Chapter 49 Rome sends troops again

This kind of ruling method is very simple, but at least it is stronger than the previous Spartan Citizens' Assembly (the Spartan Citizens' Assembly decided whether the proposal was passed based on the loudness of the citizens' shouts), and most of the soldiers raised their hands. There is no need to go into detail, after all, the two wounded soldiers' personal statements have made them realize the importance of these women in the rebel army.

"More than half of the brothers believe that they should be punished. According to the proposal of Maximus, the captain of the baggage team, they must be beaten in public!" Spartacus said with a majestic expression.

When Maximus first proposed to form a medical team, Spartacus did not find it novel, because there was a similar medical team in the Roman army, but he did not expect that Maximus actually asked women to take care of him. Wounded soldiers, and it can be seen from the defense just now that the effect is really good, so he who doesn't care much about the harassment of women in the rebel army attaches great importance to it at this moment. The result of the ruling made him relieved, and he subconsciously Glancing at Maximus on the sidelines: this young man who was once considered a traitor always brings surprises to him!

The women in the baggage train cheered at the result of the soldiers' assembly vote, knowing that everything would be different from now on!

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At the initiative of the consuls, the Roman Senate held a meeting. More than 500 senators sat in specific positions. This year's two consuls stood in the center of the venue, with seven legal officers sitting behind them (they should have It was 8, Grabo was absent).

The consul Marcus Terentius Varro Lucullus was the younger brother of Lucius Licinius Lucullus, the military leader under the dictator Sulla. Last year Li Xi Nius Lucullus' one-year consulship expired and he went to Asia Minor to take up the post of provincial governor. However, even if he was not in Rome, Varro Lucullus could still be elected as consul this year. This also shows that Licinius The influence of Us Lucullus in Sulla's faction.

However, although Varro Lucullus relied on his elder brother to come to power, he himself had been fighting in Asia Minor for many years and had made many military exploits. His ability was also not weak, and many senators were convinced by his election.

The strong man looked around the venue and said in a heavy voice: "I just received the battle report. The army led by Grabo suffered a disastrous defeat in Vesuvius. He himself died and more than half of the soldiers were killed. The encirclement and suppression of those gladiators has failed. . Therefore, I propose to form an army again and destroy those rebellious slaves as soon as possible!"

Upon hearing the news of the Roman army's tragic defeat, there was only a small commotion at the back of the venue. After all, the Campania region is very close to Rome, has a pleasant climate and fertile land. Many senators have farms and villas there, and they are always paying attention. Considering the situation there, I had already received the news.

Another consul, Gaius Cassius Longinus, had obviously vented his anger with Varro in advance. He immediately responded and said: "I agree with Varro's proposal. We must send troops as soon as possible to quell the rebellion and let the Peace restored to Campania!”

After the two consuls expressed their opinions one after another, everyone turned their attention to an old man sitting in the first row of the Senate, first seat from the left.

Quintus Lutatius Catullus, a former Roman consul and the most powerful ally of the dictator Sulla in the political arena, was well-known in Rome for his reputation for integrity. When Sulla commissioned him to build the Temple of Jupiter, which was burned in the civil war, he built it magnificently. Sulla hoped to have his name engraved on the lintel of the temple, but Catullus considered Sulla's The terror he caused in the city of Rome made many people criticize him. If he did this, it would undoubtedly cause flaws in the temple, and anyone who came to worship would feel uncomfortable. Therefore, he not only sternly rejected the powerful man at that time, Sulla boldly engraved his name on it. Sulla was furious, and finally had nothing to do with him. This incident made him praised by the Roman people.

Nowadays, Catullus is already a highly respected chief senator. He gently held the toga robe trimmed with purple red and stood up unhurriedly. Despite his age, his voice was clear and loud: "I believe Everyone here agrees to send troops to quell the chaos, but how many soldiers will be sent? Who will be the commander? This is a question we need to seriously discuss. Grabo is steady in his work and has strong military capabilities. We are defeated. We shouldn’t pay much attention to this group of rebels!”

As soon as he finished speaking, an old man stood up next to him and said loudly: "According to what I know, Grabo is a fool! He had already led his army to defeat those slaves. As long as he continues to pursue, Victory will be achieved. But he was too cautious and wanted to trap the fleeing rebels on the mountain without strengthening the defense of the camp. As a result, he was attacked by the slaves... So it was not how powerful those gladiators were, but Grad Bo is stupid! I think it is enough to send a qualified commander and only send 3,000 soldiers as before. "

The chief senator's opinion was directly contradicted. The senators were not surprised because the speaker was Publius Cornelius Kitagus, a man who was also very influential in the Senate. A Roman senator, he was quite dissatisfied with Catullus becoming the chief senator and believed that he was more qualified. Therefore, it was common for the two to confront each other in the Senate in the past two years.

Many senators agreed with Kitagus's opinion from the bottom of their hearts. Although the Roman army suffered a disastrous defeat, they did not take the rebel army's combat power seriously. They all thought that Grabo was stupid, but the rebellion in Campania It has lasted for more than two months, and the damage to the entire southern part of the region is gradually expanding. There is a danger of losing control. The rebellion must be completely suppressed and order in Campania restored as soon as possible. Therefore, it is best to increase the strength of the troops deployed. method.

After discussion, the elders reached a consensus: to form a legion.

Most people also believe that there is no need for a consul to annihilate a group of lowly gladiators and slaves, so the general candidates should still come from the legal officers.

Unlike the last time when almost no legal officers were willing to go on an expedition, this time most of the legal officers took the initiative to express their willingness to serve as commander-in-chief. There is no glory in conquering a group of lowly gladiators, but if they have defeated the Roman army and slaughtered Roman soldiers, then crushing them to win the cheers of the people is a good choice.

In the end, most of the senators chose the legal officer Publius Valerius. Compared with other legal officers, his deeds of following Sulla in the campaigns in Asia Minor were an important weight for the senators to favor him.

The meeting ended and the elders left one after another.

"Crasus! Crassus! Wait for me!" A middle-aged man shouted hurriedly after leaving the Senate.

Following his shout, one of the senators who was walking down the steps stopped and turned around.

This man was tall, with a Chinese-character face, a wide forehead, a high bridge of nose, thick eyebrows and big eyes, with sharp eyes. He looked a bit aggressive, but the smile on his face made him a little more friendly.

He is the legal officer Marcus Licinius Crassus, the richest man in Rome.

At this moment, he turned around and saw the shouting person, and the smile on his face became a little wider: "Sura, what's the matter with you calling me so anxiously?

Publius Cornelius Sulla was the nephew of the dictator Sulla. During Sulla's occupation of Rome and his purge of political enemies, this man worked closely with Crassus and gained a large amount of wealth. Therefore, the relationship between the two is relatively close.

Little Sulla rushed over in three steps at a time, pulling Crassus and whispered: "Just now, why didn't you take the initiative to apply to lead the army like others? This is a great way to win honors. Chance! In terms of military ability, Valerius is no match for you."