Pantagathus Posted July 13, 2006 Report Share Posted July 13, 2006 Hm, gold certainly matters, but I think Romans did conquer even more for glory. In the Republic there was no better way to get the vote than prove yourself a conquering hero, and many did just that, even if it were a matter of quashing some poor tribe in the mountains of Hispania. I think perhaps some gentle folk need to brush up on their ancient sources covering Rome from the end of the 2nd Punic War until the end of the Republic... One word pops up consitently in various translations in regards to a primary motivator for and/or byproduct of campaigning commanders: Avarice Especially in Hispania!!! Hold on--they weren't "split up" amongst the elites. Leases were auctioned off so as to provide the best possible returns for the treasury. Did you just contradict yourself Cato? You said earlier the folks in charge of the treasury were lax? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M. Porcius Cato Posted July 13, 2006 Report Share Posted July 13, 2006 Hold on--they weren't "split up" amongst the elites. Leases were auctioned off so as to provide the best possible returns for the treasury. Did you just contradict yourself Cato? You said earlier the folks in charge of the treasury were lax? Unfortunately, the contradiction is not mine but the system's. There was a rational plan for handling newly conquered territories, but the implementation wasn't up to snuff. Before the quaestorship of M Porcius Cato, the treasury was in the hands of a cabal of civil servants who resented senatorial interference and used an arcane set of rules and regulations to keep anyone from figuring out what they were doing. What they were doing was loaning money out in sweetheart deals that never got repaid, failing to reimburse private citizens for their contracted sums, and generally leaving the state finances in a state of disarray. (I can't help but think of that great old British TV series "Yes, Minister".) After Cato, all this changed. Prior to his quaestorship, Cato boned up on sound accounting rules and practices so the civil servants couldn't pull the wool over his eyes, and after starting in the position, he set upon clearing up the books of the treasury with all the zeal of a military campaign: he tracked every dime, poured over every account, and generally hounded the rotten bureaucrats into shaping up or shipping out. Soon all the figures started falling into place and people found they had to pay money they thought they had gotten away with while others were finally paid considerable funds they had despaired of ever receiving. I daresay most of Cato's great reputation for honesty and energy was based on his prosecution of these shady apparatchiks. Anyway, I digress... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Favonius Cornelius Posted July 14, 2006 Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 I think perhaps some gentle folk need to brush up on their ancient sources covering Rome from the end of the 2nd Punic War until the end of the Republic... One word pops up consitently in various translations in regards to a primary motivator for and/or byproduct of campaigning commanders: Avarice Especially in Hispania!!! I know exactly what you mean my friend. But you have to admit, military accomplishment was a vital part of earning the votes. Or at least even seeing military action in any form. I bet you yourself could come up with many instances of combat for combat's sake. If money was the key goal, there was (often) better ways of getting it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horatius Posted July 14, 2006 Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 (edited) "What they were doing was loaning money out in sweetheart deals that never got repaid, failing to reimburse private citizens for their contracted sums, and generally leaving the state finances in a state of disarray. " The more things change.... http://www.polisci.ccsu.edu/trieb/curr-tim.HTM U.S. Senators are Patricians for the most part. Edited July 14, 2006 by Horatius Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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