Triumvirate

As soon as his term as governor was over, Caesar found a ship and returned to Rome.

Marcus was the first to hear that he had disembarked at the port of Ostia and was headed for Rome.

At about the same time, Pompeius and the Senate learned of Caesar's arrival.

Pompeius, who was listening to Cato's tiresome ramblings in the Senate, jumped up, cheering as soon as he heard the news.

The dozing senators who had been listening to Cato's speech as a lullaby were jolted awake.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I was so happy that I thought it was time for this boring comedy to come to an end."

Afranius, who served as consul in 60 B.C., tilted his head.

"What does that mean, Magnus?"

"Caesar has done enough merit to deserve a triumphus. It is the Senate's duty to answer the meritorious commander's request for a triumphus. We cannot continue to stall as we have been doing."

"I think you're misunderstanding, we've never stalled."

"Ha, let's see how long I can keep that up!"

Pompeius turned and walked out of the meeting as if there was nothing more to see.

He glanced at Marcus just before he went out.

Their eyes met for a moment, but none of the senators realized it.

As soon as Pompeius was out of sight, the nonchalant senators burst into laughter and went back to their task force.

Bibulus, a leading candidate in the upcoming election, was the first to reach out for comment.

"I personally don't understand - should the Senate be this overreacting to one Caesar? He's not Pompeius."

"He's not Pompeius, which is why he's more dangerous."

Cato shot back with a frown.

"Bibulus, think about what Caesar has said to the Senate so far. While Pompeius may have disrespected the Senate, he didn't see it as a target for overthrow, which is why we can at least coexist. But Caesar has always been driven by the very purpose of undermining its legitimacy and authority. This is not the same man as Pompeius."

"But there's no need to be so nervous. Think of Clodius, who is rampaging like a madman in the Concilium Plebis right now, and all he can do is irritate us. He's a man with Pompeius' influence and skill, but to make such a fuss over Caesar is a little...."

A chorus of agreement erupted from a number of senators.

This is because only a few people still consider Caesar a serious threat.

Even if Caesar was seen as the head of populares and was engaged in anti-Senate activities, whether he was a real threat was another matter.

It was only a year ago that he was so deeply in debt that he could not even leave to be the governor of a province.

Caesar's perceived image to senators was more of a deeply indebted playboy than a dangerous reactionary.

Moreover, he has not even had the experience of serving as consul yet.

The impression that the entire Senate is at the mercy of these young politicians diminishes their stature.

The elders, especially the older ones, were more inclined to believe that sincerely.

"It's true that Caesar was a nuisance, and I agree that he needs to be shown a stinging taste. But treating him as an opponent on par with Pompeius is a bit much."

"That's right. It's good to be cautious, but if you go too far, the senate may be seen as a coward to the public."

Cato slapped his chest in frustration at the overly optimistic reactions of the older colleagues.

"How many times have I tried that kind of inaction, and it hasn't failed me. I've sung so much about stopping Caesar, stopping Caesar, and what's the result? I didn't stop Caesar from becoming a Pontifex Maximus, I didn't stop him from being elected praetor, and I didn't stop him from being elected governor, and I didn't even get the idea to do a triumphus in the provinces!"

Scipio of the Metellus family, one of Rome's most prestigious families, clicked his tongue.

"It's not like we didn't stop him. It was you, Cato, who sang of the need to restrain Caesar. Technically, we haven't even begun to do that yet."

"That's why I'm begging you to get it right this time: you're underestimating Caesar; you're making him look small because you're comparing him to Pompeius; do you know anyone who's the same age as Caesar who has a similar rise to him? Think about it!"

Cato spoke with an urgency in his voice that belied the exaggeration of his proclamations.

"You may find him easier to deal with now than Pompeius," he said, "but if it is another five years before he is elected to the consulship? After the young men of the plebeian faction, the followers of Caesar, have entered the senate in great numbers? It will be too late for you to regret that you should have gone and stamped on him then; so please, for once, listen to me, for the sake of the republic, for the sake of the honor of the senate!"

Cato's desperate plea swayed the rest of the room.

It's also worth noting that it was Cato who was most responsible for keeping Pompeius in check.

To his credit, the Senate agreed to favor Cato's opinion this time around.

Of course, not everyone agreed with Cato.

Cicero was unhappy with the Senate's current trend of opposition for the sake of opposition.

Keeping Pompeius in check was a necessary evil.

So Cicero agreed to that.

However, he felt uncomfortable pushing Pompeius and then Caesar in succession.

Unlike Pompeius, who was a magnet for all sorts of abuses and special cases, Caesar had never yet broken the law.

Political affiliation was not a consideration in this case because on what basis can you regulate someone who is doing what they do within the law?

As a man of the law, Cicero could not approve of such manipulation of the system.

But he didn't have the guts to go against the majority.

No matter how prestigious he was, he was well aware of his position as essentially a newcomer.

If he loses the pretense with the vested Optimates faction, his barely-built foundation will collapse in an instant.

He wasn't willing to risk that for Caesar.

Still, if you don't like it, don't listen to it.

Sneaking over to Marcus' side, he timidly complained.

"Do you think the direction the discussion is going is the right one?"

"Well, I don't know."

"Isn't Caesar your father-in-law? You would think he was being unjustly oppressed."

Marcus looked back at Cicero with a grim look in his eyes.

"My father-in-law is also well aware that he is hated by the Senate. You may be expecting this to happen to the Senate."

"Ho, do you mean there is a breakthrough?"

"Well.... As much as I respect my father-in-law, there are some things I disagree with him on politically, and he hasn't told me how to handle it."

Marcus wasn't lying.

While he knows what Caesar is envisioning, he hasn't heard it directly, at least not now.

It was also true that there were some things they disagreed on politically.

Caesar was overconfident in his abilities in a different sense than Pompeius.

So he tended to clumsily leave behind elements that would become the sprouts of future phases.

Marcus had no intention of doing so.

He did not intend to give them room to recognize himself as an enemy.

If the time comes to do so, it will be cleaned up without even giving it a chance to cause trouble.

Of course, Cicero didn't realize the true meaning of Marcus' words.

It was simply that Marcus, a fervent republican, was no match for Caesar, an anti-Senate faction.

"Well, you and Caesar are political opposites, and if the day comes when you have to confront your beloved wife's father politically, you're going to have a tough time with that."

"We'll have to work hard to mediate to make sure that doesn't happen, and I don't think Caesar will try to eliminate the Senate altogether, as Cato fears."

"That's what I think. Cato is overreacting with his personal feelings about Caesar. It's true that Caesar is critical of the Senate system, but he doesn't make baseless accusations."

The Senate-centered oligarchy was extremely efficient when Rome's territory was confined to the Italian peninsula.

However, after winning the Punic Wars and becoming the victor in the Mediterranean, they overextended themselves.

As Hispania, North Africa, and Greece came under Roman hegemony, the limitations of the system gradually began to be revealed.

Ruling an empire requires institutions.

There was no way someone like Cicero didn't know that.

The current Senate system has its limitations.

He wasn't about to deny that.

Still, Cicero thought that the Senate-centered oligarchy was the basis of Rome.

His goal was to make the Republic more efficient and transform it in a way that would suit the Empire.

He believed that if he could explain this well enough, he could coexist with Caesar.

A purist like Cato might disagree, but that's just the kind of difference you get with him.

Because of that belief, Cicero didn't realize it until the end.

No, he was just pretending not to see it.

The reality of Rome is that the ills of the republic are piling up to the point where it is impossible to sustain them by simply improving them.

* * *

Pompeius has now accepted the reality that he cannot overcome this challenge on his own.

When he heard of Caesar's return, he naturally realized he had no choice but to work with him.

Pompeius eventually swallowed his pride and wrote to Marcus.

The contents of the letter could be summed up simply:

<As Caesar's son-in-law, I would like you to build a bridge between us. In strictest confidence, of course, from members of the Senate.>

In an urgent letter, Marcus responded that he would do just that.

Marcus set the time and place.

Caesar could not get inside the Servian Wall, so he chose the Campus Martius, east of the Tiber River, as his meeting place.

The triumphus departed from the Campus Martius, so Caesar was currently staying in the same vicinity.

The timing is one month from now.

The reason for not immediately meeting was to avoid the Senate's suspicions.

Cato was keeping a watchful eye on Caesar, thinking he might make contact with Pompeius.

They needed a good cover story to avoid the prying eyes of the Senate.

For now, Marcus got a promise from Pompeius that he would definitely go along with his plan.

Pompeius, who had gotten a taste of his own medicine, vowed to do so willingly.

From there, things went according to plan.

Pompeius pretended to attend the Senate meeting as usual.

He spoke a few times in defense of Caesar in the Senate but was rightly ignored.

The Senate concluded that Caesar would follow the same course as Pompeius.

"Let's set Caesar's Triumphus for the fifth day of August, the Nonae of Sextilis (August). By then, the election of the consuls will already be over, and everyone will be able to enjoy the Improvement Day. Does anyone have any objections?"

Before Afranius could finish, Pompeius raised his hand and stood up.

"Caesar can't be a candidate for consul if the triumphus is set for Sextilis! This is tyranny from the Senate! If the triumphus is to be held in Sextilis, then Caesar's absentia candidacy must be accepted."

Afranius and Cato smiled with satisfaction.

It was a foregone conclusion that Pompeius would take Caesar's side.

Without missing a beat, Afranius delivered his prepared response.

"I'm sorry, but it's exactly the same as the case with Pompeius a while back. We can't give Caesar special treatment here. The same laws should apply in the same circumstances. Because if we don't show consistency, trust in the Senate will collapse."

"Ho-ho, I'm rather surprised there was any trust left to be lost."

Afranius shrugged his shoulders with natural virtue in the face of Pompeius' sarcasm.

The Senate's maneuvering didn't end there.

They didn't plan to accept Caesar's candidacy for consul the next year either.

They planned to buy off the plebeians in Hispania and accuse Caesar of fraud before the election.

You'll be acquitted, of course, but as a defendant, you can't be a candidate for consul.

Surprisingly, it was Marcus who brought this devious plan to their attention.

He argued that Caesar would not stand against the Senate if he could not be elected consul for two consecutive years.

Naturally, if Caesar bends in, the Senate would accept him generously.

Marcus made his position clear by suggesting a way to tame Caesar.

At the same time, the Senate's confidence in Marcus became even stronger.

He expressed his determination that no matter how much his father-in-law would be swayed by affection.

The senators praised Marcus, saying he was in the hope of upholding the values of the republic.

No one now suspected that the Crassus family might help Caesar.

Pompeius is the only one left who can help Caesar.

That's what everyone in the room thought.

Even for Pompeius, there seemed to be no pointed way out.

For about a week, he continued to defend Caesar, but the Senate did not budge from their will.

In the end, he left Rome in a rage, saying he had nothing better to do with such a despicable game of politics.

When Pompeius retreated to his villa in Alba, the Senate declared their complete victory.

The suspicious Cato spent the next few days monitoring the movements of Pompeius and Caesar.

Still, there were no suspicious signs.

"The possibility of a union between Pompeius and Caesar seems unlikely, at least for now."

Even Cato is now optimistic about the situation.

There's less than a week left to register to be a candidate for consul.

Just as everyone was reassured that Caesar wouldn't be able to do anything about it this time, Marcus was convinced that the time had come.

Having heard from him, Pompeius secretly set out from his villa at dawn.

Marcus also reached Campus Martius without being seen by anyone.

Caesar, like most Patrones, was visited by numerous Clientes every morning.

Pompeius and Marcus mingled in the midst of these Clientes and naturally came into contact with Caesar.

"Welcome, Magnus. Nice to see you, Marcus. How are my cute grandchildren?"

"Yes, it's big enough to roll over now. Julia was so excited she was almost crying."

"I'll have to go back to Rome as soon as possible to see the cute children. You said Trajanus and Licinia, didn't you?"

"My daughter has her own nickname, Sophia. The Romans tend to name their girls things like that, and I don't like that."

Marcus named his first daughter Licinia Crassi Sophia.

Roman women's names tended to be properly named by adding an -ia to the end of the gens's name.

If you are from the Licinii gens, you become Licinia. If you are from the Julii gens, you become Julia; if you are from the Cornelii gens, you become Cornelia, and so on.

Marcus didn't want to name his daughter for the sake of a name that wouldn't hurt if he put it in her eyes.

That's why it was given the nickname Sophia, which means wisdom.

The son is named after the emperor Trajanus, who was at the height of the Roman Empire.

Trajanus was a brilliant emperor who annexed Mesopotamia and occupied the capital, even though he did not completely occupy Parthia.

The name was given to him in the sense that he would not repeat the mistakes of his father and a younger brother who died in the East.

Of course, Marcus was the only one who knew about it, and the others didn't think much of it.

After breaking the ice with a story about his grandchildren, Caesar got down to business.

"Now, as you all know, we don't have much time left, and the Senate has once again demanded a choice between the Triumphus and running for consul. Of course, I've already made up my mind."

"The senate was convinced that you would give up the consul. Well, that's a matter of course. Because every Roman in the world would do that. Except for you. Honestly, I'm surprised at your decision. I wouldn't have done that."

While elections for consuls are held annually, most people never get the chance to attend a triumphus.

In particular, this was Caesar's first triumphus.

The Senate and the people who supported Caesar expected him to choose a triumphus.

"I've already spoken to Marcus by letter about this matter. Marcus has made his plans on the assumption that I'll give up the Triumphus this time, so I have no choice. The Senate is conspiring in anticipation that I'll file my candidacy for consul next year, so the only chance I have to stab their votes is now."

"But to give up the Triumphus... is too much of a sacrifice."

"I don't think it's the last time I'll be able to do it, because one day I'll be able to do it on a much bigger scale than I'm doing now. In any case, I'm going up to Capitoline Hill tomorrow to register my candidacy for consul. Marcus, are you ready for what I've asked you to do?"

"Yes, sir. I have brought a civic crown made of silver and a white horse."

Generals for Triumphus usually ride in on a white horse.

The fact that Caesar insisted on a white horse as a horse to ride when entering Rome was proof that Caesar could not shake off all his regret.

Caesar, who saw Marcus' smiling eyes, coughed in vain and made excuses for the unasked words.

"I'm just trying to give them a visual so they can easily see that I've been unfairly deprived of an opportunity to get a triumphus."

"I didn't say anything."

"Hmm, well, in any case, just running for consul is no guarantee of victory. The Senate is strongly pushing for Bibulus, so there will probably be two consuls, me and Bibulus. Magnus, do you know enough about Bibulus?"

When Pompeius heard Bibulus's name, he frowned and growled.

"A faithful stooge of the Senate, who has voted against every demand I have made. If you were to become consul with such a man, your actions would be severely constrained. He will probably vote against every bill you propose."

"That's fairly predictable. But it's not going to go the way they think."

"I hope so. Because if you don't, there's no reason for the three of us to join forces."

Pompeius asked, turning to Marcus.

"Can we expect that Crassus gives us full cooperation in the dark?"

"Of course. My father is still holding a large banquet to get the Senate's attention, and since Pompeius and my father are not on the best of terms, I will be attending the meetings as his representative, so you can consider my will as the will of the Crassus family."

"That's much more comfortable for me. Now then, let's discuss the most important thing of all: we each want something from this alliance, and mine is to grant land to the men who fought for me. And I'd like nothing better than to give the Senate a run for their money in the process."

Caesar nodded with a confident smile.

"It will be so; all I want is a governorship of Gaul, and I want it guaranteed for at least three years."

"You'll be in Gaul for three years? Don't tell me you...."

"Shouldn't I be compensated for giving up this triumphus?"

"Yes. You'll do whatever you please."

Pompeius didn't take Caesar's ambitions too seriously.

No matter how many skirmishes you have with the Gallic barbarians, you will never reach the great heights of Pompeius.

That's because that's what he thought.

Finally, it was Marcus's turn.

"First and foremost, I need to ensure that the equites that follow my family will gain. We've forced them to make some sacrifices recently, and while we've compensated them, the time has come to give them gains that more than compensate. And there's one more thing I personally want."

He exchanged a glance with each of the two people looking at him, then stammered.

"I should be elected as aedile to manage the public management of Rome."

"You want to be an aedile?"

Pompeius tilted his head in surprise.

"Even if I had lowered the age limit by five years, you'd still have to be 30 to be an aedile. Of course, that's just a piece of paper, but you've been very good at following those laws."

"Yes. So I'd like to adjust the age limit so that I can legally become an aedile. When you take office as Consul, I would like you to lower the age limit for aediles to around 27."

Caesar crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes as if trying to gauge Marcus's intentions.

"Even if I pass the law to lower the age limit, wouldn't there be someone who doesn't look at it lightly if you become an aedile right away?"

"Of course it is, and that's why I have no intention of running for office myself. I want Caesar to pick a suitable candidate from among the plebeians and push him as aedile, and then the Senate will naturally look for someone who fits the criteria to check the candidate Caesar is pushing."

"That would be you, of course."

"Yes, I'm going to take the Senate's suggestion and move on to the one where I'm an aedile, and no one can tell me otherwise."

As always, it's a risky plan.

Caesar smirked and shook his head.

"I honestly don't see why you're being so cautious. Don't you already have enough of a background to do as you please to a certain extent, and with me and Magnus on your side, I don't think you'll have to worry about the Senate as much as you do now."

"I'm just naturally cautious, and it's not something I can fix."

"Well, that's not necessarily a bad thing, at least Julia seems to secretly enjoy your overwhelming concern. Still, you have to be confident when you have to push through. If you're too careful, you might miss the mark."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Marcus smiled bitterly and bowed his head.

Part of him wanted to say, "I'm just trying to avoid getting assassinated like everybody else, man, for being too confident," but he couldn't bring himself to say it.

"But there's one thing I don't understand."

Pompeius, who had been listening to the conversation, interrupted and narrowed his eyes.

"Why are you clinging to a position like Aedile when you should be aiming for Praetor? It's not like you're lacking in popularity and support, so why serve as Aedile?"

It was a question that revealed the perceptions of a typical Roman aristocrat.

So Marcus was rather relieved.

If Pompeius feels this way, the rest of the Senate likely feels the same way.

The aedile was responsible for Rome's public administration and security, but the reality was a little different.

The most important things the citizens cared about were the rationing of grain and organizing entertainment events.

No matter how well you maintain your facilities or organize traffic, you'll get a cold response if those two things don't work.

Conversely, sowing grain or holding gladiatorial matches at great expense could be incredibly popular.

As a result, most politicians have used aediles as a way to gain popularity.

Cicero did it, and Caesar did it, and so on.

On the other hand, those who had already built up enough support were often not interested in becoming an aedile.

Marcus was obviously a member of the latter.

The people were ready to vote for Marcus for his tax reforms and financial reforms.

In fact, Marcus dominated the vote in almost every district in the quaestor's election.

There's no reason to go out as aedile and rob people.

"I'm sure the other senators feel the same way you do, Pompeius, so they'll ask me to run for the consulship and think I'll secretly refuse."

"I don't think I'd feel like I owed you for that, though."

"Yes. The whole point is to give the impression that I'm taking on a bureaucratic position that isn't really worth pursuing, but to me it's not a worthless bureaucratic position, because I'm going to be doing something tens of thousands of times more valuable than civic entertainment."

"The only worthwhile thing an aedile can do is maintain public facilities, and that's not something anyone would appreciate, and it's not something that would go unnoticed... As you well know, the people love things they can see and feel."

Marcus didn't deny what Pompeius had said.

It is because it's undeniable that people have those attributes.

"What I have to do as an aedile is a business that all Roman citizens can feel and be greatly satisfied with."

"I have no idea what the hell you're trying to do."

"I'd appreciate it if you'd save that for a later pleasure, because I'll lose my mind if I tell you all about it here and now."

"Well, it's your job and no one else's, so it's not pointless, and our interests seem to be aligned, so I guess we're all in this together?"

Marcus answered with a cool smile.

Caesar clapped his hands and celebrated the formation of the coalition.

"Crassus, representing the equites, me, Caesar, representing the populares, and Pompeius, representing the military. The three of us are united, and we will be able to defeat any opponent, even if it is the Senate. Let's call this alliance the Triumvirate, because the three heads of each class are united."

"It's a triumvirate, so it's a name I like. I'll take that."

"I have no objection."

Dialogue between the three powerful men representing Rome. The triumvirate system that was born there was clearly a denial of the existing order centered on the Senate.

However, the current Senate lacked the power to break this strong coalition.

They hadn't even noticed the formation of the coalition, let alone taken it down.

The birth of the Triumvirate was a clear indication of the reality that Rome would never be the same.

But even Pompeius, a member of the coalition, did not fully understand the implications of the birth of this new order.

Only two people in Rome at the moment could see through it.

Caesar wants to use the system to solidify his foundation, and Marcus sees the future one step ahead of him.

* * *

Having made all his preparations, Caesar rode into Rome at dawn on a white horse.

He made his way to the Forum Romanum very slowly as if to mourn the fact that he hadn't been able to make the triumphus.

Candidates for public office in Rome would wear a costume called a toga candida, which was applied with white powder to make it white.

Add to that the sight of Caesar wearing a civic crown and riding a white horse, and it was enough to get the attention of the Roman people.

On top of that, the Clientes were talking about how unfairly Caesar was deprived of the opportunity to make triumphus.

The citizens' jaws dropped, expecting Caesar to perform a triumphus.

And when they heard that the Senate had done a dirty trick, they were outraged.

It wasn't so much that they believed in fairness and justice.

This is because if the triumphus is not performed, you will not receive the silver that the triumphus generals scatter.

Caesar arrived majestically in the square, leading a procession of angry crowds.

Afranius, who was in charge of registering candidates for the election, jumped up from his seat when he saw Caesar.

Thinking he must have seen something, he rubbed his eyes again and again.

But it didn't change what he saw in front of him.

Afranius squinted for a long time before he could accept that the man in front of him was Caesar.

"Caesar, Caesar, are you mad, what are you doing here, a general of triumphus is not supposed to cross the sacred boundary line and come inside the city walls!"

Unlike Afranius, Caesar's reaction was calm.

"The Senate didn't recognize my absentee nomination, which is why I'm here in person, so please get the registration process over with."

"Oh, no....No, no, no. Are you out of your mind? You gave up the triumphus to register as a consul candidate?"

"Since I gave up the triumphus, I can stand here, right?"

"That's ridiculous...."

"I don't care if you're surprised, but why don't you finish my application first?"

With his mind racing, Afranius racked his brain for an excuse to refuse Caesar's request.

However, no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't think of anything to oppose.

The problem was that they didn't have a plan in place for when this would happen.

No one in the Senate expected Caesar to abandon the triumphus.

As Afranius rolled his eyes, Caesar asked again in a calm voice.

"What is it, consul? Is there a problem?"

"Uh.... Well, I mean, it's the end of the day...."

"We're probably at least five hours away."

"That... is right, the paperwork you need to file is...."

"I submitted them all to the committee yesterday."

Realizing that there was no way to refuse, Afranius changed his strategy.

He lowered his voice and leaned his face close to Caesar's ear.

"What the hell are you thinking? What's the benefit of running for consul now. If it is now, it can be settled by some mistake, so hurry back to the Campus Martius."

"There was no mistake. I gave up the triumphus to register as a candidate."

"No, I mean...… Even if you become a consul, you can't do anything? The person who will represent the Senate in this election is Bibulus. He will veto everything you do."

"Yes, I suppose so."

"So just hold a triumphus and run next year or two. You're still young, so you have plenty of chances. I mean, you don't have to be too impatient."

It was a trick to induce him to give up his candidate registration by pretending to be worried, but Caesar saw through Afranius at a glance.

Seriously responding was a waste of time because it was such a shallow move.

"I said I'm putting in my candidacy, and you're obligated to accept it, so I'll leave you to it."

Caesar turned and walked back into the crowd of Clientes chanting his name.

With so many witnesses, it was impossible to deny it.

It's now a foregone conclusion that Caesar will run for consul.

Afranius hurriedly gave orders to his entourage.

"Bring me Cato and Cicero and Bibulus and Crassus at once. If they refuse, saying they're busy with work, you can tell them that Caesar has abandoned the triumphus and is running for consul."

As Afranius had predicted, the senators who received the report from the attendants dropped what they were doing and came running.

In particular, Cato was in such a hurry that he was sweating and breathing hard.

"What do you mean, Afranius! Caesar is standing for election to the consulship!"

Bibulus, who is likely to be the next consul, also shook his head with a pale face.

"Is this some kind of new kind of joke? How can Caesar register as a candidate?"

Afranius sighed heavily between his angular teeth.

"First of all, sit down. Let's sit down and talk."

Marcus, who came with Crassus, sat down, pretending to look calm.

Crassus put on a performance with his whole body showing a surprised face.

"Caesar must have been on the Campus Martius, so how could he have gotten inside the city walls? Do you mean to tell me he abandoned the triumphus?"

"Then what else is there. Caesar brought his Clientes today and officially registered as a candidate. Something that we never imagined happened."

Cato's eyes widened in disbelief.

"No, you didn't, and that's why you accepted it, because of course you should have said no right then and there."

"How can you say no? There were well over a hundred men, at least as many as Caesar brought with him. With so many witnesses, I could only humiliate myself by trying to force my way through."

"...Okay, so Caesar himself obviously set up the situation so that the consul would have no choice but to accept his candidacy. Damn it! Didn't I tell you, Caesar is not like Pompeius! You've all been so complacent!"

"That can't be helped."

Crassus frowned and bit his lip.

"Which Roman would give up the triumphus for the annual elections. Can you understand? To be honest, I still can't believe it."

Crassus wasn't acting. He meant it with 10% genuine sincerity.

And everyone except Marcus wholeheartedly agreed with Crassus.

Cicero blurted out a sentiment.

"Caesar seems to have a different structured mindset than the rest of us, or even the average Roman."

"You're losing your mind!"

Cato shot back indignantly. He gulped down his wine and frowned.

"It doesn't feel good. I feel more frustrated because I don't know what he's thinking."

Unlike Cato, whose reaction was a mixture of anger and panic, Bibulus assessed the situation in a relatively calm tone.

"You don't have to worry too much. Once the Senate supports me firmly, it doesn't change that I become a consul. Then I'll veto all of Caesar's absurd proposals. Wouldn't this strategy suffice?"

At the absurdly optimistic thought, Cato rubbed his forehead as if trying to suppress a headache.

Vetoing all of Caesar's bills would mean paralyzing the Roman government once again.

He had already used a similar tactic against Pompeius, which resulted in a stalemate for over a year.

How bad would it be for the public to end another year here?

At Bibulus' insistence that the veto be used without such basic considerations, Cato was left with no energy to criticize.

Cicero, who had no intention of getting involved in the matter, smiled and whispered to Marcus.

"Well, your trick didn't work this time, and maybe you'll get to experience losing for the first time."

"It's my first time, and I haven't lived a perfect life."

"Hmm.... Seemed perfect to me. Anyway, don't worry too much, even if Caesar becomes consul, he won't be able to do much of anything. Our poor Bibulus will go out of his way to stop him, even if it means ruining his own reputation."

"It's a tactic of giving bones and taking flesh."

Cicero laughed in such a small voice that only Marcus could hear.

"That's a good analogy, but I doubt Bibulus or any of the other senators are even aware of it. Well, I'll keep my distance from Caesar's affairs, so it won't be a problem, but you'd better make sure you don't get in the shit with him. If you can, you might want to keep a little distance from this, just like I did."

"Thank you for your valuable advice. I'll take it to heart."

Cicero and Marcus took a step back and watched the heated discussion about stopping Caesar.

But unfortunately, there wasn't a trick that worked until the end of the meeting.

Cato gulped down his wine, his stomach churning at the absurdity of Bibulus' words.

All he got out of the long meeting was a few deep furrows on his forehead.

While the Senate bickers, Caesar diligently works his way toward his goal.

He decided that he didn't need to become a consul to keep his promise to Marcus.

Caesar submitted a bill to the Concilium Plebis through the tribune Batinius, which he recruited.

As Marcus had hoped, the bill would lower the age limit for aediles from the current 30 to 27.

Of course, this alone lacks a reason for citizens to allow it, so Caesar added a plausible reason.

Two plebeians and two aristocrats were to be elected, and this age limit was too disadvantageous to the plebeians.

A plebeian aedile is supposed to look after the authority of the plebeians, and few powerful men remained pure plebeians until they were over 30.

Most were plebeian aristocrats who had already earned a seat in the Senate.

"That's what Sulla is trying to do by making the age limit so strict. It's a system that typically favors the aristocracy. Right now, there are many young men I know who want to give gifts of grain and festivals to the citizens... Shouldn't there be a way for these people to become aediles when they haven't yet entered the Senate?"

At Batinius' instigation, the citizens naturally raised their hands in approval.

The Senate, which had been paying attention to Clodius up to this point, was in for another surprise.

Thanks to Batinius' efforts, Marcus was able to give Clodius a break.

This is because too much aggressive activity for too long can lead to citizen fatigue.

That's why Clodius didn't lower the age of the aedile.

The Senate convened an emergency meeting and again discussed measures.

No one doubted that Batinius was one of Caesar's pawns

And it was not difficult to predict what Caesar's aim was.

Cato, who is known as a Caesar expert in the Senate, made a fist again this time and spoke enthusiastically.

"Caesar is thinking of using the Concilium Plebis to his advantage when he becomes dictator. To that end, he has already made two plebeians, Clodius and Batinius, his tribunes. And he has made the younger of his followers the aediles, to further increase his popularity with the citizens. This is a very threatening move indeed."

"So how do you suggest we respond?"

"Now that the bill has been passed by the Concilium Plebis, we can't come back and overturn it. What we can do is put forward a much stronger candidate for aediles than the one Caesar is putting forward. If two patrician aediles over here can accomplish something more meaningful than two plebeian aediles over there, the people's support will not fall on the Senate."

"Ah, so you're suggesting that we hold a massive festival, sow the grain, so that their activities are shabby. Sounds like a good idea, although it would be a bit of a bleeding competition...."

Slightly older senators looked around at the younger senators who had not yet served as aediles.

But most of the younger senators averted their eyes.

It was an aedile's position that he wanted to do even if he owed money, but this time, the burden was too strong.

How much money would it take to compete head-to-head with the populares?

The older senators became frustrated when no one stepped up to the plate.

The lament of the former consul Silanus echoed through the room.

"Hehe.... It's a golden opportunity to earn the trust of the Senate, but how can there be no young men willing to step up to the plate? It's only because of a lack of leadership...."

No one volunteered, even when urged to do so. Unless the Senate is willing to pay for it. Otherwise, this position is guaranteed to be a one-man show.

Naturally, senior senators didn't want to pay for it out of their own pockets.

After all, if you spend money to organize an event, the popularity goes to the aediles.

How many people want to make others do good things with their own money?

An awkward silence enveloped the room as their self-interests clashed.

The deadline for candidate registration is tomorrow.

As the minutes ticked by, the nervous senators began to stare at Marcus openly.

This is because he has enormous financial power that does not need to be supported by anyone, and he has nothing to worry about if he comes forward, which is popular among citizens.

Feeling the eager stares directed at him, Marcus embarrassedly opened his mouth.

"I would love to serve the people of Rome. However, the original age limit for aediles was 30, and I am not yet eligible. Of course, a bill was passed this time to lower the age limit, but that was only because the Concilium Plebis pushed for it...."

"Whatever it takes to get through, you've earned it!"

Yes, yes. Who would dare oppose it if you left? "

"If there is anyone who disagrees, he is Caesar's lackey!"

Before Marcus could finish his sentence, Optimates' leaders began to chime in.

The tide was already turning in favor of Marcus becoming an aedile.

Finally, he rose from his seat and inclined his head toward the senators, who looked at him expectantly.

"I am not yet fit enough, but if the Senate wishes me to serve as aedile, I will do my best."

Applause from all senators poured over Marcus' head.

A smile tugged at the corners of Marcus's mouth as he bowed deeply.

It was a triumphant smile.