Chapter 81: The Opening of the Play (2)
Chapter 81: The Opening of the Play (2)
Caesar had given the senators a week to thoroughly review the bill. However, it seemed that fewer than twenty senators, including Cato and Cicero, had actually read it in full.
Caesar was aware of this but chose to ignore it as he solemnly opened the meeting.
“Dear senators, I have provided ample time for you to review the bill and consider any improvements. Now, I would like to engage in a constructive debate. Who would like to speak first?”
As Caesar scanned the room, Bibulus eagerly raised his hand. Without waiting for permission, he stood up and spoke roughly.
“I believe this bill is detrimental to Rome. I oppose it.”
“Do you refuse to debate?” Caesar asked, puzzled.
“Absolutely! I oppose both the debate and the bill itself. This bill should never pass.”
Caesar, maintaining his composure, asked, “What exactly is wrong with this bill? I want more Romans to settle and farm the land. I introduced this bill to share the blessings of the earth goddess with many people. If you oppose it, please explain why.”
“The reason for my opposition is simple: the bill is proposed by Julius Caesar. I see through his intentions. This bill is driven by his personal greed, not by the needs of the farmers. Passing this bill would corrupt and curse the Senate.”
“That’s an illogical argument. You claim I am driven by greed? Please provide evidence. How does this bill benefit me personally? Is there a clause that indicates this?”
“The bill is named the Julius Agrarian Law. That alone proves his intentions. Caesar is using this opportunity to boost his reputation. The people of Rome are being deceived by his trickery. Stenographer, record my words clearly. I’ll say it again: Rome is being deceived!”
Caesar snorted in response. Some senators shook their heads at the absurdity of Bibulus's claim. In Rome, it was customary to name bills after their proposers, such as the Sempornian Law or the Licinian Law. Bibulus’s argument seemed so irrational that even ordinary Roman citizens might dismiss it.
“Dear Bibulus, you are addressing this issue emotionally. I urge you to provide a logical reason for your opposition or engage seriously in the debate. Otherwise, I will explain why this bill deserves to pass.”
“No need for that. I oppose it simply because it’s your proposal, Caesar!”
“So you’re saying your only reason for opposition is that I, Caesar, proposed it?”
“Yes! Don’t belittle my stance as biased. This is a serious issue. People’s intentions are clear through their actions. Caesar’s goal has always been the collapse of the Senate’s order. I will not let him achieve it.”
Caesar remained composed, signaling Bibulus to sit down as his speech ended. Bibulus sat with a sense of pride, receiving applause from the senators who supported him.
Then Lucullus, a prominent leader of the senatorial faction and a former general under Sulla, requested to speak. Though he had been overshadowed by Pompey, Lucullus was still a significant figure in the Senate. He viewed Caesar as a formidable threat.
“The agrarian law is clearly absurd! Caesar pretends to be the sole advocate for Rome’s veterans, but I, too, am a commander who led a major army for seven years. Despite Pompey taking credit for my achievements, it was my efforts that pacified the East. This bill is unjust. According to Cato, it grants priority to Pompey’s soldiers for renting public land. Why should they have priority? This bill is unfair!”
Caesar smiled broadly at the counterargument and responded in a calm, thoughtful manner. “The soldiers who followed Pompey Magnus are being honored for their contributions. If we don’t reward them properly, who will be motivated to serve the state? Pompey’s benefits to Rome are immense, and his soldiers deserve recognition.”
“That’s absurd! Pompey merely took credit for my work. If priority should be given to his soldiers, then those under my command should receive the same consideration!”
Before Caesar could respond, Pompey, enraged, jumped up.
“What did you say? A crow? I took over the war you couldn’t finish in seven years and ended it swiftly. You were dismissed without your soldiers’ respect. How dare you criticize me for conquering the East? Know your place, Lucullus!”
“Are you denying that I weakened the army? Had I remained commander, I could have achieved as much as you!”
“Ha! Your soldiers would have rejected you again. And Lucullus, what have you done for your soldiers? I have provided them with generous bonuses and land promises. I continue to work hard to keep those promises.”
That was the attitude a commander should show to his subordinates! Unlike Lucullus, who hoarded artworks, amassed a fortune, and lived like a pig every day!
“What did you say? Repeat that to my face!”
Pompey and Lucullus exchanged insults and personal attacks, turning the meeting into a chaotic scene as their bitter rivalry escalated into a verbal battle.
Realizing that the meeting could no longer continue in such an atmosphere, Caesar declared a recess. Seizing the opportunity, he approached the still-fuming Lucullus and left a small piece of paper in front of him before walking away.
Lucullus glanced at the note with confusion, only to turn pale as he read it. The note contained a list of corruption charges against him from his tenure as governor of Asia Minor, information Marcus had gathered during his conquest of the East.
From that moment on, Lucullus sat in a corner of the meeting hall, looking dazed. The aristocratic senators, who had previously encouraged him to speak out bravely, were met with silence.
Lucullus’s political career effectively ended with this revelation.
Unable to tolerate the disruption any longer, Cato decided to use his specialty: long-winded speeches, to paralyze the meeting.
“Senators, are you familiar with Xenon of Elea? He was a philosopher who lived around 400 years before Socrates. He is distinct from Zeno, the founder of the Stoic school that I follow.”
“Thank you for the historical tidbit, Cato, but how does this relate to the agrarian law?”
“I’m getting to that. First, let me explain Xenon’s paradoxes.”
Cato began with a lecture on the philosophy of Parmenides, discussing how everything we perceive might be an illusion. The discussion eventually meandered to Stoic philosophy, the origin of the food he had eaten yesterday, and then to a historical lecture about that place.
Cato did not address the agrarian law at all, continuing his speech until sunset.
Pompey, frustrated, stormed out, cursing loudly, and the other senators followed him quietly. Marcus remained seated, his calm exterior masking a flurry of inner curses, while Caesar openly fell asleep in the consul’s seat.
By the end of Cato’s marathon speech, only Caesar, his bodyguards led by Rictor, Cato, and Marcus remained in the meeting hall.
Caesar announced he would reconvene the meeting at the same time the next day and left his seat.
The following day, as soon as the meeting resumed, Cato requested speaking rights and began his new topic: “Which hand should we use when eating: the right or the left?”
Caesar, no longer willing to tolerate Cato’s endless speeches, listened for about thirty minutes before intervening.
“I order, by the authority of the consul, that Cato be removed for obstructing the proceedings.”
“Wait! I’m just about to get to the point…”
Caesar ignored Cato’s protests and ordered him to be detained.
Cato was released after the meeting concluded for the day. Although Caesar managed to remove him and silence him during his long-winded speeches, the meeting made no progress.
The senators continued to resist and stall, making every effort to prevent Caesar from advancing his agenda.
But they were unsure if they could drag things out for a year.
The Ceres Festival had drawn countless farmers from all over the country to Rome.
Caesar had patiently waited for this moment, watching the failed meetings unfold. When the Senate meeting ended without resolution, as usual, Caesar formally addressed the assembly.
“I’m afraid I cannot express my respect and affection today. Therefore, I will be blunt. Senators, I have proposed a bill that is rational and reasonable. I expected you to review it and suggest improvements. If you opposed it, I anticipated a constructive debate with rational arguments. Unfortunately, you have shown, through your actions, that you have no intention of engaging in such a discussion. Therefore, I have no choice but to refer this bill to the plebeian assembly.”
Bibulus denounced this move as tyranny.
However, Caesar's actions were legal and based on the law. He scheduled the plebeian assembly for three days before the Ceres Festival, avoiding the potential for dampened spirits after the festival.
The citizens responded with enthusiasm to Caesar’s decision. The passage of the agrarian law, which had been stalled for over sixty years, seemed imminent.
As the date of the assembly approached, the Forum Romanum was packed with people from across the country, creating a sea of faces. The turnout rivaled the crowd that had gathered during Marcus’s financial reforms.
At the forefront of the rostrum were Pompey’s retired soldiers, their demeanor fierce as they secured their places. Their livelihoods depended on the outcome of the law, making their stakes incredibly high.
The square was also filled with many poor people eligible for land distribution, who had been waiting nearly a month and were well-versed in the Julian agrarian law.
When Caesar, the chairman of the plebeian assembly, took the rostrum with Rictor, the citizens greeted him with enthusiastic cheers. However, when the senators followed Caesar, they were met with a barrage of boos and jeers.
Public opinion was sharply divided even before the assembly began. The senators, especially the faint-hearted ones, were visibly pale under the immense pressure from the unexpectedly large crowd.
Cato, however, was undaunted. He had the courage to speak his mind in front of hundreds of thousands, not just thousands.
Caesar decided he needed to confront Cato first, as he was the spiritual leader of the aristocrats.
Caesar began the meeting with a formal greeting and proceeded directly to the main issue.
“Citizens, we have waited over sixty years. Many of you must feel that there is something fundamentally wrong with our current land system. Aristocrats build large estates with hundreds of slaves on fertile land, while many citizens own little to no land. Even those who bravely served in the army have no land to farm upon their return. This is unacceptable.
I believe our country is heading in the wrong direction. That’s why I proposed the Julian agrarian law to correct this. I won’t go into detail, as the content of the bill is already widely known.”
Caesar paused and surveyed the crowd. He could feel their intense anticipation.
He smiled and continued, “I originally hoped this bill would pass with the support of the Senate, proving that Rome’s privileged class could act in the public interest. But the Senate has not responded favorably. They seem to believe there are issues with the bill. So, I ask you here today, Porcius Cato, to clarify your position on this bill.”
Cato, named first, stepped forward bravely, as if anticipating this moment. He began to speak with the solemnity of a martyr. However, his words were just another long-winded obstructionist speech.
“Citizens, Consul Caesar is exploiting public opinion to push his agenda. This undermines the spirit of republicanism. True republicanism means…”
Before Cato could continue, the crowd erupted with curses and pushed forward. Other senators attempted to block them, but their efforts were in vain.
Garbage thrown from the crowd hit Cato squarely in the face. He gagged and spat out the refuse, while those who climbed onto the rostrum tried to drag him down. If not for the other senators protecting him, the situation could have escalated further.
Caesar and Pompey intervened to stop the chaos when it escalated too seriously.
The crowd, which had barely calmed down, returned to their seats. The senators, who had witnessed the citizens' intense anger, began to doubt if they had been mistaken all along.
Bibulus, stunned, whispered to Marcus, “Do you see that? We’ve been targeting the wrong person all along!”
“Maybe you’re right. Maybe Consul Caesar isn’t the main force behind this,” Marcus replied.
“It’s not a maybe; it’s almost certain. We were blinded by Cato’s exaggerated view of Caesar. Pompey has been pretending to be weak while secretly supporting Caesar and waiting for the right moment. Caesar has always sided with Pompey. He even agreed to use Pompey’s wealth from the East to pay off some of his debts. If Caesar is Pompey’s ally, it all makes sense.”
Bibulus tried to say more, but his voice was drowned out by the deafening cheers.
Caesar then named Bibulus as the next speaker after Pompey. When Bibulus took the rostrum, Caesar addressed the citizens kindly.
“Bibulus, who is serving as consul with me this year, has announced that he will exercise his veto. Let us hear his reason.”
Bibulus, having witnessed what happened to Cato, was paralyzed by the crowd’s jeers. He looked around for an excuse, finally speaking as he stared at the sky.
“I am an augur who interprets the will of the gods through the flight of birds. According to what I have seen, this year is not favorable for discussing land laws. That’s why I oppose it.”
The crowd’s angry booing filled the square.
Caesar stepped forward with a smile. “Bibulus, besides being consul, what other position do I hold?”
“The pontifex maximus,” Bibulus replied.
“That’s right. I consulted other augurs, and they reported no issue with this year’s fortune. As pontifex maximus, I declare that this year is the best time to pass the agrarian law.”
Bibulus, who had tried to use religious authority, found himself unable to counter Caesar’s claim and stepped down from the rostrum amid the citizens’ ridicule and jeers.
The Senate then instructed their allies, the tribunes of the plebs, to exercise their veto as a last resort. However, even the tribunes, with their inviolability, lacked the courage to act in such a charged atmosphere.
Ultimately, Caesar put the agrarian bill to a vote in the plebeian assembly. The outcome was inevitable.
The Julian agrarian law was unanimously passed in all eighteen electoral districts.
The Senate had no choice but to retreat to avoid further angering the citizens. They could take some solace in the fact that they had confirmed Caesar and Pompey’s alliance.
Cato, covered in garbage, spat out the foreign matter from his mouth, his teeth clenched in anger. “It’s not over yet. Pompey and Caesar’s alliance won’t last. Pompey may hold the upper hand now, causing Caesar to follow him, but once Caesar’s power grows, trouble will ensue.”
As Cato predicted, political alliances often led to splits. They might unite temporarily for mutual gain, but they would eventually fracture when their interests diverged.
The Senate decided to shift their strategy and work to sow discord between Pompey and Caesar.
What they didn’t anticipate was that there were more than just the two of them in this alliance.
Marcus observed them with a cold, detached gaze as they debated intensely on how to deal with Caesar and Pompey’s alliance.