Converning GJC

Romans, fellow conscript fathers, let us look at ourselves; we are divided. Not only into factions, but physically as well. Here we sit, the right side of the room spouting affronts whilst the left side responds with a menacing look of rebuttal. It was our adolescent bickering which kept us from taking action to ensure Lepidus and his legions were under control and it was our adolescent bickering which aggravated Octavian to the point of leaving Rome with his legions. We all know this is true and this is a step in the right direction. If we can all agree to learn from our mistakes in the past, then we may better be able to avoid similar mistakes in the future. In reference to Octavian and Lepidus, this ‘self-education’-if you will- is exactly what the Senate should do.
These are not the first men to have taken legions and proposed to use their forces against the Roman people. The name of one man might have a faint ring of familiarity to some of you: M. Aemelius Lepidus, the father of our own renegade Lepidus. M. Aemelius Lepidus the younger must have inherited the whole of his father’s bad habits for it seems that he is following in his footsteps almost precisely. In 78, after a sickening display of sycophancy to the Roman people in an attempt to gain public favor, Lepidus the Elder retreated to Etruria with his legions, carrying with him the threat of a march on Rome itself. He, like his son does now, rejected the Senate’s demand to return to Rome. While Lepidus the Elder was rogue he did not spend his time idly. He diligently recruited troops from the surrounding area and we must assume this is what his spawn is doing as I speak. In this instant the Senate did not wait to squelch this rebellion. It took strong and necessary actions. It passed a consultum ultium in 77 to preserve public safety and sent Gnaieus Pompeius to deal with the truant Lepidus in a timely and effective manner. Meanwhile, the Senate decided to leave Catullus in Rome in an effort not to leave her defenseless lest Lepidus or some foreign attack in a moment of weakness.
This is exactly what we should do today. We have our very own Pompey, my son-in-law Sextus, waiting at our disposal with the ability to raise legions of a greater magnitude than that of Lepidus. In addition, we have Dolabella with a legion that, if recalled, has the potential to serve as a protector of the city herself. Furthermore, the placement of Sextus and his forces could not be of a more favorable nature. With his power centralized in Hispania, Sextus stands to be able to flank Lepidus from the West and drive his Legions towards that of Dolabella’s. With two armies loyal to the Republic roping him in Lepidus stands no chance of victory. That is, he stands no chance of victory so long as we move swiftly enough to avoid the unholy union of Lepidus with Octavian. I know Octavian says he stands with us in the Senate, yet he is but a boy. We must remember he is a nineteen year old man with legions at his command for the first time in his life. He must be scared to death and searching for a guiding hand to provide him with some inkling of direction. We must not let Lepidus lend this hand and you must admit that to Octavian, Lepidus seems to be someone whom he should be able to trust, at least on a tangential level. Octavian should be treated with the respect that he deserves given his adoptive rights. If we can not agree on one man to send, let us each choose one man from our respective factions and send them as a team to reason with the youth. Not only will this act demonstrate to Octavian that we are finally working and a whole, but it will be a step in the direction of compromise. Friends, our forefathers ensured the safety of the Republic with a two consul system in order to divide the power. We can not let absentee legions flutter in the wind, this is unacceptable. Even if they mean no harm, they still pose a threat. These legions were created to protect the Republic and while they are marched off at whim they grow hungry, weak and frustrated. An easy target for attack as any man in this room can tell you. Let us be the ones who take advantage of the Achilles’ heel we have ourselves exposed. Let us regain control of our men and our country.