citizens, could breathe a sigh of relief and watch the situation with satisfaction.
Cicero planned to take a break and devote himself to writing for a while to relax his mind and body.
He thought there wouldn’t be much for him to do now that Crassus had returned.
He had almost finished writing a letter to his friend Atticus, who ran a publishing house, when it happened.
Tiro, a freed slave, entered the office with a letter from Marcus.
As Cicero read the letter down, his eyes widened and soon he burst into natural laughter.
“Hahaha! This is why I can’t hate that young man.”
“Did Marcus send you a splendid gift?”
“Yes. He said he would come with a big gift tomorrow, so get ready to greet him.”
Cicero read Marcus’ letter again with a satisfied smile.
It wasn’t very long.
The first part of the letter was praise for Cicero’s efforts in leading the political scene while Marcus and Crassus were away from Rome.
He said he was able to focus on the war and achieve results thanks to Cicero staying in Rome.
Cicero’s mood was lifted by his words.
But the most important part was the last sentence of the letter.
<I’m sure you know that there are three royal members from Egypt staying at my mansion. Berenice is currently in a good relationship with my brother Publius.
Princess Arsinoe seems to want to stay with me, so she will probably go back to the east with me. But Princess Cleopatra says she wants to stay here because she has a lot to learn in Rome.
Princess Cleopatra is a very intelligent woman. So I thought about it carefully and concluded that it might be more embarrassing to assign an ordinary guardian to her. But it should never happen that the Egyptian royalty looks down on the level of Roman nobility.
So I would like you to take on this important task. If it’s you, you can answer any question that Princess Cleopatra asks without hesitation. I am confident that there is no one better than you to help the Egyptian royalty understand the republic, who were born and raised in monarchy.>
In summary, it was a request to be Cleopatra’s guardian while Marcus was away.
Cicero gladly accepted it.
It was a golden opportunity to preach the greatness of the republic to the haughty Egyptian royalty.
Besides, Marcus’ compliment that he was the only one fit for this task made him happy.
He immediately ordered a slave to send a reply to Marcus and headed to the library to choose a suitable book to introduce to Cleopatra.
He repeated his thoughts while recalling books and plausible passages, and time flew by until the next day dawned.
Marcus and Cleopatra arrived in a splendid chariot and entered the reception room guided by Tiro.
Cicero’s eyes sparkled when he confirmed Cleopatra’s face.
He thought she was more cute than beautiful, but he was sure she would become a beauty who would touch men’s hearts in a few years.
What he liked more was that she was not wearing Egyptian or Macedonian style clothes.
She was wearing a light silk dress that was popular among the Roman upper class.
Her hairstyle and makeup were also close to those of Roman nobility.
She seemed to respect Rome’s culture just by looking at her appearance.
The first impression was enough to give her a hundred points out of a hundred.
Cicero finished his brief observation and got up from his seat to greet the guests warmly.
“Ooh, I’ve been waiting for you so long that my neck is sore.”
“I’m sorry I couldn’t greet you properly at the triumph. I should have paid more attention, but I didn’t.”
“What are you sorry for? It was your first triumph in your life, you should enjoy it as much as you can. And that day was the best triumph I’ve ever seen. It was clearly more popular than the one Pompey had before.”
“It’s thanks to the senators who joined us. It’s a result that we all achieved together.”
Cicero turned his gaze to Cleopatra with a cheerful smile.
They had talked too much among themselves, leaving their noble guest standing.
Cicero got up from his seat and greeted her for the first time.
“Nice to meet you. I am Tullius Cicero. Please call me Cicero as you please.”
“I am Cleopatra Philopator. It is an honor to meet the great scholar whose fame has reached Egypt.”
“Haha, I am honored to meet the famous princess of Egypt. But… is my name really well-known in Egypt?”
Cleopatra nodded her head with a smile, seeing Cicero’s genuine curiosity.
“Of course. There are always rumors about Rome that come to Egypt with the wind. I have heard of Pompey and Cicero long before I came to Rome.”
“I hope they were not too exaggerated rumors.”
“At first I thought so, but now that I see you in person, I wonder if the rumors were actually understated.”
Cleopatra recited Cicero’s achievements that she had researched beforehand.
Especially when she mentioned the trial of Verres and the confrontation with the traitor Catiline, Cicero’s expression looked very satisfied.
“It seems that you have come to flatter me. I don’t know what to do with your kindness, seeing you so highly regard my humble talents.”
“Humble talents? Marcus here has told me several times that you are one of the best intellectuals in Rome.”
Cicero turned to Marcus briefly, touched by his words.
“It’s just a rumor, but I’m grateful that you think so highly of me. Marcus, I’ll gladly accept your request.”
“Thank you very much. You have relieved me of a great burden.”
“Haha, I’m excited to interact with a young person who is full of enthusiasm. I also had some questions about Egypt, so I thought it was a good opportunity for me. Then when should I host the princess at my mansion?”
“I think I have to go back to the east by next month at the latest, so I’ll ask you from then on.”
He wondered why he had to go back to the east so quickly, but Cicero soon found out the reason.
A victory report from Caesar, who was on a campaign in Britannia, arrived.
This report stirred up the Roman political scene again.
The Senate meeting was immediately convened.
This time, both Crassus and Marcus attended.
Cato, who had stiffened his face with tension for a long time, stood up from his seat and asked Pompey a question.
“Is this report true? Caesar won a great victory in the first battle in Britannia?”
“Of course. Think logically. Has Caesar ever written a false report even once?”
“…No. So you’re saying that the Britannia campaign is going very smoothly.”
“He left four legions behind for Gaul’s defense and went to conquer Britannia with only six legions. I was a bit worried when he did that. But didn’t he say he almost annihilated an enemy army of 60,000 with 35,000 troops? And the casualties on our side were less than a thousand. It’s an unbelievable victory.
If this continues, I think he will completely subdue Britannia by next year or at least by the year after.”
The mood of the aristocratic senators sank.
How come Caesar never loses when he goes to war?
It would be nice if he lost once in a while, but all he sent was news of victory.
If Britannia falls completely into Caesar’s hands, he might march to Germania next.
Then all of Rome’s north would be under Caesar’s influence.
Moreover, the west of Hispania and North Africa, and the Greek regions were already Pompey’s sphere of influence.
The only thing the Senate could rely on was Egypt and the eastern provinces in the south.
Fortunately, Marcus’ presence was growing day by day in the east.
But it was a problem that Crassus had given up his remaining governorship term and returned to Rome for his triumph.
It was awkward to send Marcus as acting governor to the east now that Crassus’ term was over.
In the end, the aristocrats decided to resort to an extreme measure.
Cato, who had been listening quietly to the praises of Caesar by the populist senators, finally brought up the main point.
“Caesar’s victory is truly an amazing feat. I agree that he deserves praise. But we must not forget that we have a more urgent problem to deal with.
The newly annexed provinces of Armenia and Mesopotamia are not fully stabilized yet. But even if we send someone there, those proud native nobles won’t easily bow down.
We Romans know that well, so we have never entrusted the organization of the conquered lands to the person who conquered them. We need to do the same this time.”
“But Crassus’ term is already over, isn’t it?”
Cato frowned at the populist senator’s objection and took a deep breath before making a shocking statement.
“So I propose to the consul here that I will introduce a special law that grants Marcus Mesopotamius five years of imperium and makes him the governor of all the eastern provinces!”
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