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(Simulator) Chapter 98: Tiberius Set Me Up! Strabo: Help!
🕑 Added 2024-09-27 18:42:56 +0000 UTC"Any righteous person witnessing this scene would be overcome with shame and grief, questioning what has become of our homeland—our great Rome…
And this is just one of the many changes that have occurred in Rome.
In the end, I realized our Roman people have fallen into decline—"
With those words, asudden uproar erupted from the crowd.
No one expected Tiberius to suddenly launch into a broadside attack, bluntly declaring that all Romans had degenerated.
This immediately stirred dissatisfaction among many listeners.
—What does he mean by that?
No one likes to think of themselves as corrupt or fallen.
Even when Tiberius pointed out problems, people merely thought…
‘Oh, maybe there is a bit of an issue.’ Some began reflecting, but no one appreciated being labeled in such a sweeping way.
Maybe a few people had fallen, but surely not everyone?
Then—
Just as people started buzzing, with tempers flaring, they heard Tiberius continue:
"Lord Cato, the representative of our Roman conservatives, heavily criticized the culture of luxury and decadence—like the excessive love and obsession women have for jewelry.
He even passed laws to curb such behavior.
Yet these laws did nothing to stop the spread of luxury and corruption.
Instead, they caused the simple, harmonious Roman family to disappear forever.
The divorce rate in Rome is increasing every day.
The golden age of Roman traditional morality dominating our society is long gone.
This is especially evident among our lower-class citizens.
The majority failed to truly understand Greek culture.
They mistakenly believe that the allure of Greek civilization comes from its luxurious, comfortable material life.
After the destruction of Corinth, I even witnessed an absurd scene.
I watched in disbelief as several of my fellow Roman soldiers stood among the ruins, playing dice on a priceless ancient Greek painting, tearing it down from the wall and using it as if it were just a rag.
A passing musician tried to offer some solace by performing a Greek concert for the soldiers, but they all immediately rejected it.
They shouted at the musician, telling him to put down his instruments and suggested a boxing match instead!"
Pfft!
Some in the crowd couldn’t help but laugh.
Many thought they would likely have done the same thing.
Who would want to listen to Greece’s soft, dull music?
A bloody brawl would be far more thrilling and entertaining.
Hearing the laughter from below, Tiberius raised his voice: "You think this is perfectly normal, don’t you?
That, I’m afraid, is truly sad—and terrifying."
There was a genuine sorrow in Tiberius' eyes as he raised his hand and dramatically declared,
"I am ashamed for you…
This is in stark contrast to the Athens of Pericles' time.
Here, we throw away art like trash, while savagery and bloodthirsty indulgence are treated as treasures.
No one sees anything wrong with it, and everyone believes that this is the right way to live.
So—"
"Don’t rush to anger or refute me. If, after hearing what I’m about to say, you still think it’s right, I, Tiberius, will apologize to everyone!"
What?!!
This was the second time Tiberius had angered the crowd.
They were furious...
For a moment, curses echoed from the crowd below.
Who could tolerate such humiliation?
Moreover, for the Romans, who revered personal strength and combat, fighting wasn’t something they despised—it was an honor.
Now, someone was telling them that this was worthless and instead urging them to cultivate themselves.
They would twist off that person's head, kick it around like a football, and then see if they could still talk about self-cultivation.
"Get down from there!!"
"Get down, Tiberius Gracchus! You have no right to run for tribune!"
"You should be ashamed of your words and actions, you damned, arrogant aristocrat."
In the midst of the public's fury, someone even tried to rush up and drag Tiberius down.
Strabo was stunned—what kind of maneuver was this?!
Even Strabo Pompey, Tiberius’ rival, was sweating nervously for him.
Yet Tiberius remained calm—
Just as the situation was about to spiral completely out of control, he loudly redirected their attention: "Are you so enraged because I struck a nerve?
Do you lack the patience to even let me finish speaking?
Or are you just frogs in a well, living in your own little world, unwilling to open your eyes to the truth and reality of the world?!"
"Let him speak!!"
"I want to hear what else he has to say!"
"Hmph, fine, let’s wait and see." Many, who were provoked by his words, couldn’t help but suppress their emotions, forcing themselves and their companions to calm down, curious about what Tiberius had to say next.
And what Tiberius said next completely shattered their worldview.
Once the crowd had quieted down again, he said coldly, "Let’s continue. Let’s talk about where this error and decline began.
The decline of the lower classes has affected many aspects of Rome.
One such aspect is how, in order to gain votes and public support, Rome’s leaders have had to cater to the whims of the citizens—even the aristocrats have pandered to the masses.
Under the guise of honoring great Romans who had passed, we had the first gladiatorial combats between condemned criminals and slaves.
And in the pursuit of excitement and votes, even officials presiding over funerals disregarded the schedule, prolonging the games to win over the spectators.
You think this is a good thing, don’t you?
Because by hosting such events, you get to share in the wealth that Rome has plundered through conquest.
You get to live without working, surviving off the food freely provided by the rich.
But it is precisely this excessive dependency that has led to corruption in Rome’s elections.
This is the first sin!"
"In order to win votes, officials resort to all means necessary.
Positions that should have been filled by tribunes who genuinely seek to benefit the people and act with selflessness have become increasingly inaccessible to Rome’s young talents, even for the most humble roles.
It’s getting harder for them to fulfill their ambitions and win elections.
They must spend huge sums of money to fund lengthy gladiatorial games, not to mention bribing the voters.
Let me guess—will there be a free gladiatorial show in a few days?"
As Tiberius spoke with biting sarcasm,
Many in the crowd were visibly startled, unable to hide their reactions, and Strabo’s face changed dramatically.
—He’s talking about me, isn’t he?
In order to bribe voters, he had indeed planned to host a gladiator match soon.
But hasn’t this already become an unspoken rule?
Damn it—Tiberius must know he can't win, so he’s deliberately stirring up conflict to drag me down with him!
What a malicious scheme, to harm me like this.
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