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(Simulator) Chapter 87: The Senate: Young Men Should Get More Experience
🕑 Added 2024-09-20 17:06:00 +0000 UTCMorning—
The highest decision-making body in Rome, the Senate, convened for a meeting.
On the agenda were the post-war suppression efforts in Spain and the review of the new nobility application for Lista Night Magnus.
Additionally, they planned to honor Rome's last hero.
Lista Night Magnus’ rise was now unstoppable, and everyone believed he was a rising star in Rome’s elite circles.
Several of the old noble factions were already preparing to bare their fangs at this meeting, eager to recruit Lista Night Magnus into their ranks.
Rome was on a downward slope—anyone with eyes could see that.
These noble families needed fresh blood to secure their future…
And the newly emerged hero, Night was clearly a prime investment.
The only thing that irritated them was his complete disregard for both subtle and overt offers from them.
But geniuses had the right to be proud, and they believed that Night would eventually choose a side among their noble houses.
It wasn't up to the man alone, after all,
In Rome, no one could rise without powerful support.
Even Gracchus, the plebeian-born consul, had relied on the influence of the Scipio family.
Unless Night wanted to stagnate his entire life without advancement, the Senate would eventually "teach" this brash youth the meaning of its power.
If the nobles wanted, Night could at best serve as tribune until he was thirty, and then be sidelined for the rest of his life.
As for the name “Lista” that he had inherited, the old nobles saw it as nothing more than a joke.
A noble family with only one member—what could that possibly represent?
Without resources, manpower, or allies in the Senate, a newcomer like Night had no chance of succeeding on his own.
And so—
With confidence, ambition, and in some cases, a ruthless determination to destroy what they couldn’t possess, the old nobles sat in anticipation.
This could become a major reshuffle of Rome’s power structure.
When the senators had all taken their seats in the grand chamber, like steps rising one after the other, the meeting began.
"Today is a joyous occasion.
I think everyone is eager to meet our hero.
Shall we get straight to the point?" one senator with a powerful backing spoke first.
"Seconded," the other senators agreed.
"First, we’ll handle the matter regarding Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus’ submission to our Senate on behalf of our great hero, applying for his recognition as a new noble…
The last male of the Gracchus family has voluntarily relinquished his title, and Gracchus has mentioned in his application that the two have a godfather relationship.
I believe there’s no issue with Lista Night inheriting the new noble title."
"Seconded."
"Seconded."…The senators echoed their support unanimously.
Not a single one raised an issue with referring to the still-to-be-confirmed hero by his new title—Lista Night.
It was a trivial matter in their eyes.
After all, it was just the title of a fallen minor noble.
It might hold some value in the eyes of the plebeians, but to the seasoned noble families, it was worth next to nothing.
In the scramble to win Night's allegiance, they didn’t mind showing him some courtesy.
As the major noble factions voiced their approval, the smaller nobles followed suit.
The Senate meeting seemed harmonious, though the atmosphere was thick with hidden tension.
"Then—Lista Night Magnus' noble title is unanimously approved.
Next, we will discuss the proposal submitted by Sempronius Gracchus (the elder Gracchus), requesting that Tiberius be allowed to run for tribune ahead of schedule…"
At this moment, the Senate chamber was abuzz with activity, like ants on a hot pan.
The senators were far less agreeable now.
As soon as the proposal regarding Tiberius Gracchus was introduced, dissent erupted.
"I disagree—!
According to Roman law, a candidate for the position of tribune must be at least thirty years old. This doesn’t follow the rules!"
A senator protested, which was expected.
Though the Gracchus family was at the height of its power, bolstered by the support of Scipio’s faction, and with Tiberius' father having recently served as consul, the Gracchi still had enemies within the Senate.
Every powerful family had one or more political rivals, and even Scipio had once been impeached.
So it was no surprise that some senators didn’t want to see the young Tiberius Gracchus entering politics so soon.
With the elder Gracchus' influence still strong, they had no desire to see the younger Gracchus rise to power quickly.
Even though Tiberius and his brother were well-regarded by the Senate’s younger members and seen as future consular candidates, the idea of another Gracchus coming into power so soon was quite unsettling to many.
Not to mention the enemies that were no less vicious than Hyenas, even Gracchus' own allies were reluctant to see him develop too quickly.
If the Gracchi continued to hold the consulship for multiple terms, the Senate would risk becoming a one-family rule, something no Roman noble could tolerate.
Thus—
More voices joined in.
"I also disagree…"
"I agree with the others; Tiberius is still too young... It’s not the right time."
As more and more senators voiced their opposition, the elder Gracchus, a man of commanding presence, remained calm and composed, showing no signs of concern.
Before finally speaking in a deep voice:
"It is true that the age requirement for the tribuneship is thirty, but Tiberius has achieved great success on the battlefield in Spain.
Rome urgently needs an outstanding tribune to stabilize the morale that has been shaken by the war's losses.
Tiberius and Lista Night are both excellent candidates.
They’ve already gained considerable recognition among the populace.
In these extraordinary times, we should consider extraordinary measures.
If you won’t agree to let Tiberius run for the tribuneship…
Then perhaps Lista Night can be a candidate instead."
...
"Absolutely not—!!!"
This time, many of the old nobility objected in unison.
"Tiberius is one thing… but Lista Night is far too young.
He needs more experience," one of the senior nobles said, frowning.
They absolutely couldn't let the newly minted noble and hero rise to the tribuneship so quickly.
Though some of them planned to support Night eventually, they wanted to temper his ambition first.
Withholding his candidacy for the tribuneship was a perfect way to control him and shape his future.
Moreover, Night was even younger than Tiberius, making him ineligible under Roman law.
.
.
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