Indeed, Octavianus is his father’s son. Although he alludes to the importance of internal administration in his haughty letters to the Senate, his interests obviously lie in marshalling legions Parthia for reasons which are contrary to the will of the Senate. If Octavian has been paying attention to the affairs of his own country, then surely he has noticed the shortage of young men eligible for military or public service which plagues us because of his father’s extensive campaigns. These endeavors made for personal glory arguably stirred up all of the trouble that we are now facing. But this is neither here nor there, since the trouble is now upon us whether we like it or not.
It is a simple matter, gentlemen: Octavian has no reason to be there outside of currying favor with the legions in the name of the dead tyrant Caesar! Although he is young, again, gentlemen, I beg you not to underestimate his desire for power! A campaign against the Parthians has not been decreed as a priority by this body! We do not need to be privy to his specific aims with his army in order to understand the need for swift and firm action to bring him back; any action made against the will of the Senate and its magistrates is to be understood as an act of treason. Octavianus already knew of the danger that Lepidus presented before he left to go back to the East. Therefore this young man must be leaving us in this vulnerable position for the sake of personal opportunity.
We allow the boy to speak in the Senate, to express his opinions although he is not of the proper age to do so, and furthermore he is the adopted son of a tyrant. And this is how he repays us! He has done nothing short of leaving the country he says he loves in eminent danger of being invaded by the hostile forces of traitors! Some of you may wonder at how I dare to call others traitors since I am labeled one by Caesar’s flatterers myself. You may think that I am the ill to be purged, but I was not the one who claimed sole power for myself or created my political career by scheming, bribes, the slaughter of innocent millions to cover my debt, numerous attempts at revolt, or by creating a civil war. I still sit amongst you, offering bribes to no one, hoping to resolve the issues created by the power vacuum of Caesar within the limits of our constitution, without bringing Caesar back to life in any sense.
Parthia is a threat as of late to our province of Syria, this is true. Octavianus, therefore, may be acting in line with the best interests of the people on the surface, but I do not trust the young man with any extraordinary commands. He quite simply has not proven himself moderate enough nor obedient enough to do so.
Therefore, I will request that we formulate a further plan in addition to our requesting that Octavianus come back. First I propose that we secure the grain supply in Sicily with the help of Sextus Pompey and his legions. We ought to recall him from Spain with his forces in order to do this. Second, I propose that we send Cleopatra back to Egypt with her son in order to ensure more productive meetings of the Senate. She has no right to be here in the first place. Thirdly, I have sent a request to my cousin in Cisalpine Gaul to immediately gather his legions and be ready to march on whichever man we deem to be the more imminent threat. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, we ought to bury the image of Caesar once and for all. He should be openly declared a tyrant, and any man who attempts to profit from his image should be declared an enemy of the state, for they do not seek to move forward for the good of Rome, but rather seek personal aims. Octavianus is clearly attempting to do this by assuming the campaign that his adoptive father intended to lead. This is dangerous for the people of Rome and will further de-stabilize an already-divided Senate. Octavianus is not the man for Parthia and must return, or he will assume the tyranny that has not yet been properly put to rest in the minds of the people. I believe that although Octavianus is not using the directly threatening language that Lepidus uses in his infrequent correspondence with us, his subtle form of attack mirrors the subtle tyranny of his adoptive father. It is calculated and menacing while appearing to be honorable. I will not compromise with Octavianus and pray to the gods that the wise men of the Senate will see past his youth and innocent claims for “justice” and thwart this young man’s selfish ambition!
No comments:
Post a Comment