Chapter 41: You’ve Crossed The Line
Chapter 41: You’ve Crossed
The Line
Verres observed Cicero with a relaxed demeanor as he attempted to explain the charges.
Quintus, unaware of Verres' dealings with the pirates, whispered anxiously.
“How is this going to play out? Why did Hortensius agree to Cicero’s proposal?”
“Hortensius must have believed there was no risk for him. Cicero is merely causing a commotion.”
“How can you be so sure? If you lose this trial, our family will suffer a great loss too. You will be ruined as well. Are you really okay with staying so calm?”
“Of course. Cicero doesn’t have solid evidence. At most, he might bring up some bribes I received from Syracuse or Messana.”
Such evidence would likely be forgotten after the lengthy first trial. By the time of the second trial, with Hortensius’ skilled defense, the case would be over. By then, no one would remember the evidence or witnesses.
“Hmm, but didn’t Cicero claim to have a lot of evidence and witnesses?”
“That’s just bluster. He may have found some witnesses, but they won’t be enough to prove the charges. So don’t worry.”
“If you, the defendant, are so confident…”
“If Cicero loses, he won’t be able to return to Rome for at least five years. He’s probably trying to boost his popularity by making a scene.”
It was expected for a commoner like Cicero to take such risks when suing the highest nobles.
In the past, Caesar had lost a trial and gone to Greece for a cooling-off period. Caesar came from a prestigious family and spent only three years there, but Cicero was different. As a commoner, Cicero might never be able to return to Rome.
Confident of his victory, Verres decided to mobilize all his clients. After the trial, there would be voices condemning Cicero for disturbing Rome with an unreasonable prosecution.
“Just wait and see. I’ll make you pay for challenging me without knowing your place.”
Once Cicero was dealt with, the next target would naturally be Pompey, who supported him. It would be impossible to bring down someone like Pompey, but Verres could at least send him a message to behave himself. Then the senators who disliked Pompey would welcome Verres with open arms. Running for the next consul with the Senate’s support was not a far-fetched dream.
Verres’ reverie was interrupted by Cicero’s speech, which had just begun. Before addressing Verres’ charges, Cicero emphasized the significance of the trial to the jurors.
“Dear jurors, this is the last year that only senators can serve as jurors and decide the outcome of trials. From next year, this right will be shared with knights and commoners. Why has this change come about? The senators who were stripped of their rank for corruption were all acquitted in court. Sadly, we have tarnished our own image. Now we face another choice.”
Cicero glanced at the jurors and continued his speech.
“This trial is being observed not only by the citizens of Rome but also by all the allied cities and provinces. Your decision will determine whether Rome can continue to govern its provinces peacefully.
I am relieved that only senators are serving as jurors for this trial because it gives us a chance to demonstrate that we can correct our mistakes.
I’m not asking you to deliver a verdict based on provincial sentiments. I hope you will make a fair decision grounded in clear evidence and testimony.
So that the provinces can see our commitment to justice and remain loyal to us, restoring Rome’s reputation across the Mediterranean! I have full confidence that you will render a wise verdict.”
As soon as Cicero’s passionate speech concluded, Hortensius began his rebuttal.
“We must remain rational. As a governor, you will inevitably encounter unexpected situations.
Some praetors may act inappropriately, or provincial defense forces may engage in fraud. But you cannot blame the governor for these actions without clear evidence, based solely on hearsay.
If we establish such a precedent, who will be willing to assume the highest authority in the future? I agree with one point in the prosecutor’s speech: do not be swayed by emotion but focus on the objective evidence.”
The jurors exchanged uneasy glances, as both sides presented compelling arguments.
But they couldn’t afford to hesitate.
Thanks to the postponement of unnecessary speeches until the second trial, witness examination began immediately.
The first witness Cicero called was a farmer from Agrigentum, located on the southwest coast of Sicily.
Verres showed his first sign of agitation when he recognized the farmer’s face.
Cicero shouldn’t have gone to Agrigentum. No, he couldn’t have gone there.
The farmer, who had been cultivating the same land in Agrigentum for five generations, looked at Verres and began his testimony.
“My family had been growing wheat on the land we inherited from our ancestors until two years ago. Shortly after my father died, a praetor arrived with a document, claiming that my land had been sold at a ridiculously low price. I protested, saying it was impossible, but he presented a will from my father as evidence. However, my father never wrote such a will.”
Cicero held up a document for all the jurors to see.
“This is the will in question. And this is not an isolated case. I have verified over thirty similar cases in each region. I also brought other wills with me. Does it make sense that these lands were sold cheaply, all to the governor? These wills are forgeries!”
“That’s a lie!”
Verres leapt from his seat, shouting angrily. He spat at Cicero and the farmer as he ranted.
“They’re all lies! I never forged any wills!”
“Verres, lower your voice,” the judge warned in a calm tone.
“Leave the defense to your lawyer. If you have something to say, respond only when I ask you.”
Verres bit his lip and reluctantly sat back down.
He then leaned over and whispered angrily to Hortensius, who was eyeing him suspiciously.
“Those are all lies. You can refute them easily, right? Ask them to show proof that I forged the wills.”
“I was planning to do that anyway.”
Hortensius approached the witness and began his questioning.
“Witness, are you certain that the will was forged?”
“Absolutely.”
“Why? Do you have any concrete evidence? Simply claiming it’s impossible is not sufficient. If we punished people based on such claims, we’d have to imprison half the world.”
As if anticipating Hortensius’ question, Cicero presented another document.
“This is the original will that was given to the praetor in Agrigentum. Although he was ordered to destroy it, he kept it out of fear that he might be threatened if anything went wrong. This document clearly shows that the father did not intend to sell his land. He even instructed his son to protect the land that had been passed down through the generations.”
Hortensius’ expression darkened.
The will was undeniably genuine.
He clenched his teeth and glanced at Verres.
It appeared that Verres was indeed guilty, but he could not admit it.
“Ju, jurors! Even if it seems the will was forged, there’s no guarantee that the former governor was responsible. It could have been someone else using the governor’s name for their own corruption. There have been many cases where individuals impersonate the governor to commit crimes.”
“The praetor testified that he acted on the governor’s orders.”
“The praetor might be covering up his own corruption by blaming it on the governor.”
“So, you’re suggesting that a mere praetor used the governor’s name to forge a will and then tried to cover it up? We agreed to skip the debate procedure, so I will leave the judgment to you, jurors.”
Cicero immediately called another witness.
This witness was a knight from Syracuse, where the governor’s residence was located. He was a merchant who transported wheat.
“Verres threatened to exclude me from the wheat transportation business unless I paid him. On one occasion, he openly looted my art pieces and gold dishes at a dinner party. He came with a large sack and ordered his slaves to collect everything, leaving me with nothing. If you visit Verres’ mansion, you’ll find the items I was robbed of.”
“Furthermore, these art pieces and gold dishes were created by Polydias, a rising craftsman. Here is a receipt proving that Polydias sold his works to this merchant.”
Verres’ face went pale.
The jurors and Hortensius looked at him in disbelief.
It was not only the severity of his crime but also the lack of dignity in his actions that shocked them.
A spectator watching the trial muttered what everyone was thinking, “What is this? He’s not even human…”
Hortensius was at a loss, unable to respond as Cicero continued to call witnesses.
The evidence of Verres’ embezzlement poured in relentlessly over three, four, and even more than ten days.
Listing all the evidence and witnesses took more than ten days.
Verres had to leave his seat among the slaves after August 13th to avoid being killed by the enraged crowd.
The most serious crime committed by Verres was revealed on the last day of the first trial.
The revelation that he had used pirates to plunder art pieces and statues from temples elicited a profound reaction.
The citizens, judges, jurors, and even Hortensius were stunned, their mouths agape.
“He even secretly built a ship to transport these items to Rome, but he did so illegally, without paying the craftsmen.”
The craftsman who testified described in detail how Verres had illegally constructed the ship.
Hortensius, unable to muster a defense, listened to the witnesses without speaking.
Verres trembled as he realized the pirates had not followed his orders correctly.
His fear replaced his anger.
He had heard that the pirates had sent a piece of Cicero’s toga as proof of contact, indicating they had indeed been in touch with Cicero.
If they had betrayed him, he could understand why they sided with Cicero.
It was possible that his attempt to kidnap Cicero had been exposed.
That anxiety soon became reality.
Cicero called an unexpected witness as the final testimony.
“The last witness I want to call is Marcus Licinius Crassus II! The eldest son of the current consul will reveal the truth without any lies.”
As Marcus stepped forward, Verres and the jurors stared in shock.
Why did Marcus, the son of Crassus, leader of the Optimates faction, support Cicero?
Marcus’ testimony provided the answer.
“I was instructed by my father to investigate this case impartially. If Verres’ corruption was genuine, it would pose a significant obstacle to governing the province in the future.
Verres managed to serve as governor in Sicily for three years due to the rebellion led by Crassus. While my father and all Roman citizens were fiercely combating the rebels, the governor was busy plundering the province. This is a disgrace to Rome as a whole and an affront to the nobility!”
The jurors nodded in agreement with Marcus’ passionate speech. His words carried weight due to his noble background.
“But there was also a possibility that this whole matter could be a fabrication to impeach Verres. So, I monitored the investigation from Cicero’s side.
I questioned whether Cicero might have manipulated witnesses or evidence or fabricated crimes through excessive investigation. I assure you, I observed all the processes fairly.
There was no manipulation or dishonesty. All of Verres’ charges were proven true, as the previous evidence and witnesses have testified. However, there is one final, grave crime that has yet to be revealed.”
The jurors and spectators were filled with curiosity and doubt. The revelations so far seemed severe, but what more could there be?
Marcus surveyed the audience before delivering his final blow to Verres.
“Verres used every method to conceal the evidence. When he couldn’t find a way to stop the prosecutor, he resorted to hiring pirates under his control. He instructed them to prevent the prosecutor from collecting any further evidence in Sicily. Fortunately, my escorts and I were present, which allowed the prosecutor to escape from danger.”
“That’s absurd!”
One of the jurors exclaimed in disbelief.
Ordering an attack on a Roman senator was unthinkable.
The Senate represented Rome itself. Threatening them was akin to threatening Rome.
Marcus addressed the shocked jurors calmly.
“Verres knew his downfall was imminent if all this evidence came to light. He attempted to prevent the prosecutor from gathering more evidence, hoping to delay the trial until next year. With his family and connections, he believed he could ultimately quash the case.”
“Do you have any evidence to support this claim?”
“Indeed. I captured one of the pirates who received money from Verres. This document, which he provided, details how he received orders from Verres.”
Marcus deliberately withheld the fact that Verres had also tried to kidnap him. While kidnapping was a serious crime, murder was far more shocking.
The jurors and spectators were appalled and believed Verres had attempted to kill Cicero. With the pirate’s testimony and the other evidence, Verres had no way to refute the charges.
Both citizens and nobles agreed that Crassus had made a wise choice in supporting Cicero. It was preferable for a noble to be condemned by another noble than to be brought down by a commoner.
The jurors had nearly made up their minds.
Judge Glabrio fixed a cold gaze on Verres and asked, “Is it true that you attempted to kill a senator? That is an unforgivable crime. Do you have anything to say in your defense?”
Cornered, Verres looked around, but no one met his gaze. Even Quintus and his lawyer, Hortensius, avoided eye contact. The citizens clamored for Verres’ condemnation.
In a state of panic, Verres shouted and shook his head. “No! I didn’t order any murder! I only wanted them to kidnap him, just kidnap him and then release him! I…”
He babbled desperately but then realized his mistake and quickly covered his mouth.
But it was too late. The eyes that turned toward him were like sharp knives, piercing through him.
Cicero slowly pointed at Verres, who was now in a state of terror. “Gaius Verres, your heinous crimes and schemes have been laid bare for all to see! The consul, the senate, and the entire people know the truth now.”
“If you are truly a Roman noble and have any conscience left, do not deny your guilt shamefully. Instead, admit it bravely.”
“Verres, you have crossed a line that no Roman noble should ever cross. This line leads only to ruin and death. The immortal gods and the great souls of our ancestors surely demand that you face proper punishment. May Jupiter, the great protector of Rome, and Minerva, the goddess of justice, be thanked for revealing the full extent of this heinous crime.”
Cicero spoke passionately to the sky and then turned to the judge with a respectful bow.
“Honorable judge, Verres is unlikely to accept his punishment willingly. He may attempt to flee tonight to preserve what little he has left. I request that he be confined to his mansion until the trial concludes. There is a precedent for detaining defendants who pose a clear flight risk.”
This was the hint Marcus had provided. Historically, Verres was known to flee under similar circumstances. If he escaped, he might recover some of his hidden assets even if he lost his property in Rome. Marcus had no intention of showing him any leniency.
To Verres, Cicero’s pointing finger seemed like the sword of Justitia, the goddess of justice. The scales of justice had finally tipped against him.
“That’s absurd! I am a noble and a former consul! You can’t imprison me like a common criminal!”
Verres protested loudly, but there was no escape. The court was surrounded by a large crowd, making it impossible for him to flee.
“Look, he’s trying to run!”
“Stop him!”
The angry crowd quickly blocked Verres’ path and apprehended him.
Verres’ desperate struggle was a sign of his inevitable downfall.
“No! I…I’m a former governor! You filthy bastards, let me go right now! I’m a former governor!”
As Verres was dragged away by the citizens and handed over to the soldiers, the judge’s solemn voice rang out, covering Verres’ frantic cries.
“He attempted to escape on the spot, so there is no need for further deliberation. Take him away and confine him securely until the verdict is delivered. Ensure that he cannot escape by any means.”