De Percussoris

Today, conscript fathers, we must address the fate of the men who have so lawlessly murdered the leader who not only promised prosperity for our future but also set our city on the path to peace. These men have ruined this future. In their haste and lack of just forethought, they raced to accomplish a deed that aided their very own, personal, immediate vision. They conspired to end the life of a man whose political finesse and military prowess have led our state through miserable times. Now, an even more painful era awaits us. It must be decided what to do with these men, what should be done about the chaos in the city, what steps must be taken to put us back on that path to a peaceful future. These complications lie in store for us here in this house because of their weak minded actions.
On the other hand, while their actions speak loudly for a harsh sentence, circumstances merit mentioning that the very core of their motives may have been vaguely well-intentioned or even in some way agreed upon by many man here with us and around the city who choose not to speak. These men had the good of Rome at heart, my compatriots. As unbelievable as their actions might make it, they did intend to create peace with their actions, not disorder and mass chaos within the Senate and the city. They were merely keeping watch upon what they saw as a lack of restraint on the part of Gaius Julius Caesar. Does it hurt to keep a bit of restraint in mind? Did Caesar himself not show restraint in many areas of his life, namely his clemency towards many of his enemies, some of you even among this number? The manner in which this band of men have undertaken the “solution” to their problems certainly argues loudly against the concept as restraint, the “crime” for which they saw fit to punish Caesar.
The question now, sirs, is what should be done with this group of men who claim only to have the good of the Republic in mind, though these same men also have acted in violation of their so well-meaning principles. Do we judge them based on their principles, or do we judge this band of murderers based on their actions, their murderous intentions, and their lawlessness? Is it right to execute these men for assassinating a man guilty of the same crime they are – hypocrisy? How will we, the Senate, fit into this hypothetical cycle of murders? Even if Caesar certainly didn’t deserve to be killed for his “crime,” the murder has unfortunately happened; likewise, these men do not deserve to be killed for their crime, so are you, conscript fathers, going to hand them over for execution and extend a series of unnecessary bloodshed?
Because these men are honorable Senators and distinguished citizens of our state, I cannot advocate the execution of these men. I cannot support any motions to encourage even more chaos or more madness within this sacred place. However, because even now, here, they continue to heckle and incite their opponents, I also cannot advocate their standing here within the Senate. At this point in our crisis, we need to let cooler head prevail, and Brutus and Lucius Caesetius Flavus certainly need not hold office any longer with their yelling and rash decisions. Not only have they proved with this assassination that they cannot make decisions with the entire citizenry in focus, in this last Senate meeting they’ve also proven themselves as thoughtless and careless. They support flashiness and hastiness, criticizing those of us who sit back and put proper consideration into the choices we are now making, who recognize the scope of what we do here in this sacred place. Yes, sirs, this is the time for change; yes, gentlemen, this is the time for rectifying what you and even what Caesar has left us with, but YOU should have no part of it. Conscript fathers, get rid of them! Don’t make the emergency worse by killing them or by allowing them to continue making matters worse here in the Senate, simply get rid of them; banish them. Exile them, send them away to a far off land to stay far, far away from the peaceful future we would like to make for ourselves without the likes of them around to ruin it.