Chapter 77: First Step (2)
Chapter 77: First Step (2)
“First, we need to de-escalate the current extreme tensions. The leaders of both factions must cease their insults toward each other. If this continues, there’s a risk of violence.”
“I agree with that. The mutual criticism has been crossing the line recently.”
“Exactly. We should also agree to refrain from making excessive promises through the aediles. If this situation persists into next year, the consequences could be dire.”
Cicero nodded in agreement. He too was concerned about the harmful effects of this competition for public favor. It was damaging Rome and could lead to wasteful expenditures, particularly for Marcus, who would be serving as aedile.
Cicero saw this as an opportunity to repay some of his debt to Marcus and make a positive impression.
“I believe the Senate will respond favorably to these proposals. We should compete but maintain certain boundaries. But do you have any additional demands? These two points seem a bit weak.”
Cicero showed no signs of embarrassment. Caesar smiled faintly, confident that he had already won half of Cicero’s support. He exchanged a brief glance with Marcus before continuing.
“Oh, I do have another point. This might be the most crucial agreement, depending on how you view it. It will also benefit you.”
Cicero leaned forward slightly, intrigued by Caesar’s words.
“First, we should prohibit the use of private forces, even if things go wrong. This is an obvious measure, but it seems some people doubt it will be upheld.”
“It’s unfortunate that we need to agree on something so basic, but I hope the entire Senate will support this.”
Caesar readily agreed, understanding Cicero’s concerns.
“Of course, we also need Pompey Magnus’s consent. If both the populares and the optimates agree, he will have no choice but to comply.”
“…But can you guarantee perfect control over the people?”
“It’s inevitable that some supporters may act violently from time to time. I’m not saying you should control everything perfectly. Just avoid deliberately provoking the other side, as mentioned before. This should significantly reduce violence.”
“Yes, you’re right.”
The Senate’s greatest fear was that Pompey might rally his followers and seize Rome by force, as Sulla had done. Caesar also recognized the risk of radical senators acting rashly.
Cicero, unaware that Pompey was aligned with Caesar, found the proposal reasonable. He turned to Marcus for his opinion.
“What do you think?”
“It seems like a beneficial proposal for everyone. The Senate can alleviate its anxiety about Pompey, Caesar can rebuild trust, and the people can be assured there will be no bloodshed. It’s a solution that satisfies all parties.”
In fact, Marcus had suggested this agreement to Caesar. The triumvirate had never intended to use force, but this was not known to the public. Marcus saw the Senate as potentially unstable and recognized that the triumvirate had a superior force with Pompey’s support.
The issue was that the Senate was unaware of Pompey’s alignment with Caesar. Extremists who believed Caesar aimed to destroy the Republic might act recklessly.
Although Caesar dismissed Marcus’s concerns, Marcus insisted on the necessity of stabilizing public sentiment. Eventually, Caesar agreed.
Cicero found Caesar’s proposal very reasonable. It was clear that Caesar was not ready to submit to the Senate, but his intentions were transparent and thus more trustworthy. The proposal involved competition but within certain limits.
Cicero was to lead both sides to this precarious balance. If the next year passed without incident, it would be seen as Cicero’s achievement in mediating between the two factions.
Finally, Caesar stated that he would value Cicero’s advice even after assuming the consulship.
Cicero, having lowered his guard, agreed to Caesar’s request and promptly met with the optimates.
The leaders of the optimates viewed Caesar’s proposal favorably. From their perspective, the Senate was in a position of absolute strength. The essence of the mediation Cicero presented was to eliminate uncertainties. In such a situation, the stronger party benefits more from removing potential risks.
The promise from Pompey not to use force against Rome was also appealing to them.
However, Cato was the only one who remained skeptical, suspecting Caesar had an ulterior motive.
“It may seem advantageous at first glance, but we must remember that it was Caesar who proposed it. He must have some trick up his sleeve.”
Bibulus scoffed and shrugged.
“Isn’t Caesar’s intention obvious? He’s worried we might use the final veto. Even though we can’t use the veto against a consul, he’s anxious about ending up like Catiline, given the precedent.”
Metellus Scipio concurred with Bibulus.
“That’s right. His request to curb the abuse of aediles for populist promises reveals his intentions. Our aediles are from the Crassus family. How can Caesar’s faction compete with us financially? Even if they pool all their resources, it won’t match what Marcus can mobilize.”
A dismissive laughter circulated among the optimates.
It seemed clear to them what Caesar’s intentions were.
“Shall we then reject Caesar’s proposal? It appears to be a loss for us.”
“Bibulus, it’s not that simple. First, it’s advantageous to restrict Pompey’s power under the pretext of Caesar. What do we have to fear if we neutralize Pompey’s military strength?”
“Will Pompey accept your request if he is no longer Caesar’s subordinate?”
“If he defies the entire Senate’s decision, he will only reveal his ill intentions.”
Metellus’s confident stance silenced Bibulus’s objections.
However, Cato, unable to shake off his unease, searched for a reason to reject the proposal.
“Everyone, Caesar’s second demand could be very disadvantageous for us. As Metellus said, we have a significant advantage in the aedileship.”
“And didn’t Marcus agree to neutralize the negative effects of using the veto by promoting populist policies? If we accept Caesar’s request, we will lose a way to address the people’s discontent.”
“Ah…”
“Now that you mention it…”
Bibulus and Metellus were surprised by this point.
But Marcus, intervening at the right moment, restored the mood.
“I never intended to win public favor through grain distributions or gladiator games. I have a plan that will gain public support by advancing Rome’s interests.”
Bibulus’s expression brightened with trust.
“Really? Do you have such a plan?”
“Of course. It will require funding, but I’m not looking to gain popularity through short-sighted means. My plan will benefit Rome’s public interest and will align with Caesar’s request.”
“Oh, you’re as reliable as ever. Since you speak so highly of him, we’ll have to trust him too.”
With public opinion settled, Cato could no longer raise objections. If Marcus truly had a clever plan, Caesar’s proposal would benefit the Senate rather than harm it. Provided they didn’t misuse populist policies, the aediles would naturally focus on managing public facilities and administrative duties.
If Marcus could indeed gain public favor with an innovative policy, it would further solidify the Senate’s position. After careful consideration, Cato decided that accepting Caesar’s proposal was the best course of action.
However, he remained cautious and asked Marcus one final question.
“Are you truly confident you can win the people’s favor?”
“Absolutely. If I fail to garner their support, I am ready to take full responsibility.”
“Alright. Then I’ll place my trust in you.”
Cato decided to go along with the optimates' opinion, balancing his anxiety with expectation.
On January 1st, 60 BC, as soon as the new year began, Marcus proved that his words were not empty promises.
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The primary duties of the aediles were to manage public facilities and handle administrative tasks. Unlike modern bureaucracies that require superiors’ approval for every action, Rome allowed officials considerable discretion. This meant that praetors or consuls could not interfere with the aediles' responsibilities.
Aediles could renovate public facilities or hold events as they saw fit. While they needed to go through a budget review process, they could bypass this if they used their own funds.
Marcus had no intention of wasting time on budget approvals. He executed his plan independently of the other aediles.
He began by holding daily public hearings at the Forum Romanum to explain the necessity of his policies. He used intuitive visuals to make his points clear to the citizens.
“Dear citizens, Rome is currently enveloped in an invisible miasma. I understand this may be unfamiliar to many of you, so I have conducted extensive research to make it more comprehensible.”
Marcus snapped his fingers, and Spartacus and Septimus, who were standing behind him, unfurled a large roll of parchment.
“For us Romans, the bathhouse is an essential part of our lives. I too enjoy the bathhouse. But what if it becomes a breeding ground for diseases?”
The citizens looked on with curiosity. Until now, Romans had firmly believed that washing with water reduced diseases. Some expressed their skepticism.
Marcus deliberately waited for someone to voice an objection. As expected, a citizen raised his hand and asked, “Are you saying that we get sick from going to the bathhouse? Do you have any evidence for this?”
“To be precise, it’s not the act of going to the bathhouse that causes illness, but the exposure to dirty environments. The human body can be infected by the dirty air it inhales. To support this claim, I have been researching with numerous doctors for several years. Look here.”
Marcus pointed to the large parchment and continued his explanation.
“I selected 100 citizens who visit the bathhouse daily and 100 citizens who do not visit the bathhouse and instead wash at home. I observed their health over the course of a year.”
“Of course, there may be variations in disease occurrence depending on individual health. To account for this, I formed a research group with similar living conditions.
The only significant difference was the frequency of visiting the bathhouse. Surprisingly, those who frequented the bathhouse had a seven times higher chance of suffering from various diseases during the same period.”
“Seven times?”
“That much?”
The citizens were startled by the statistic. A difference of seven times was hard to dismiss as coincidence.
The young man who had objected earlier asked with disbelief, “So, are you saying we should close down the bathhouse?”
“Not at all. As I mentioned, the issue is not the bathhouse itself but its cleanliness. The bathhouse has become a breeding ground for disease due to poor hygiene. The solution is straightforward: clean and maintain the public bathhouses.”
Marcus had prepared various measures for improving the bathhouses. He emphasized that citizen cooperation was also crucial. He urged people to spread the word about proper usage to their families and relatives.
Marcus decided to start by visibly improving the environment. He invested his own money to renovate the bathhouses in Rome. He also proposed a policy to subsidize maintenance costs from the national treasury if the improvements proved effective.
The Senate had no reason to refuse. If the bathhouses were indeed spreading disease, improving them was necessary. They had no reason to stop Marcus from proving it with his own funds. Marcus made sure to educate the public on proper bathhouse use.
From a modern perspective, the reforms were not revolutionary. The bathhouses needed regular draining and daily cleaning. Users should wash briefly before entering the tubs. Urinating in the bath was strictly prohibited. Soap would be provided for cleaning.
These were basic hygiene practices that were not well observed in ancient times. It wasn’t due to ignorance but rather a lack of hygiene concepts.
Many complained about the new requirements, but Marcus used a somewhat coercive approach to enforce them. Those who didn’t comply were considered to be damaging public facilities and were immediately removed. Urinators were even threatened with drinking the contaminated water.
The policy received enthusiastic support from ordinary citizens. Despite their limited hygiene awareness, they understood that urine and feces were dirty.
The results were immediate. Citizens were greatly satisfied with the improved cleanliness of the bathhouses. Though it would take more time to confirm a decrease in disease incidence, the clean bathhouses were a welcome change. People preferred clean water for bathing, and the unpleasant odors were gone.
The use of soap, endorsed by the state, became a positive trend. People were motivated to follow the guidelines, contributing to the overall improvement.
Having introduced basic hygiene practices, Marcus was ready to tackle his next major project in Rome, which was likely even more significant than the hygiene reforms.
Marcus aimed to introduce a four-field crop rotation system to replace the existing three-field system used across Rome. This change was not something that could be mandated by law or handled through standard public administration. It was beyond the authority of the censor to enforce such a transformation.
However, Marcus devised a clever strategy to promote the four-field system using his position as censor. He announced a grand festival across Rome to honor Ceres, the goddess of agriculture, for imparting the wisdom behind this revolutionary farming method.
Rumors spread about the benefits of this new method, claiming it would significantly boost production compared to the old system. While farmers in Rome were skeptical, they were intrigued by Marcus’s actions. His reputation for reform had already made him widely known, and the buzz around the new farming technique grew.
Unbeknownst to many, a new era was beginning to take shape around Marcus.