Most noble Roman senators,
I, Gaius Octavius, come before you today to address another pressing issue that faces this state: Caesar’s acta. As you are well aware, before Caesar’s untimely death at the hands of some violent and misguided men, he had composed a substantial amount of acta aimed at various political and social issues. The past legislations enacted by Caesar were for the betterment of Rome as a whole and allowed it to reach a state of stability and political equilibrium. Despite how many of you might feel about his political actions in the past, there is no doubt that Caesar maintained a tight control over this empire that allowed it to run smoothly but also exhibit itself in a just manner. His political appointments might have seemed, at times, an attempt to gain favor and support, but it was those appointments that allowed for this state to see the prosperity it has achieved to this day. Who among us would argue that his own appointment from Caesar was a wrong one? There is no doubt that Caesar’s magistrates, who were appointed to maintain our foreign states, have done great work in maintaining our far-reaching boundaries and vast empire. Caesar’s military prowess and unmatched diplomacy have allowed for our foreign policy to see monumental success and has allowed for this state to gain an excess of wealth and opulence. It was Caesar who was courageous enough to initiate many policies regarding internal affairs, so that justice and legality might always be considered when issues arose. I know that in this state of turmoil the positive aspects of Caesar’s acta are clouded and often misunderstood. But remember, conscript fathers, that it was these acta which enabled Rome to become what it is today.
With all this having been said, I want to say that I agree with Marc Antony- the acta should be confirmed and a time limit should be placed on the acta. This would lead us through this time of turmoil until we get back on our feet and can then make new decisions on how we want to run the republic. I implore that you consider this idea for the good of Rome.
Thank you.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Lucius Amelius Paullus on the Acta
Senators, Today we convene to discuss what is to be down with the acta of Caesar. I understand the desires of both the Caesarians and the Republicans. I believe the murder of Caesar to be a dastardly and unforgivable deed. One which cannot be tolerated and those who committed the crime must be put to death as examples to traitors. In the past, I have aligned myself with my brother Lepidus and the rest of the Caesarians. However, we must realize Caesar is dead. We cannot enact his plans based simply on the assumption that he would have done the same. In politics, nothing is a assured. We must not linger on the murder of the former consul and we must progress forward. The new consul though, does have the opportunity and right to enact the acta of Caesar and pursue the changes outlined by the former consul. If that is how he chooses to lead, then so be it. But voting to enact the memoirs based solely on what it is believed Caesar would have done is not only presumptuous, but also irresponsible. Please Romans, let us move the city forward out of this stagnant pond of controversy and bring the Republic back to the glory it has earned. Lucius Aemilius Paullus.
Dolabella Convenes the Senate
Inasmuch as it may be good and fortunate for the Roman people of the Quirites, I bring before you, conscript fathers the matter of Caesar’s acta. As you all know, the papers and will of Caesar are being held by Marc Anthony and I believe it is time that we concern ourselves with their fate. I ask you all, oh conscript fathers: What does it please you should be done about this matter?
But before I release the floor to this debate, I have a few words I would like to say on the matter of Caesar’s acta. My feelings toward the late Caesar are split, oh conscript fathers. He was a man I once called friend and he granted me my consulship as well as the positions of many a man in this room. However, I cannot let this friendship lead my will. For while I honord Caesar the man and concul, I cannot uphold the will of Caesar the King, for a kingship is surely what he was after. It has been asked at what point did some Senators start proclaiming traitors to be heros and I can only answer since you decided to worship Caesar as a god. With this being said I can only submit to you senate that it is my opinion that the acta of Caesar, the man and consul, should be approved for the benefit of Rome and the acta that Caear dared declare as king be put down as the self-serving garbage that it surely is.
How are we to know which is which though, oh senators? Easliy enough. Surely the appointment of such honorable men as Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, others, and myself was made by the man, Caesar whose only desire was to restore the Republic in Rome and who unfortunatly died long before the events of last week. The installment of worthy men in positions of power is surely an honorable one and this wil be carried forward by Rome the Republic with such appointments of Sextus Pompeius, who I hear has made a name for himself while abroad in Spain.
In regards to Caesars other acta, those named in his will concerning the direction of Rome’s legislative and foreighn policy matters, it is not hard for learned men to smell the stinch of selfish desires. As to who should be named heir to Caesar, I can only ask this, how can a man have an heir to a thrown that was brought down many years ago. For Rome has spoken and desires no king.
Therefore it is in my opinion, oh conscript fathers, that the only acta of Caesar that should be honored is the appointment of learned men in the leadership posistions that they have carried most honorably and that the royal decrees of Caesar should be ignored as the illegal acts of a false king.
But before I release the floor to this debate, I have a few words I would like to say on the matter of Caesar’s acta. My feelings toward the late Caesar are split, oh conscript fathers. He was a man I once called friend and he granted me my consulship as well as the positions of many a man in this room. However, I cannot let this friendship lead my will. For while I honord Caesar the man and concul, I cannot uphold the will of Caesar the King, for a kingship is surely what he was after. It has been asked at what point did some Senators start proclaiming traitors to be heros and I can only answer since you decided to worship Caesar as a god. With this being said I can only submit to you senate that it is my opinion that the acta of Caesar, the man and consul, should be approved for the benefit of Rome and the acta that Caear dared declare as king be put down as the self-serving garbage that it surely is.
How are we to know which is which though, oh senators? Easliy enough. Surely the appointment of such honorable men as Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, others, and myself was made by the man, Caesar whose only desire was to restore the Republic in Rome and who unfortunatly died long before the events of last week. The installment of worthy men in positions of power is surely an honorable one and this wil be carried forward by Rome the Republic with such appointments of Sextus Pompeius, who I hear has made a name for himself while abroad in Spain.
In regards to Caesars other acta, those named in his will concerning the direction of Rome’s legislative and foreighn policy matters, it is not hard for learned men to smell the stinch of selfish desires. As to who should be named heir to Caesar, I can only ask this, how can a man have an heir to a thrown that was brought down many years ago. For Rome has spoken and desires no king.
Therefore it is in my opinion, oh conscript fathers, that the only acta of Caesar that should be honored is the appointment of learned men in the leadership posistions that they have carried most honorably and that the royal decrees of Caesar should be ignored as the illegal acts of a false king.
Cicero For Keeping Caesar's Acta for Temporary Stability
Here we are still, ripe from the passing of Caesar the tyrant. He was a man who took power from the people, and I am ashamed to say that the body of men sitting here let him. The senate allowed him to take power, and while he had this power it was too dangerous for his political opponents to speak out against him. But now, with this barrier to our liberty having been removed, we may speak freely and decide for ourselves the path that the Republic must take. The Republic has always been stronger than its opponents, and though many of the power hungry among you threaten it now, I tell you that I have full confidence that, if you be true Romans, the Republic can survive even this.
Many among you are nervous about the coming days, and I understand your reasons. It will be difficult to once again take responsibility, in this senate, for the good of the Roman people, because we are now so used to allowing the decisions to be made for us by a man who asserted that he had every right to make decisions for the our great nation. Caesar had suppressed the operation of the state with his force, and now that that force has been lifted, it is our duty to see that the senate returns to its rightful position as a decision making body.
Despite the fact that Caesar wrongfully appointed many of his friends as magistrates without proper election, I think that it is necessary for us to allow these magistrates to remain in their positions. Next election we can make sure that all are appointed fairly, but for now the good of the people lies in keeping the senate functioning. We need our senate in the coming days to make decisions for the good of the Republic, and without some of our magistrates having the right to state their opinion in this debate it will be far too difficult to restore the proper operations of the state. It is only if the current magistrates attempt, like Caesar their benefactor, to seize more power from the people that we should call for their removal from office. As long as they do their duty that I now charge them to do and keep the decrees of Caesar to avoid chaos without acting themselves like Caesar, they should keep their positions.
While it is better to keep the acta of Caesar in order to maintain order in this republic, I would charge you all not to allow any new acta to be enforced by those who think they should replace him as heir. This will of his should be disregarded, and while the laws he enforced should be kept, we should not support the will of a tyrant in death. No doubt these people think that they are carrying on in some great legacy of Caesar, but they are in reality carrying on his legacy of tyranny.
Marcus Antonius betrayed his sentiments on this matter when he said that the old ways of the republic are outdated, and stability lies in following the new ways of Caesar. He wishes to take power for himself and impose it on the people. He is another man who wishes to be like a king and we should not allow this. We should impose restrictions on Marcus Antonius and others who claim to be Caesar’s heirs to prevent them from enacting any new decrees and enslaving the Roman people. These men believe that the tyranny of Caesar was justified, and he obviously wants to take Caesar’s place. We cannot allow this to occur! We must protect the republic from the new tyrant, who will enforce his will as Caesar attempted to. We must make sure that Marcus Antonius and his ilk do not divide our united republic as they intend to gain power themselves. I do not propose we throw out current magistrates, but I do say that those who were appointed by Caesar and would follow in his footsteps of tyranny should be prevented from doing so. Speak out against corruption in our state, and allow only those laws to pass that protect the whole of the republic, not just the self-interest of a few select men. Do not allow anyone acting from the will of Caesar to enforce new acta and allow the senate to return to the way it should be, in which a body of people elected to serve represent the interests of the whole republic.
Caesar appointed Antony and many others to maintain his tyranny. I charge you who he appointed in such away to fulfill the position you were given when you entered this senate, and speak out for the good of the republic. Do not shy away from the opportunity now to make new laws, while allowing Caesar’s laws to stand to prevent chaos. Do the right thing and do not allow a new tyrant to rule you, instead acting on the laws we now have in place to guarantee the safety and prosperity of the republic.
Many among you are nervous about the coming days, and I understand your reasons. It will be difficult to once again take responsibility, in this senate, for the good of the Roman people, because we are now so used to allowing the decisions to be made for us by a man who asserted that he had every right to make decisions for the our great nation. Caesar had suppressed the operation of the state with his force, and now that that force has been lifted, it is our duty to see that the senate returns to its rightful position as a decision making body.
Despite the fact that Caesar wrongfully appointed many of his friends as magistrates without proper election, I think that it is necessary for us to allow these magistrates to remain in their positions. Next election we can make sure that all are appointed fairly, but for now the good of the people lies in keeping the senate functioning. We need our senate in the coming days to make decisions for the good of the Republic, and without some of our magistrates having the right to state their opinion in this debate it will be far too difficult to restore the proper operations of the state. It is only if the current magistrates attempt, like Caesar their benefactor, to seize more power from the people that we should call for their removal from office. As long as they do their duty that I now charge them to do and keep the decrees of Caesar to avoid chaos without acting themselves like Caesar, they should keep their positions.
While it is better to keep the acta of Caesar in order to maintain order in this republic, I would charge you all not to allow any new acta to be enforced by those who think they should replace him as heir. This will of his should be disregarded, and while the laws he enforced should be kept, we should not support the will of a tyrant in death. No doubt these people think that they are carrying on in some great legacy of Caesar, but they are in reality carrying on his legacy of tyranny.
Marcus Antonius betrayed his sentiments on this matter when he said that the old ways of the republic are outdated, and stability lies in following the new ways of Caesar. He wishes to take power for himself and impose it on the people. He is another man who wishes to be like a king and we should not allow this. We should impose restrictions on Marcus Antonius and others who claim to be Caesar’s heirs to prevent them from enacting any new decrees and enslaving the Roman people. These men believe that the tyranny of Caesar was justified, and he obviously wants to take Caesar’s place. We cannot allow this to occur! We must protect the republic from the new tyrant, who will enforce his will as Caesar attempted to. We must make sure that Marcus Antonius and his ilk do not divide our united republic as they intend to gain power themselves. I do not propose we throw out current magistrates, but I do say that those who were appointed by Caesar and would follow in his footsteps of tyranny should be prevented from doing so. Speak out against corruption in our state, and allow only those laws to pass that protect the whole of the republic, not just the self-interest of a few select men. Do not allow anyone acting from the will of Caesar to enforce new acta and allow the senate to return to the way it should be, in which a body of people elected to serve represent the interests of the whole republic.
Caesar appointed Antony and many others to maintain his tyranny. I charge you who he appointed in such away to fulfill the position you were given when you entered this senate, and speak out for the good of the republic. Do not shy away from the opportunity now to make new laws, while allowing Caesar’s laws to stand to prevent chaos. Do the right thing and do not allow a new tyrant to rule you, instead acting on the laws we now have in place to guarantee the safety and prosperity of the republic.
Gaius Matius' letter to the Senate concerning Caesar's acta
Fellow Romans, I apologize for my absence from the convening of the Senate. My grief has overcome me and I have fallen ill again.
For now I will address the issue of what to do with Caesar’s acta. As I have previously stated, my support is for Caesar and in turn, for Marcus Antonius. I believe in his ability to lead us all to the restoration of the Republic by means of the proper interpretation of the intentions of Caesar. I believe that these papers and decrees should be reviewed by the Senate in order to satisfy the traditions of our government. We, as senators, should issue formal decrees to enact whatever pieces of legislature may be within these papers.
Conscript fathers, I realize that some of you are reluctant to trust in this government. How can I blame you? The assassins of Caesar are to blame for this feeling of uneasiness that resides in each of us. Without our leader, we feel as if no one is trustworthy, and I find myself battling this unsettling feeling. It is difficult for me, having lost my friend, to move on within this government and for however many years I may have left. I feel as if those who are in opposition of the enactment of Caesar’s decrees fear what consequences may come their way, for they truly must have never been a friend of Caesar!
We must remember our faith in government, and trust in this man, M. Antonius. We must review these papers and enact what Caesar has laid out for the restoration of the government. And we must do this expediently!
For now I will address the issue of what to do with Caesar’s acta. As I have previously stated, my support is for Caesar and in turn, for Marcus Antonius. I believe in his ability to lead us all to the restoration of the Republic by means of the proper interpretation of the intentions of Caesar. I believe that these papers and decrees should be reviewed by the Senate in order to satisfy the traditions of our government. We, as senators, should issue formal decrees to enact whatever pieces of legislature may be within these papers.
Conscript fathers, I realize that some of you are reluctant to trust in this government. How can I blame you? The assassins of Caesar are to blame for this feeling of uneasiness that resides in each of us. Without our leader, we feel as if no one is trustworthy, and I find myself battling this unsettling feeling. It is difficult for me, having lost my friend, to move on within this government and for however many years I may have left. I feel as if those who are in opposition of the enactment of Caesar’s decrees fear what consequences may come their way, for they truly must have never been a friend of Caesar!
We must remember our faith in government, and trust in this man, M. Antonius. We must review these papers and enact what Caesar has laid out for the restoration of the government. And we must do this expediently!
Brutus on the Treatment of the Liberators
Senators, I come to speak before you, again in a time of turmoil. Our people are in mourning. Many of you have claimed that I and my fellow men are the source of such sorrow. While they may believe they mourn the death of Caesar, truly it is their sourls that mourn the slow death of this republic. And What is the cause of this death? There are those who have claimed that it is the death of Caesar, but this is not so. For the death of the Republic did not begin with Caesar's death, but with the Civil war between himself and Pompey.
Indulge me, Senators, as I bring forth from our memories the truth of our current situation. Recall when Caesar crossed the Rubicon, his claim was that the senate was taking away the rightful powers of duly elected officials. You may recall that these "officials" that he claimed were losing their powers was really one official, who now sits in this room: Marc Antoni. For he, as you may recall, oh Senators, was at that time a Tribune of the Plebs. And also recall that at that very time, while the senate was attempting to pass decrees, intended to protect the commonwealth and safety of the republic, when many of you had entreated upon him to not cause the destruction of the republic, that he not once, but many times, vetoed those decrees meant for the protection of the republic. So that the only response the senate had was to pass the Senatus Consultum Ultimum against you as it would pass against an enemy. This stripped you of your powers, and instead of receiving your punishment as a man should, you feld to hid behind Caesar's toga, like a child hiding behind his mother's dress, and sad to say Senators, it was not the first time. For this Caesar crossed the Rubicon, and fashioned himself to be a king. So you must see, that truly, this death of the republic is the fault of Marc Antoni.
One of Caesar's great gifts was distraction and persuasion. He convinced you to forget these acts of Antoni; he bought the pople with bread and circuses, and truly, you Senators, were bought with forgivesness and positions. Even I was a subject to this charm. See the light with me, Oh Senators. See with me that Antoni is still an enemy to this republic, it is easier now without Caesar here to hide his debacherous ways.
But I am not here to attack Marc Antoni. I am here, Senators, to remind you that both Caesar and Antoni were bringers of death to this republic, not I. And even though I became entranced by Caesar's charms, promises, and gifts, remember that I came to the truth. I remembered the heart of my oath's, which first go to this republic before any man. And remember that Caesar's death was a consequence of this oath to the republic, and that truly I liberated us all. Treat me justly Senators, for that is your oath to this republic.
Indulge me, Senators, as I bring forth from our memories the truth of our current situation. Recall when Caesar crossed the Rubicon, his claim was that the senate was taking away the rightful powers of duly elected officials. You may recall that these "officials" that he claimed were losing their powers was really one official, who now sits in this room: Marc Antoni. For he, as you may recall, oh Senators, was at that time a Tribune of the Plebs. And also recall that at that very time, while the senate was attempting to pass decrees, intended to protect the commonwealth and safety of the republic, when many of you had entreated upon him to not cause the destruction of the republic, that he not once, but many times, vetoed those decrees meant for the protection of the republic. So that the only response the senate had was to pass the Senatus Consultum Ultimum against you as it would pass against an enemy. This stripped you of your powers, and instead of receiving your punishment as a man should, you feld to hid behind Caesar's toga, like a child hiding behind his mother's dress, and sad to say Senators, it was not the first time. For this Caesar crossed the Rubicon, and fashioned himself to be a king. So you must see, that truly, this death of the republic is the fault of Marc Antoni.
One of Caesar's great gifts was distraction and persuasion. He convinced you to forget these acts of Antoni; he bought the pople with bread and circuses, and truly, you Senators, were bought with forgivesness and positions. Even I was a subject to this charm. See the light with me, Oh Senators. See with me that Antoni is still an enemy to this republic, it is easier now without Caesar here to hide his debacherous ways.
But I am not here to attack Marc Antoni. I am here, Senators, to remind you that both Caesar and Antoni were bringers of death to this republic, not I. And even though I became entranced by Caesar's charms, promises, and gifts, remember that I came to the truth. I remembered the heart of my oath's, which first go to this republic before any man. And remember that Caesar's death was a consequence of this oath to the republic, and that truly I liberated us all. Treat me justly Senators, for that is your oath to this republic.
Fit of Rage
Conscript fathers, today we convene again, and again concerning Caesar's death. Yet this time we gather to discuss the fate of his assassins. Most of them sit here in this very room, and I for one am ashamed to be gathered among them today. I believe these men should be punished in the most cruel and unusual manner, as they killed Caesar in the most cruel and unusual manner. They gathered around Caesar, not as his supporters, but as his vicious attackers, and each took turns stabbing our poor, former leader. They showed no signs of compassion for the life of a fellow human; they slaughtered him as if he were some kind of animal to be eaten at their next meal. These assassins should be shown mercy, however, because we, conscript fathers, know the meaning of the word compassion; yet this compassion should only go so far as to the manner of their deaths, for as Julius Caesar died, so should the ones who killed him die. They should not be cruelly stabbed to death in succeeding turns, yet they should, in fact, die.
Nevertheless, as I said in the Senate meeting, I am willing to give the assassins a fair trial for the murder of Caesar. I wrote this speech in a fit of rage and heat of passion, and I realize now that the true meanings of the words mercy and compassion should also extend to the word duty. It is our duty as rational men to give these men a fair trial, as they did not give one for Caesar, for clearly they possess no rational or reason or, for that matter, the capacity for mercy and compassion.
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