Legions in the Provinces

In response to several questions, the Gamemaster issues the following announcement.

Several provincial governors control armies of one legion or more. Julius Caesar had assigned all these governors to their provinces (one of the extraordinary powers granted to Julius Caesar by the Senate, as he prepared to leave Rome for the Parthian campaign), and many of these governors had been Caesar’s officers in the Gallic campaigns and in the civil war against Pompey the Great, so their devotion to the memory of Caesar is a given. On the other hand, some of these governors are linked to prominent Republicans by family relationship, by marriage, or by friendship; some of them (like Decimus Brutus, L. Tillius Cimber, and C. Trebonius) were among the assassins of Caesar; and others (like L. Staius Murcus) showed their support for the assassins before departing for their provinces, perhaps because they believed that Caesar had overstepped the proper bounds, or perhaps because they wanted to hedge their bets.

If you believe you can win over a provincial governor and his forces to your cause (whatever that cause might be), you may attempt to do so by following the steps below.

1. Inform the Gamemaster of your attempt to win over the governor and his forces, in writing.

2. Explain to the Gamemaster, in writing, the basis of your appeal to the provincial governor: that is, why would he support you, and what you have to offer him. (For information on these governors, see Broughton, Magistrates of the Roman Republic, vol. 2, pp. 326-331, and the Oxford Classical Dictionary (3rd ed.), both of them available in the Alexander Reading Room in Park Hall.)

The first loyalty of these governors should be to the Senate and magistrates in Rome; so an appeal by the Senate for the aid of these governors automatically gains one point.

A convincing reconstruction of the governor’s motivations, based on his past actions, family and marital connections, etc. can earn up to two points from the Gamemaster.

• 1 Attempt to win over the governor fails.

• 2 Attempt to win over the governor fails.

• 3 Attempt to win over the governor fails.

• 4 Attempt to win over the governor fails.

• 5 Attempt to win over the governor fails.

• 6 Attempt to win over the governor succeeds.

• 7 Attempt to win over the governor succeeds.

• 8 Attempt to win over the governor succeeds.

• 9 Attempt to win over the governor succeeds.