The Mad Tycoon of Rome

Chapter 34: Cicero

Chapter 34 Cicero 

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Marcus invited the Sicilian residents to his mansion and listened to their stories personally.

They were very encouraged by the fact that the son of the current consul showed interest in their case.

The Sicilian residents were representatives from all the cities except Syracuse and Messina.

They emphasized how serious the matter was and poured out their complaints, almost like a lament.

“After serving as a praetor, Gaius Verres was sent as a governor to Sicily. But unlike his predecessors, he served as a governor for a long time, three years.”

“That’s because there was no room to replace him due to the slave rebellion.”

“Yes. That’s why the pain we suffered was indescribable.”

“For example?”

“The numbers alone will make it easy for you to understand. The amount of grain that Verres embezzled in his first year of office was 300,000 modii.”

The amount of grain that a Roman citizen received per month was about 5 modii.

In other words, Verres had embezzled enough wheat to feed 5,000 people for a year in his first year as a governor.

“He really made a fortune.”

“That’s not all. An area that had over 300 farmers was reduced to 80 in just three years of Verres’ term. He ruthlessly seized their lands. He also went beyond the limit and extorted money from usury and plundered cultural assets.”

“I get it, he’s a corrupt politician like no other in the world. But do you have any evidence?”

“···We have witnesses. And if we look for it, we will surely find plenty of evidence.”

Marcus shook his head slightly and sighed softly.

“Without evidence, it’s hard to convict him even if you sue him. The jurors will think that it’s natural for a governor to receive some bribes while performing his duties. You have to present clear evidence of embezzlement that goes beyond the norm.”

“If someone comes forward to prosecute Verres, we will fully support them. We will definitely find evidence.”

“I also think that someone like Verres shouldn’t be allowed to live in Rome. But unfortunately, I’m not very good as a lawyer, so I can’t take action myself. I don’t know if this counts as a substitute, but I can introduce you to someone who can help you.”

“Is there such a person?”

“Of course. I know one person who will be more interested than anyone else when he hears your story. He has no choice but to be, because he’s going to be the governor of Sicily next year.”

The faces of the Sicilian representatives brightened when they heard Marcus’ words.

They also knew who was going to be the governor next year.

One of them asked with an incredulous expression.

“Can we really meet Pompey Magnus?”

Pompey and Crassus’ relationship was known to be hostile in public. 

The Sicilian representatives also perceived it that way.

It also meant that the deception operation was working well.

“They may not get along well, but they don’t oppose each other on official matters either. They are both in positions that represent Rome.”

Marcus reassured the representatives and headed to Pompey’s mansion with them.

Pompey naturally showed great interest in this matter.

He was especially furious at the fact that the agriculture, which was the foundation industry of Sicily, was shaken.

The reason was simple.

He might end up wearing the mess that his predecessor had left behind.

Sicily was one of the essential grain-producing regions that Rome could not live without it.

The governor of this place had a duty to supply grain to Rome steadily.

If he failed to fulfill this duty properly, he would receive tremendous criticism from the Roman citizens.

But according to the representatives, Verres’ atrocities were too severe for three years.

Moreover, the current governor Lucius Metellus was Verres’ brother-in-law and he was hiding the evidence of Verres’ corruption while pretending to fix his mistakes.

The public sentiment in Sicily was going downhill endlessly.

With this situation, there was no way Pompey could perform his duties as a governor properly next year.

He couldn’t let his reputation and popularity be damaged by such a ridiculous thing.

Pompey promised to resolve the case and sent the representatives back.

And without any delay, he started to look for a lawyer who would prosecute Verres.

Marcus recommended Cicero, as history had gone.

Pompey also had a good impression of Cicero, so he accepted Marcus’ opinion.

Cicero had supported Pompey when he ran for praetorship, and when he revived the Hortensius law.

Of course, Cicero acted according to his own beliefs, but Pompey was grateful for that.

Cicero, who received a call from the incumbent praetor, immediately moved to Pompey’s mansion.

“You have something to discuss with me?”

Although they were the same age, Cicero bowed politely in front of Pompey.

There was a big gap between Cicero, who was nothing more than a novice from a commoner family, and Pompey, who was a nobleman from a prestigious family and serving as a praetor.

“Yes. I heard that you are the best among the young lawyers in Rome. Here, Marcus strongly recommended you.”

“Marcus?”

Cicero turned his eyes to the young man sitting next to Pompey.

Marcus stood up from his seat and bowed politely to Cicero, who was looking at him.

“I am Marcus Licinius Crassus II. I am using the same name as my father, which is too generous for me.”

“Your father with the same name is the current praetor Crassus?”

Cicero widened his eyes and looked back and forth between Marcus and Pompey.

It was a combination that did not make sense logically.

Pompey understood the meaning of his gaze and sent him a gesture to sit down with a chuckle.

“It’s a separate matter that Crassus annoys me and that I like his son. You two should get acquainted with each other. It won’t hurt you to know each other.”

“I have heard rumors that the eldest son of the Crassus family is a promising talent.”

Cicero looked at Marcus up and down without hiding his interest.

The rumor that Crassus, who was only stingy and picky, became a doting father was already widespread in the Senate.

There was also unconfirmed information that he had already handed over half of his family business to his son.

That alone was enough reason to pay attention to Marcus.

But on top of that, he seemed to be close with Pompey, who was Crassus’ enemy.

Cicero had a hunch that this young man might bring a storm to Rome’s politics in the distant future.

Marcus also watched Cicero closely.

He was a lawyer and a writer who represented the late Republic era and was considered the best intellectual of his time. 

A phenomenal person who rose to the position of praetor from a provincial commoner without any special military talent.

What Marcus noticed was this part.

He had to maintain a good relationship with him, who would become the core of the Republican faction in the future, for his plan.

The two men who were immersed in their thoughts could not take their eyes off each other for a long time.

Pompey broke the silence for a while and opened his mouth.

“If you two have recognized each other’s faces, let’s discuss the next thing. First of all, Cicero, I’ll tell you why I called you.”

Cicero sat down and listened quietly to what Pompey told him.

His eyes narrowed slightly as various atrocities committed by Verres were listed.

Cicero remained silent for a while even after the story was completely finished, organizing his thoughts.

Then he opened his mouth with a troubled expression.

“So you want me to prosecute Gaius Verres.”

“I know that you served as a quaestor in Sicily. I heard that you did a great job then and you still have many supporters who remember you. If you pull this off, the whole of Sicily will become your clients. Wouldn’t that be nice?”

Cicero paused and scratched his head.

Sicily was an important place for Cicero, as Pompey said.

Finding the tomb of Archimedes and eliciting the enthusiastic cheers of Syracuse was still a proud achievement that he could boast of.

If he successfully prosecuted Verres here, his future would be paved with gold.

He had already secured the praetorship, and maybe he could even aim for the consulship.

“But it won’t be easy to collect evidence. Verres is a former governor. And the current governor is his brother-in-law, Lucius Metellus. Not to mention that Lucius Metellus’ brother is a strong candidate for next year’s praetorship, and his other brother Quintus Metellus is going to be a consul. If the trial is held next year, we won’t have any chance. But it’s too tight to hold the trial this year.”

The judge of the court was usually one of the praetors of that year.

If the consuls and praetors were in cahoots, it was possible to put a specific praetor in charge of the trial they wanted.

Cicero frowned and continued.

“The Metellus family will use all kinds of tricks to protect Verres. And I’m sure Hortensius will take his defense if I prosecute him. Well…I’m not very confident.”

Hortensius was a person who had a reputation as the best lawyer in Rome and had a close relationship with the Metellus family.

He was also one of the likely candidates to win the consulship election this year. His fame was incomparable to Cicero, who was still a novice.

Pompey also clicked his tongue lightly and shook his head, realizing the seriousness of the situation.

“If the trial is delayed until next year, we’re doomed. Two incumbent consuls and a judge who are on the same side, we can’t win against that.”

“Yes. And it’s also a huge burden for me, who came from a commoner family, to make enemies of the entire Metellus family.”

“But I’m going to be the governor of Sicily next year. What if I help you as much as I can to secure evidence?”

“Before that, let’s hope that Lucius Metellus, the current governor, doesn’t hide all the evidence.”

Pompey sighed softly.

The more he heard, the more he felt that it was not easy.

As the atmosphere became gloomy, Marcus, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, intervened.

“So we have to hold the trial this year. If we gather evidence and file a lawsuit before August, we can bring Verres to trial under Glabrio, who is in charge of it. Glabrio is an honest man, so he won’t help Verres. Then we’ll have a good chance of winning, won’t we?”

“You mean we have to collect all the evidence by the end of July?”

Cicero asked back with an incredulous voice.

Marcus nodded calmly and answered.

“Yes. They will surely use delaying tactics too, so we have to finish preparing for prosecution by at least the end of July when the public office elections are over.”

“It’s April now. Sicily is not a front yard of a neighborhood, how can we find all the evidence in such a short time? If we subtract the time it takes to go back and forth, we’ll have less than two months left.”

“It will be difficult for sure. But it’s possible.”

Marcus’ voice was full of confidence without a hint of hesitation.

The reason was simple.

In the original history, Cicero had overcome this tight schedule and successfully held the trial.

Of course, he couldn’t know if some butterfly effect would change the flow from the original history.

So Marcus decided to take action himself to make things more certain.

He declared confidently to Cicero, who was still sending him a distrustful look.

“I will help you secure enough evidence and witnesses, Cicero. Let’s prepare the fastest ship to Sicily.”

“You will help me?”

“Yes. If we sail by the end of April, we can arrive in Sicily by early May. There, we can gather evidence for about 40 days and return to Rome in time for the trial.”

“It would be a great help if the Crassus family supports me… But why do you want to bring down Verres?”

“Such a corrupt man should disappear for the sake of the Republic. We need honest politicians to run a sound system, don’t we?”

Cicero, a staunch republican to the bone, was delighted by Marcus’s words and nodded repeatedly.

“You are right. We cannot let someone like Verres be a senator and act arrogantly. No matter how powerful a governor he is, he must face the consequences of his excessive exploitation and embezzlement. We have to set a clear precedent that will bring him down.”

“That’s right. Verres’s downfall will be a good example for the high-ranking officials who will be sent as governors in the future.”

Marcus had a plan to make this trial of the century much bigger than the original history.

He wanted to send a warning to the corrupt administrators and also boost Cicero’s reputation even more.

In the end, Cicero decided to take this trial as his historical mission.

He stood up from his seat and said with a determined will.

“Consul, I will prosecute Verres.”

“Good, you can surely win this case. Marcus, you also support Cicero well.”

“Leave it to me.”

Marcus smiled triumphantly and bowed his head so that his expression would not be seen.

※※※※

Three days later, Cicero officially announced that he would prosecute Gaius Verres on behalf of the Sicilian delegation.

The charge was simple.

Verres had to return all the ill-gotten gains he had taken so far and pay a compensation of 43 million sesterces.

Considering that Rome’s annual budget was 200 million Sestertius, it was an astronomical amount of compensation he demanded.

Hortensius, who had a reputation as the best lawyer in Rome, immediately declared that he would take Verres’s defense.

The Metellus family, one of the most prestigious noble families in Rome, also announced that they would actively support Verres.

Nevertheless, Cicero did not back down and vowed to reveal Verres’s crimes one by one.

The news of this huge trial spread throughout Rome in an instant.

Marcus had hired some gossipmongers on purpose, but even without them, the citizens’ reaction was hot.

It was a direct challenge from a young senator of humble origin to the venerable noble aristocrats.

The citizens expected Verres to win, but secretly cheered for Cicero.

Meanwhile, Marcus, who had been overloaded with work, was in a situation where he could hardly sleep because of this matter.

He handed over the unimportant tasks to Septimus and Danae, but he still had no time to spare.

As he was buried under a pile of documents, he heard Danae’s voice in his ear.

“Excuse me, sir… Are you very busy?”

“Huh? What is it?”

Marcus looked at Danae’s face as he rubbed his eyes and lifted his gaze from the documents.

Danae asked with a cautious expression.

“I think this is something that I need your permission for, so I’m asking you. There is a nobleman who wants me to lend him some money for the election in July.”

“You can handle that yourself, you know. As long as there is a possibility of repayment, lend him some money.”

Marcus had delegated the simple loan business to Danae after he had too much work to do.

Her calculation skills were outstanding and she had never made a mistake so far.

But for some reason, Danae shook her head with an uncertain expression.

“In my opinion, there is almost no chance of getting the money back. He keeps borrowing money from us. He has already borrowed a huge amount of money, and now he wants to borrow more… But he is a quite prominent nobleman, so I think you should make the decision yourself, not me.”

“Sigh… There are always some people who borrow money without any intention of paying it back, no matter where you go. Who is he? Noble or not, I have to meet him personally and refuse him so that he can come to his senses…”

Marcus looked at the name of the loan applicant written on the paper and froze with his eyes wide open.

“Sir?”

Danae tilted her head and called Marcus, but no voice reached his ears.

Marcus forgot all the various things in his head and couldn’t take his eyes off the name.

He checked again to see if he had seen it wrong, but nothing changed.

The name written on the paper was engraved in Marcus’s eyes like a stamp.

The name of the loan applicant was as follows.

Gaius Julius Caesar.