The Marine Consul by Heikkilä Jukka M

Author:Heikkilä, Jukka M.
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-06-29T00:00:00+00:00

7

That year, consular elections had to be postponed three times due to heavy morning rain; it was not until the fourth suitable morning as determined by the calendar that the gods granted their favor to the election. Citizens filled the still-wet Campus Martius in even greater numbers than usual. There was excitement in the air: would a novus homo be added to the list of consuls?

Consul Aulus Manlius Torquatus Atticus chaired the comitia centuriata. Manlius' introductory speech was brief: "The current venture to build a new fleet does not at all obscure next year’s consuls’ clear aim of defeating Carthage. Victory is at our fingertips, and the hired dogs of the Carthaginians tremble behind their walls, ready to surrender. Rome needs consuls of determination above all else!"

Manlius did not recommend any of the candidates to the centuries, but the first voter of the centuria praerogativa shouted, clearly according to Manlius' wishes: "Aulus Postumius and Gaius Fundanius."

It was easy to see behind the subtle proposal to the centuriate assembly: Manlius and the other conservative senators had understood they could no longer prevent Fundanius’ rise, so they hoped the comitia centuriata would elect a fellow consul who would restrain him, and Postumius was the Senate's man. But the other citizens of the centuria praerogativa did not follow the example of the first voter; they wanted to give Fundanius the fellow consul he desired. In the end, the centuria praerogativa clearly favored Gaius Fundanius and Gaius Sulpicius, with few notches left for Postumius' wax tablet.

The decisive moment had come. That brief time between the centuria praerogativa and the first centuria of equites was when the true comitia centuria took place. The men wearing the purple stripe spoke briefly with each other and exchanged significant glances and nods. Then the eighteen centuria of equites walked past the consul one by other and followed the example of the centuria praerogativa, casting their votes for Fundanius and Sulpicius. Roman senators and equites were masters at making motivations appear noble when, in fact, they had very little choice.

The first-class centuria continued the voting unvaried until ninety-seven centuria had cast their votes. Fundanius and Sulpicius had been the popular choices. Gaius Fundanius, the rising novus homo, beamed with joy as the senators congratulated him. I wondered if I would be in Fundanius' place next year. I was painfully aware that two novus homo had never been elected in consecutive years. Would I be able to bring a second novus homo year to Rome?

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It had long been customary for one of the previous year’s consuls to be elected praetor, so there was considerable surprise when Aulus Manlius Torquatus Atticus did not stand for office. It was rumored at the Forum and in the taverns that Manlius thirsted for a second consular term as opposed to a dull year as praetor. Whenever he heard this rumor at the Forum, Aelius would loudly proclaim: "Of course! For Aulus Manlius knows Gaius Lutatius will end the miserable Sicilian War within two years, when the ten-year re-election ban will come into force again.

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