In winter, the last merchant ship from Alexandria docked at the Bliss Wharf on the east bank of the Tiber River, where the jubilant Roman citizens gathered to wait for the Egyptian merchant ships to unload the dazzling array of goods and goods. Pen @ fun @ pavilion wWw. ｂｉｑUｇE。 infoThe abundance of goods from the East greatly pleased the Roman aristocracy, and the Roman aristocracy, who were overly dependent on luxury, began to change their stance and support Caesar's policy in the East in Egypt, and the people were so realistic and snobbish. Those once noble vows have become empty and worthless in the face of the beauty of material life.

The aged Cicero stood on the balcony of Cipria's apartment, looking out at the majestic and magnificent Temple of Jupiter, filled with the spoils of countless Roman legions' expeditions. Cicero can vaguely recall the day when Caesar returned home from the triumph of conquering Gaul, the fanatical Roman people gathered around him, enjoying the glory and benefits of the legion's victory, the people worshipped him like Mars, the god of war, and those gorgeous Gallic trophies became his best tool to please the Roman commoners.

"The people prefer the thrill of sword conquest to your complex philosophical statecraft, and they prefer tangible material comforts, visual stimuli, to your boring speculative thoughts. Rome has changed, and when Roman generals bring triumphant armies back to the capital, the people have been completely conquered by the thrill of the senses, and they are intoxicated with the glory that the legionary victory has brought them, and Rome is no longer in the past, my old friend. ”

Atticus stood beside Cicero and said meaningfully.

"I know that my thoughts, my dialectics, can now only be circulated in the study of a few children of the Roman nobility, and I know even more that Caesar did not simply show his benevolence and generosity when he brought me back this time, but had a deeper purpose."

Cicero said, retracting his gaze from the great temple of Jupiter at the far end of the street, and then looked at Atticus, his best confidant, his close friend, with a pained expression.

"How so? My old friend, do you feel threatened? ”

Atticos asked gently. In fact, he already knew what was at stake, but he was just reluctant to break it, and as Artikos, who had been able to maneuver between the trio since the inception of the previous triumvirate, he was no worse politically minded than anyone else. It's just that sometimes, it's far better to pretend you don't know than to know everything.

"Yes, Caesar wrote to me to return to Rome, not only to show his tolerance and generosity, but also for the deeper purpose that he wanted me to administer the entire Senate for him. Caesar, he wanted to reform, and the biggest difficulty was in the Senate. Pompey's sworn friends, as well as the remnants of the Republicans, would continue to obstruct his reforms, and Caesar was not willing to violently bloodied them, so that he would be spurned by the people, and the people would turn from worship to fear of tyrants. ”

Cicero stood on the balcony, looking at the sunset, and said with emotion and helplessness.

"So Caesar needs you, and you, have to accept such a gift, don't you? My old friend. ”

Atticos replied calmly. He felt a sense of sorrow in his heart for Cicero's life. Any flowery rhetoric and philosophical speculation are weak in the face of the cold sword. In the traditional culture of Rome, after all, it is martial.

……

A few days later, Apis appeared in the main hall of the Roman Senate in a crisp white toga, following Caesar, who was only allowed to be worn by nobles in Rome, and everyone could see that Apis had become Caesar's right-hand man.

"Distinguished elders, I am here today to announce a very important matter. About my relationship with all my friends and family members in the Senate. ”

Caesar's loud voice resounded through the halls of the Senate, and the Roman nobles and senators who had come to the meeting sat quietly in their seats, listening to the triumphant speak. Today's Senate is not like the Senate of yesteryear, with less than 300 members left in the Council of 600, and most of them have been bought by Caesar. So, instead of saying that Caesar was in their counsel, it is better to say that Caesar was issuing his own resolutions to them.

The audience fell silent, and Caesar went on to say—

"At the beginning of spring, my legion and I will once again set foot on the land of Afria to eradicate the rebels of the Republic entrenched there, however, many of them are still Romans, Cato the Younger, Marcellus, Cventus, they are all the elite of the Republic, whether in terms of personal feelings or national interests, I am not willing to fight with them, although they have all fought against me with Pompey, but those are already things of the past, and the Romans should not fight with the Romans, If they are willing to lay down their arms, I will admit them back to Rome, regardless of the position they have taken in the past. Distinguished veterans of the Republic, I am not deliberately showing my benevolence and tolerance, I just hope that the civil war will end soon, and that it will pass soon. Rome needs to come out of the haze of this war, so I need you, when the legion moves south, to persuade Cato and the others to return to Rome and return to Rome as soon as possible. For many of them are your relatives and friends. ”

Caesar spoke, majesticly and earnestly. He habitually raised his right hand when he spoke, as if he were speaking to a legion in front of the pulpit in the barracks.

Many people may have been genuinely moved by him, or they may have simply been forced to participate in his program. But in short, after the meeting, many of the senators in the Senate agreed to Caesar's request. At the beginning of the spring of the following year, they crossed the sea with the regiment to convince their relatives, "comrades-in-arms......

Apis's mansion on Mount Pawaga, where Apis, who had just received his beloved wife, was sitting in the courtyard of his house, comforting the sullen Tertila. Less than two months after he was married, Apis was going south with the legion to fight on the battlefield. Despite Tertila's reluctance, she was born into an aristocratic family and received a strict education from her mother Seville since she was a child, and this aristocratic girl still had a certain understanding of Roman politics, which made Appis feel a little relaxed, and many things did not need to be explained with difficulty, and Tertila could understand a little.

"Rome needs heroes, but in my eyes, whether you win or lose, you are my hero."

After a little comfort, Tertila lay down in the crook of Appis's gentle arm and spoke tenderly.

"No, dear, you still don't understand. If we win, we are heroes, and if we fail, Caesar and I are the sinners of history. ”

Apis wanted to tell his wife that the victor is king, and that history is written by the victor, but Tertila directly raised his right hand and pressed his finger to Apis's lips. She doesn't want to know so much, she is still young, she just wants to live in her fairy tale world all the time...... (To be continued.) )