Chapter 75: The Triumvirate 2 >
“You want to become an aedile?”
Pompey tilted his head in surprise.
“Even though I lowered the age limit by five years, you still have to be 30 years old to be an aedile, don’t you? Of course, such a rule is nothing but a piece of wood, but haven’t you always followed it very well?”
“Yes. That’s why I want you to adjust the age limit so that I can legally become an aedile. When you take office as a consul, please lower the age limit for the aediles to about 27 years old.”
Caesar crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes, trying to gauge Marcus’s intention.
“Even if I pass a law that lowers the age limit, won’t there be people who won’t look kindly on you becoming an aedile right away?”
“Of course there will be. That’s why I don’t intend to run for office myself. You should pick a suitable person from among the plebeians and push him to be an aedile. Then the Senate will naturally look for someone who meets the criteria to counter your candidate.”
“That would be you, obviously.”
“That’s right. I want to become an aedile by accepting the Senate’s proposal. Then no one can say anything about it.”
It was a bold and ambitious plan, as always.
Caesar chuckled and shook his head.
“To be honest, I don’t understand why you are so cautious. Haven’t you already built up enough background to do whatever you want to some extent? And with me and Magnus backing you up, you don’t need to worry about the Senate’s opinion as much as you do now.”
“It’s my nature to be careful. I can’t help it even if I try to change it.”
“Well, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. At least Julia seems to enjoy your excessive worries. But you have to be confident when you need to be bold and aggressive. If you are too cautious, you might miss the opportunity.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Marcus smiled bitterly and bowed his head.
He wanted to say ‘I’m trying to avoid being assassinated like someone by being too confident and aggressive.’ but he couldn’t say it out loud.
“But there’s one thing I don’t understand.”
Pompey, who had been listening to the conversation, interrupted with a frown.
“Why are you so obsessed with being an aedile? You should aim for something like a quaestor if you’re going to do it. You’re not lacking in popularity or support, so I don’t see why you need to be an aedile.”
It was a typical question that revealed the perception of a Roman noble.
That’s why Marcus felt relieved.
If Pompey felt this way, then the other senators would surely think the same.
The main duty of an aedile was to manage the administration and security of Rome, but the actual perception was slightly different.
The most important thing for the citizens was whether the aediles distributed grain and organized various entertainment events.
No matter how well they maintained the facilities or regulated traffic, they received cold evaluations if they didn’t do those two things.
On the other hand, if they spent a lot of money on grain or gladiator fights, they could gain tremendous popularity.
That’s why most politicians used the office of aedile as a means to gain popularity.
Cicero did that, and Caesar also performed his duties as an aedile in that way.
On the contrary, people who already had enough support were often not attached to the office of aedile.
Marcus was clearly one of them.
The people were ready to give their votes to Marcus, who had brought about tax reform and financial system reform.
In fact, in the election for quaestor, Marcus almost monopolized the votes in almost every district.
He didn’t need to go out as an aedile and spend his money for no reason.
“I’m sure the other senators think like Pompey. They will ask me to go out as an aedile, but they might secretly hope that I refuse.”
“But I don’t think they would feel indebted by that.”
“Yes. The point is to give them the impression that I’m greedily pursuing an office that has no value for me. But being an aedile is not useless for me. I have plans that are worth thousands of times more than entertaining the citizens.”
“The only valuable thing an aedile can do is public facility maintenance. But that’s not something that people appreciate or notice much. You know that, right? The people are fascinated by what they can see and feel.”
Marcus didn’t deny Pompey’s words.
It was undeniable that the people had such a trait.
“What I’m going to do as an aedile is something that all the citizens of Rome can feel and be satisfied with.”
“I have no idea what you’re trying to do.”
“I’d appreciate it if you could save that for later. It would spoil the fun if I told you everything here.”
“Well, it’s not something meaningless since it’s you who’s doing it. Then, since we all agree on our interests, can we say that our alliance is formed?”
Marcus answered with a refreshing smile.
Caesar clapped his hands and celebrated the formation of the alliance.
“Crassus, who represents the equestrian class, me, Caesar, who represents the populares, and Pompey, who symbolizes the military. With the three of us forming an alliance, we can surely win against the Senate. We are the representatives of each class, so let’s call this alliance the Triumvirate.”
“Triumvirate. I like that name. Let’s go with that.”
“I have no objection.”
The conversation of the three powerhouses of Rome. The Triumvirate, which was born from there, was clearly a denial of the existing order that revolved around the Senate.
But the current Senate lacked the power to break this strong alliance.
They couldn’t even notice the formation of the alliance.
The birth of the new order was a clear evidence that Rome could not remain as it was.
But even Pompey, who was a party to the alliance, did not fully understand what it meant.
There were only two people in Rome who saw through it.
Caesar, who wanted to use this system to solidify his base, and Marcus, who saw a step further into the future.
※※※※
After finishing all the preparations, Caesar entered Rome on a white horse at dawn.
He headed to the Forum Romanum very slowly, as if to soothe his regret for not being able to hold a triumph.
The candidates for public office in Rome wore a white outfit called ‘toga candida’, which was made by applying chalk powder.
Caesar, wearing a civic crown and riding a white horse, was enough to attract the attention of the citizens of Rome.
His clients spread the word about how unfairly he was deprived of the opportunity for a triumph.
The citizens who expected Caesar to hold a triumph were stunned.
And when they heard that the Senate had played a dirty trick, they were genuinely outraged.
It wasn’t because they believed in justice and fairness.
It was because they couldn’t get the silver coins that the triumphant general would distribute if there was no triumph.
Caesar arrived at the square with a procession of angry crowds.
Afranius, who was in charge of registering the candidates for the election, jumped up from his seat when he saw Caesar.
He thought he was seeing something wrong and rubbed his eyes several times.
But the scene in front of him didn’t change.
It took him a while to accept that the person in front of him was Caesar.
“Ca, Caesar! Are you crazy? What are you doing here! A triumphant general can’t cross the sacred boundary and enter the city walls!”
Unlike Afranius, who was making a fuss, Caesar’s reaction was calm.
“The Senate didn’t accept my registration while I was absent, so I came here to apply in person. Please finish the registration process quickly.”
“No…no, no, no. Are you out of your mind? What’s the point of running for consul now? You can still salvage this situation by saying that there was some misunderstanding and go back to the Campus Martius.”
“There was no misunderstanding. I gave up my triumph to run for office.”
“No, but…but…you can’t do anything as a consul. The person who will represent the Senate’s side in this election is Bibulus. He will veto everything you do.”
“Yes, I suppose so.”
“So just hold your triumph and run next year or the year after. You’re still young, you have plenty of opportunities. There’s no need to rush.”
He pretended to be concerned and tried to persuade him to give up his candidacy, but Caesar saw through Afranius’s intentions at a glance.
It was such a shallow trick that it was a waste of time to respond seriously.
“I said I’m running for office, and you have an obligation to accept it. Then I’ll be on my way.”
Caesar turned around and entered the crowd of his clients who were chanting his name.
There were so many witnesses that it was impossible to deny it.
Caesar’s candidacy for consul was now a foregone conclusion.
Afranius hastily ordered his attendants.
“Bring Cato, Cicero, Bibulus and Crassus here right now. If they refuse because they are busy, tell them that Caesar gave up his triumph and ran for consul.”
As expected by Afranius, the senators who heard the report dropped what they were doing and rushed over.
Especially Cato, who came so hastily that he was sweating and panting.
“What is this nonsense, Afranius! Caesar is running for praetor!”
Bibulus, who was likely to be the next praetor, also shook his head with a pale face.
“Is this some kind of sick joke? How can Caesar register as a candidate?”
Afranius sighed deeply between his clenched teeth.
“Sit down first. Let’s talk sitting down.”
Marcus, who came with Crassus, pretended to look calm and sat down casually.
Crassus was astonished and put on his best acting.
“How could Caesar enter the city walls? He was supposed to be in the Campus Martius. Did he give up his triumph or something?”
“What else could it be? Caesar came here today with a bunch of his clients and officially registered as a candidate. Something we never imagined happened.”
Cato widened his eyes in disbelief.
“No, so you just accepted it? You should have refused him right there.”
“How can I refuse? Caesar brought at least a hundred people with him. There were so many witnesses that I would only disgrace myself if I tried to force it.”
“…I see. Then Caesar must have created a situation where you had no choice but to accept his registration. Damn it! Didn’t I tell you? Caesar is different from Pompey! You were all too complacent.”
“That can’t be helped, can it?”
Crassus frowned and bit his lips.
“Who would give up a triumph for an election that happens every year? Do you understand that? To be honest, I still can’t believe it.”
Crassus’s words were not an act, but pure sincerity.
And everyone except Marcus agreed with Crassus’s words.
Cicero commented.
“Caesar seems to have a different structure of thinking than us, or rather, than ordinary Romans.”
“He’s insane!”
Cato snapped, his anger and confusion mixed. He gulped down wine and grimaced.
“I have a bad feeling about this. I don’t know what he’s thinking, and that makes me more anxious.”
Unlike Cato, who showed a frantic reaction, Bibulus analyzed the situation with a relatively calm tone.
“There’s no need to worry too much. As long as the Senate supports me firmly, I will still be the consul. That’s a fact that won’t change. Then I will veto everything Caesar does, no matter how absurd his bills are. Isn’t this strategy enough?”
Cato pressed his forehead as if to suppress a headache.
Saying that he would veto all of Caesar’s bills meant that he would paralyze the political situation of Rome again.
The political activities had already been stopped for over a year because he had used the same trick against Pompey.
If he did that again for another year, how much negative impact would it have on the public opinion?
Cato had no energy to criticize Bibulus, who didn’t even consider such basic things and abused his veto power.
Cicero, who had no intention of getting involved in this matter, whispered to Marcus.
“Your trick didn’t work this time. Maybe you’ll experience failure for the first time.”
“For the first time? I haven’t lived such a perfect life.”
“Hmm…From my point of view, you looked perfect. Anyway, even if Caesar becomes a praetor, he won’t be able to do much, so don’t worry too much. Our Bibulus will ruin his reputation by blocking Caesar at all costs.”
“That’s quite an apt metaphor.”
Cicero laughed softly in a voice that only Marcus could hear.
“But Bibulus and the other senators don’t even realize that. Well, I don’t care much about Caesar’s case, so it won’t be a big problem for me, but be careful not to get splashed by the dirty water. If you can, it would be better to keep some distance from this matter like me.”
“Thank you for your precious advice. I’ll keep it in mind.”
Cicero and Marcus watched the heated debate to stop Caesar from a distance.
But unfortunately, no clever solution came out until the end of the meeting.
Cato was boiling with anger at Bibulus’s ridiculous words and kept drinking wine.
The only thing he gained from the long meeting was a few deep wrinkles on his forehead.
While the Senate was floundering, Caesar diligently carried out his plan.
He submitted a bill to the assembly through Hortensius, whom he had captured.
It was a bill that contained Marcus’s wish to lower the age limit for the aediles from the current 30 years old to 27 years old.
Of course, this alone was not enough to persuade the citizens, so Caesar added a plausible reason.
The aediles were elected by two plebeians and two nobles, but this age limit was too disadvantageous for the plebeians.
The plebeian aediles had to protect the authority of the plebeians, but there were hardly any influential people who remained pure plebeians until they were over 30 years old.
Most of them had already become plebeian nobles who had a seat in the Senate.
“Sulla took advantage of this and made the age limit so strict. This is a system that is only beneficial to the nobles. I know many young men who want to give grain and festivals to the citizens. Don’t you think these people should have a way to become aediles before they enter the Senate?”
The citizens agreed with Hortensius’s agitation and raised both hands.
The Senate, which had been paying attention only to Clodius, was hit in the back of the head again.
Thanks to Hortensius’s active work, Marcus was able to let Clodius rest for a while.
It was because if he acted too aggressively for a long time, the citizens might feel tired.
The reason why he didn’t lower the age limit for the aediles through Clodius was also for that reason.
The Senate convened an emergency meeting and discussed countermeasures again.
No one doubted that Hortensius was one of Caesar’s puppets.
And they could easily predict what Caesar’s plan was.
Cato, who was known as an expert on Caesar in the Senate, clenched his fist and ranted again.
“Caesar has plans to use the assembly if he becomes a consul. He has already made two tribunes, Clodius and Batinius, his puppets. And he wants to attract more popularity from the citizens by making his young followers aediles. This is a serious threat to us.”
“What do you suggest we do?”
“We can’t overturn the bill that passed in the assembly. The only thing we can do is to nominate stronger aedile candidates than Caesar’s. If our noble aediles can achieve more meaningful results than their plebeian aediles, the citizens will support the senate, won’t they?”
“Ah, I see. You mean to hold a grand festival and distribute grain, so that their activities look insignificant. That sounds like a good idea. It will be a costly competition, though…”
The older senators looked around at the young senators who had not yet served as aediles.
However, most of the young senators avoided their eyes.
They wanted to be aediles, even if they had to borrow money, but the burden was too heavy this time.
They had to compete directly with the populares, and that would require a lot of funds.
No one volunteered, and the senior senators became frustrated.
The lament of Silanus, a former consul, echoed in the meeting room.
“Heh… This is a golden opportunity to earn the trust of the senate, but no one is willing to step up. How can you be so lacking in ambition…”
Even when he openly pressured them, no one came forward. If the senate would support them financially, it would be different, but they wouldn’t. The aedileship this time was a sure way to lose money.
Of course, the senior senators didn’t want to spend their own money either.
After all, if they spent money on the festival, the popularity would go to the aediles.
Who would want to do someone else’s favor with their own money?
As their selfishness clashed, only an awkward silence filled the meeting room.
The deadline for registration was tomorrow.
As time passed, the anxious senators began to look at Marcus.
He had enormous wealth that didn’t need anyone’s support, and he was also popular among the citizens. If he agreed to run, they would have nothing to worry about.
Marcus felt their desperate gaze and opened his mouth with an embarrassed expression.
“I do have a desire to serve for the citizens of Rome. But the age limit for aediles is 30 years old, and I’m not qualified yet. Of course, there was a bill that lowered the age limit this time, but that was only because they forced it in the assembly…”
“It doesn’t matter if they forced it or not. The bill passed, so you are qualified!”
“Yes, yes. If you just run for us, who would dare to oppose you?”
“Anyone who opposes you must be Caesar’s lackey!”
Before Marcus finished his sentence, the optimates’ seniors added their words.
The atmosphere was already tilted towards Marcus becoming an aedile.
He finally stood up from his seat and bowed his head towards the senators who looked at him with hopeful eyes.
“I’m still inexperienced, but if the senate wants me to perform as an aedile, I will do my best.”
A round of applause from all the senators in the senate erupted over Marcus’ head.
He kept his head down and a smile flashed across his lips.
It was a smile of victory.
< 75. Triumvirate > End
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