ACTA CAESARIS
Here I delineate, lest something hinder me from enacting them in person, as well as for the benefit of my own memory, my own plans and appointments for the continued success of Rome.
I am aware that few call me a tyrant king. Every time I hear those words spoken I am stabbed with pain. I work only for the glory of Rome, and the powers I hold I hold only to stabilize a Rome that needed a guiding centralization of power for a time. However, now that I have been in this position of power for nearly ten years, steadied our state, and returned Rome to its former glory, I realize that the utter extent of my power is no longer needed. Thus, within the next year, I will work to restore balance to Rome and hopefully end the calls of tyranny that pain me so deeply. I will start by abandoning my position as Pontifex Maximus. I do believe, however, that I still have a role to play at the helm of our Roman ship, and that a centralized power, although much weakened, is necessary to execute the decrees of the Senate and act as a shining exemplum of Rome far from the walls of our city. Thus, with my deeper sentiments exposed, logic can be seen in the following plans and appointments.
My first delineated appointment serves to redeem a lost voice in Roman political life. Although Marcus Tulius Cicero and I have had an embittered history, and differ on our fundamental values, I believe him to be a man worthy of some degree of respect. As I have aged, I have realized that Rome needs difference of opinion spoken greatly, and in this there is no better man than Cicero. Thus, in order to restore his political life, I reaffirm Cicero’s title as Pater Patriae, hold a parade for the reaffirmation, and also award him the honorary title Senex Sapiens – a position that will allow all that he understands of our Roman Senate, all that he understands of the nature of politics, and all that he understands of oration, to be recorded by state-hired scribes so that his thoughts can immediately enter the public domain and be studied throughout Rome. Hopefully these honorary positions serve to return Cicero to the Senate on a regular basis.
I appoint Catullus, honorable poet, to the new position of Poet Laureate, a position which encourages our Roman art and grants Catullus a state income, so that he will be further encouraged to compose his biting poetry that captures both the good and bad of our Rome.
I appoint Marcus Terentius Varro to the position of Scriptor Magnus, an honor which grants him the ability to directly request and receive from the consuls state funds in order to establish necessary schools of literature throughout the state.
In attempts to move away from unnecessary centralization of potentially violent power, I revoke the title of Magistrum Equitum from Lepidus not because of any reason in his character or for any action. Lepidus will be instead stationed in Armenia, to work skillfully with the Persians so that we may expand and ensure our territories under his honorable guidance.
With Lepidus having been transfered to Armenia, I break up his three armies, and thus secure Rome further from potential misuse of force, and transfer those three armies, one to Lucius Antonius for his truly natural leadership skills, one to Bassus, a noble servant to Rome, and one to Quintus Tulius Cicero, the younger brother of Marcus Tulius Cicero and a promising young soldier.
In my past I have tried to appoint Dolabella to the position of consul, but it was wisely rejected by Marc Antony, who exceeds me in political sense. Since my attempt to appoint Dolabella as consul, I have become aware of Dolabella’s duplicitous nature, noticing glances and grimaces in his face that suggest he is somehow unhappy. I have also become aware of the enormous debt he owes to other Roman citizens, including Cicero, and I demand Dolabella to repay Cicero in full, plus standard interest. Surely Marc Antony saved us all when he stopped Dolabella from bankrupting Rome as consul the same way he has bankrupted himself. Therefore I appoint Dolabella to the position of overseas granary commissioner in Crete.
Brutus, more of a son to me than a senator, will be appointed consul alongside the existing consuls immediately after, and only after, Marc Antony is granted the additional position of Pontifex Maximus.
All other positions currently held by citizens unnamed in this document will be retained by those unnamed citizens.
With these acta, I attempt to realign the power of Rome that had been tipped, not for an unworthy reason, in my favor so that I could secure our state. Now, the three consuls, Brutus, Marc Antony and myself, in union with the Senate, will work together, I pray, to ensure that future glory come to Rome.