The hall was montarily shaken by Cato’s shocking proposal.
The nobility faction had already agreed on this beforehand, so the ones who were flustered were all the mbers of the populist faction.
Piso, Caesar’s father-in-law, sprang up from his seat and shouted.
“This is an absurd claim. Wise Porcius Cato, have you not always emphasized that we must strictly adhere to the laws and institutions of the republic? But now you want to grant imperium to Marcus. And not only that, you want to entrust him with legions in the entire eastern province for five years. How does that fit with the system of the republic?”
Words of agreent poured out from various places where the populist faction mbers were sitting.
Piso looked at Marcus, who was sitting calmly, and added one more thing.
“Just in case you misunderstand, let say this. I respect the achievents that Marcus sopotamius has accomplished. I would gladly support him if he qualified to receive an imperium.”
Marcus was not an easy target to attack for the populist faction.
He was a mber of the nobility faction, but he had absolute support from the people, and he was Caesar’s son-in-law and also close to Pompey personally.
Among the moderate populist faction mbers, there were even so who praised him for maintaining the balance of Roman politics by being in the nobility faction.
Marcus gave a light smile as if he was not offended by Piso’s cautious remark.
But Cato was different.
He imdiately requested to speak again as soon as Piso finished his speech and stood up from his seat.
“There are plenty of reasons why Marcus sopotamius should beco the governor of the eastern province. First of all, let point out that this is not an impossible thing at all. Our senate has already set a precedent that we can grant exceptions in cases of extre necessity. Even the person in question is sitting here right now. Isn’t that right, great Pompey?”
The populist faction mbers could not refute Cato’s sharp jab.
His words were true.
Pompey had received imperium at an age when he was not qualified to do so in order to suppress Sertorius’ rebellion.
At that ti, the senate granted Pompey the qualification of a forr consul, even though he was not old enough to be a consul or even a praetor.
If the populist faction mbers opposed Cato’s proposal, it would an admitting that the authority granted to Pompey at that ti was illegal.
But Pompey himself did not look as flustered as the other mbers.
He rather showed a surprised expression and sneered.
“Cato, I thought you have always criticized the authority I enjoyed after entering the senate? I still rember you claiming that I would not have received imperium if you had been in the senate at that ti. Have you changed your mind now?”
Cato imdiately retorted with an extrely calm face.
“Do you really think so? Pompey Magnus, your situation is a bit different from Marcus’. First of all, at the ti of Sertorius’ rebellion, you were not even old enough to be a praetor.
But now, the age limit for praetors has been lowered a lot compared to then. Marcus is exactly at the age when he can run for consulship. If it weren’t for his eastern expedition, he would have already been elected consul this year.”
“Oh, I see. So the reason why you opposed so much back then was only because of my age.”
“···Of course. What else could it be?”
Pompey’s face showed a trace of disbelief at Cato’s shaless attitude.
The other populist faction mbers also had similar expressions.
Cato cleared his throat to change the atmosphere and continued his speech.
“Anyway, I’m sure you all understand that this is not an unprecedented law. Besides, there is one fact that kind Piso has overlooked.”
“What is that?”
“It is that we have budgeted on the premise that we will receive a large amount of grain from sopotamia. We also promised to distribute more grain to the citizens from next year or the year after. But if the province is not stabilized and we cannot collect enough grain, who will take responsibility for this situation?
Piso, will you and the populist faction mbers empty your pockets and give grain to the people? Or will consul Domitius Calvinius swear to take responsibility and appease the anger of the people?”
Piso licked his lips to refute imdiately, but he could not think of any solid evidence.
Domitius Calvinius, the consul who was close to Caesar, also scratched his head and kept silent.
Cato looked around the audience with satisfaction and roared loudly to finish his argunt.
“Moreover, if Parthia raises an army to conquer the Indus region, Ro has a duty to support it. The only person who can perform this heavy task without hesitation is Marcus sopotamius!”
The nobility faction mbers applauded thunderously to support Cato’s opinion.
The populist faction mbers could not stand up from their seats and bit their lips.
It was because Cato was right that there was no one else to send to the eastern province at the mont.
Pompey was responsible for the food supply of the diterranean as the governor of Hispania, so it was impossible.
Crassus had just returned his governorship, so it was impossible to beco a governor again right away.
The atmosphere of the eting gradually leaned toward accepting Cato’s proposal.
Cicero, who had been carefully observing the situation, felt that it was ti for him to step in and proposed a new law to follow up on Cato’s argunt.
As a man of law, he was not comfortable with making a special law for just one person.
Cicero’s proposed law did not ntion Marcus’ na.
Of course, anyone who could read would know that this clause was for Marcus.
In fact, this was nothing but a word ga.
To improve the situation, one had to command a legion.
But the qualification to command a legion was limited to those who had held the office of consul or higher.
In other words, those who had improved the situation without going through the consulship were very few in the history of the republic.
Among the mbers present here, the only ones who t this law were Pompey and Marcus.
Still, on the other hand, this law also legalized Pompey’s past exception as well as Marcus’.
As a populist faction, they could say that they had found a minimum compromise.
Cicero’s andnt was passed almost unanimously.
After that, Calvinius put forward a law that appointed Marcus as the governor of the eastern province.
No one opposed this ti.
In the end, Marcus was legally granted imperium and beca the governor of the province at his early thirties.
The senate concentrated a huge range of provinces on Marcus with the intention of checking Caesar and Pompey.
The areas he was in charge of were as follows:
Bithynia, Cilicia, Syria, Arnia, and sopotamia, including five provinces.
In simple terms, they put the whole Asia Manor that Romans recognized under Marcus’ jurisdiction.
The term was set to five years as a basic, considering that he would conquer the Indus region, and it could be extended if necessary.
The number of legions he could use was twelve legions, which was the sa as the first eastern expedition.
Marcus stood up and swore briefly that he would fulfill his heavy duty given to him.
The generous applause of the mbers poured over his head.
If Egypt, which was Marcus’ client state, was included in the entire Asia Manor province, it would be practically equivalent to a separate empire.
Even if Gaul and Britain, which were not yet developed, were combined, they could not compete in terms of productivity.
It was the sa even if Pompey’s sphere of influence in North Africa and Hispania was added.
The only thing that could make a difference was Greece and Macedonia, but they were almost adjacent to Asia Manor.
If he took his ti, he could pull them into his influence instead of Pompey’s.
Marcus, who had gained more power and authority than any Roman governor in history, waved his hand to the mbers who applauded him.
A gentle smile that contrasted with his inner thoughts floated on his lips.
※※※※
Marcus imdiately summoned his legion again as soon as his governorship term was decided.
The legion, which had been disbanded only in na but was fully prepared to regroup, regained its original dignity in no ti.
Marcus checked the last things he had to deal with before leaving Ro.
First of all, he obtained the senate’s permission and gave Roman citizenship to Berenice.
The senate and the citizens of Ro accepted this as a sign of subordinating the Egyptian royal family under Ro.
Cleopatra often visited Cicero’s mansion and cultivated a friendly relationship with him.
Cicero frequently praised Cleopatra’s intelligence to Marcus.
“Wow, that girl…no, I an princess. Anyway, Princess Cleopatra can speak eight languages. And she said she is learning dian language recently, so she will be able to use nine languages soon…Did you know that?”
“Yes. Didn’t I tell you she is a brilliant woman? Especially, she is very fast at learning new things. And she has so ambition as a royal. I don’t think you have anything to worry about, but it might be better to be careful.”
“I see. Then I will try harder to preach her about the greatness of the republic. Don’t be surprised when she wants to give up her throne and make Egypt a republic by the ti you co back to Ro.”
“Haha, if that really happens, I will write a poem praising your amazing persuasion skills.”
Marcus’ eyes caught the book that Pompey had been reading until then.
This was enough to read Pompey’s mind, and Marcus casually asked.
“Are you thinking about the Indian expedition?”
Pompey, who was hit by the point, smiled awkwardly and pushed the book he had covered aside.
“Haha… Did you hear from Crassus that I was thinking about my last expedition? So I’m seriously considering the destination right now.”
“India as the first candidate, as expected from Pompey… It’s a scale that I can’t even imagine as a hero.”
“Wasn’t the Indian expedition the one that even Alexander the Great failed to succeed? If I get India, I can get the evaluation that I surpassed Alexander, not just his reincarnation.”
“Yes. You will get that evaluation if you succeed.”
Pompey was not soone who could not feel the negative tone in Marcus’ tone.
He sighed and tapped the table with resentnt.
“Of course, I know this is an unrealistic expedition. Unless Parthia and even the Indus region are completely conquered, the Indian expedition is impossible to dream of. I can’t secure the supply line.”
“It’s not just that, but the army of India is different from those we have faced so far. We need to train new soldiers.”
“Yeah, realistically speaking, you’re right. I’m not saying I’m going to India unconditionally. But it’s my last expedition, not anyone else’s… I have to conquer a land that’s worth at least that much.”
“I agree with you on that part. Pompey Magnus’ last expedition should go to a land that matches him.”
Pompey’s face brightened again with Marcus’ agreent.
There were only a few places left that were not Ro’s territory.
Pompey spread out a map on the table and pointed out one by one the candidates for the expedition.
“First of all, there is Germany near Ro, but I want to exclude this for now. If it was fertile like Gaul, it would be fine, but this is a land that has no value to spill blood and get. Besides, Caesar might aim for this area again when he returns from Britain, so I think it’s better for to go sowhere else.”
“I agree with you. How about Dacia?”
Dacia referred to the area corresponding to modern Romania and Moldova.
In Roman tis, it was an area inhabited by Dacians and Getaeans, and it was strongly perceived as distant from civilization.
“Well… Isn’t Dacia the sa as Germany? There is no reason for Ro to conquer a land that doesn’t feel necessary.”
“That’s true.”
In fact, Dacia had rich gold and silver mines buried in it, but Ro did not know this fact yet.
If he knew this, Pompey would imdiately push for a Dacian expedition, but Marcus did not tell him the truth.
It was too early to annex Dacia, and he did not want to entrust that role to Pompey either.
Instead, Marcus raised his finger and pointed to the south of Egypt.
“Then there is nothing left but here.”
Pompey’s eyes naturally followed Marcus’ finger tip.
He looked closely at the map and chuckled sarcastically.
“Hehe… You want to go to the Axum Kingdom?”
The place where Marcus suggested was Ethiopia in modern tis, which was called Axum Kingdom in Roman tis.
Axum had been recorded as a power that even Ro or Sassanid dynasty could not easily deal with at its peak.
But Axum’s national power was not at its best until after the 1st century AD, so it was not very strong yet.
If he wanted to annex Ethiopia, now was a golden opportunity.
Of course, Pompey had no way of knowing this fact and showed a sowhat lukewarm attitude.
“It’s better than Germany or Dacia because it’s a civilization zone, but… Is it really worth raising a legion and conquering?”
“Of course. The geographical value of Axum is not low at all. First of all, if you conquer this area, you can make not only the diterranean Sea but also the Red Sea completely Ro’s sea. You can trade with India by sea.”
The Suez Canal had not been opened yet at this ti, but still the value of the Red Sea was enormous.
In addition, Ethiopia was a country where the upper reaches of the Nile River began, so its agricultural productivity was not bad either.
At this ti, unlike modern tis, there were many lands suitable for farming because of abundant rainfall.
Pompey began to be moved by Marcus’ explanation.
It seed much better than the impossible Indian expedition where he could get both profit and honor.
The last word of Marcus strongly stimulated Pompey’s vanity.
“The guardian of the diterranean, Pompey Magnus, is now the ti to beco the ruler of the Red Sea.”
“The ruler of the Red Sea…”
“Yes. And conquering the upper reaches of the Nile ans getting the origin of human civilization. The cradle of civilization. How about reaching the source of the Nile and getting immortal fa?”
The cradle of civilization.
The source of the Nile.
These two words brightened Pompey’s face.
“I like it. That’s enough to be the goal of my last expedition. I’m glad I talked to you. By the way, I’ll inevitably need Egypt’s help if I want to go there. Can I ask you to diate?”
Marcus smiled triumphantly and nodded.
“Of course. But I have one thing I want as a reward, though it’s not much. There is a strange seed that grows in the highlands of that region, and I want to have exclusive rights to that plant. Can you grant that?”
“Take whatever kind of seed you want. It’s a great deal if I can get generous food support from Egypt for that.”
This seed, which resembled a bean and was said to have originated from the Abyssinian highlands of Ethiopia, would later be called coffee.
Marcus’ goal from the beginning was to get this coffee bean for himself.
It didn’t matter if Ethiopia fell under Pompey’s influence for a while.
Anyway, to go to Ethiopia, he had to go through Egypt, which was Marcus’ client state.
If the next pharaoh beca Arsinoe or Cleopatra, Marcus’ influence would be more solidified.
Would Pompey’s influence still be in Ethiopia by then?
Marcus didn’t think so.
Of course, Pompey had no complaints since he could decorate his last expedition with the best glory.
It was a mont when the understanding of the two who held the highest power in Ro was perfectly matched on the surface.
The deal was made.
The smiles on the faces of the two giants did not fade for a long ti.
< 124. The Last Expedition > End
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