The Republic Reborn

[Stargate525]

[ic=BErnardo Simone Di Fontane: A small speech before the Senate]
Esteemed colleagues, I see no choice but to defend ourselves. As our forebears did in the times of foreign kingship, so must we do now. Unfortunately, we do not even have the luxury of controlling our entire city. Pierleoni must be dealt with. Whether this is to remove him by force or persuade him to join the cause of Rome, we cannot be internally divided when the Emperor arrives.

And, in preparation for the worst, we must levy a tax and begin to train an army in defense of this city. For my own part, I will leverage a significant portion of my own wealth in the endeavor, and would hope that the citizenry will match my faith in the New Rome we stand to create here. In addition to this, I suggest we also sell the possessions of the nobles who have fled, and may their goods, if not their voices, continue to support our cause.
[/ic]

[TheMeanestGuest]

[ic=Roberto Basile: Response to Bernardo Simone Di Fontane - Senate Floor]Senators! Our friend Senator Di Fontane is right! The treachery of Patrician Pierleoni must not be ignored. He does not believe in our fair city, and is no true Roman.

But we cannot punish the common citizenry for the deeds of one man. Indeed, a man who we once welcomed among our own number. Would we have known his true character... alas! The proposition of a general tax would be an undue burden on our fellow Romans, a burden they do not deserve. I support the motion to establish a fund for the defence of the city, into which we would deposit some small part of the wealth of our own estates. I myself will contribute a sum no less than [denomination representing one wealth]. We cannot sit idly by while our enemies plot the destruction of Rome! [/ic]

[ic=A Letter to John of Palermo]
John,

It has been near to a year since I have written you, and I regret my long silence. I trust all is well at His Majesty's court. I contact you now on a matter of some urgency. This German King.. Frederick, his machinations pose a dire threat to the whole of the peninsula, as I know you are aware. He has no right to any such pretension of lordship over a single hide of Italian land. His ill will for the Kingdom of the Sicilies is well known, and his intentions to see himself crowned Emperor could have dire consequences for my own adopted city.

As such, I would ask a favour of you. I would have you speak to His Majesty most discreetly, and inform him that he is not without friends here in Rome. If our Great Nations are to prosper, it would be well-considered of us to act in concert concerning this matter. I would urge His Majesty to contact the Senate of Rome at his earliest possible convenience.

Your Friend,

Roberto[/ic]

[ooc]
Orders for Summer 1152
- Send an agent to the Republic of Pisa to inquire with the various mercantile establishments as to the investment of no more than one wealth of my estate.
- If a defence fund for the city of Rome is officially established, contribute no more than one wealth.

[/ooc]

[Stargate525]

[ic=Bernardo Simone Di Fontane: Response to Roberto Basile - Senate Floor] All can appreciate your dedication and eagerness for our cause. I would match such a donation from my own coffers.

However, there stand eight thousand in this city who can stand and afford to fight. If they will not provide the soldiers in volunteer of our cause, then they should be taxed. I do not suggest a heavy burden, and have no desire to see the senate become another parasite like the pope we have just evicted. Perhaps we take this season to institute a survey, and determine what might be raised without impoverishing our people?[/ic]

[LD]

[ic=Speech Before the Senate]Would Godly man Arnold have us labeled heretics for eliminating the Pope? Would he give the Emperor and the Papacy's allies a cassus belli?  A Pope's demise must not be by the manmade mob but by God.

Let us channel the mob's anger instead toward civic pride; toward preparation to 'greet' the emperor and to prepare for the predations of Tivoli and Spidoni who so covet a reason to sack Rome; indeed, with rage properly directed, we could even raze Tivoli to the ground to bring other Papists to our righteous cause of service to all-as Jesus Christo came to serve all the Gentiles when the Jews would not follow.

The one who must speak to the mob must be respected. And he must be known to not be a Papist sympathiser. I am impressed by the Roman mob- we Romans are a hearty people who do great things- but Tivoli and Spidoni do not respect the Roman mob and they will challenge us. We must train and plan to dispose all Rats with one egalitarian blow.

My esteemed colleague, Bernardo Simone Di Fontane speaks of a tax. Whyfore should we institute a burden on the populace in these hard times? All fine Romans possess weapons do they not; the heart of the volunteers of Rome will strike fear into our enemies.[/ic]

[ooc]Essentially he wants to raise an Urban Militia from the mob without putting out any of his wealth or a tax.[/ooc]

[ic=Speech Before the Lesser Council]Better to have the Pope as a pawn than as a corpse if your aim is unity of the peoples. But this Pope will not be a pawn except by threat of force. Are we to seek his hand, to frighten him to action, to dominate the man, or destroy him? All but open destruction make sense at this point with the Holy Emperor on the march, he who may otherwise label us as heretics for destroying a Godly man. [/ic]

[ic=Letter to Shabbathai ben Moses]Your neutrality is noted, if not believed by the mob, or by many. I hear that the people of Rome are hungry for defense from the coming German Emperor. One remembers the slaughters of the First Crusade, led by Franks and Germans.[/ic]

[ooc]Essentially insinuating for a 'donation' from the Jewish Community of one wealth to arm the mob... but being very oblique about it, just suggesting it may be in their best interests.[/ooc]

I think the historical thing would be to channel the mob's anger toward the jewish quarter... my fellow does not want that to happen though (e.g. need of loans/usury for trade).

The next is contingent on other people's posts after mine and the ongoing Senate debate. Players Don't read. Polycarp may. This is storage for now.
[spoiler]
[ic=Letter to Arnold of Bresica or speech to the Mob if matters proceed too far]One may wish for a Caesar because a Caesar is like a Pope. But a Pope's power is greater than a Caesar, for it stretches to the Divine. Do you seek spiritual power or temporal? One may have one but not the other; time has born out this truth for all save Jesus, King of Kings. Trust these words from one who has seen many years. The Senate may stand behind a Caesar in time of war, but a Caesar is not a holy man. Who would you have be your Caesar, holy man?[/ic]
[/spoiler]

[LD]

[ic=Privately to Bernardo] Bernardo, Bernardo, Bernardo. You wish to deal with Pierloni? What is your opinion of the Pope? Who will the Pope see without fearing guile but Pierloni? Who would succeed the Pope if he falls-one more trustworthy, or one far less? Would one ply Pierloni with gifts of enriched foods and have him pass to the Godly man in a motion of unity for our City? The Godly man is old. God may soon yet snatch him from our hold-he may sup on too rich wine and too strong food. And yet, would you have the Friar succeed him? If not he, then who? Rome must be united to face its challenges. Open force can be abhorrent, but everyone has a use. Rome needs men. And wealth. But wealth freely given or legally given after trials is better than wealth looted by tax or the tax we call mobs, my friend. Mobs dilute the benefits of their spoils.[/ic]

[ooc]I'm attempting to insinuate a number of things...Hopefully you pick up on it[/ooc]

[Stargate525]

[ic=Privately to Manzinni]
Manzinni, Pierlioni is descendent from Jews. Who will the pope see in guile BUT him?

And wealth of any sort is better than none at all. I do not suggest a heavy tax, but only a lighter burden to replace the one we removed when we ousted the pope from his perch. As Our Lord Himself said, "give unto Caesar what is Caesar's." In the absence, the Senate will have to do.[/ic]

[ooc]I got a couple things, I think... Not entirely certain what you were trying to say.[/ooc]

[LD]

OOC: ah... shoot. I forgot that the Pierloni were of a different family than the Pope's family. I thought the were the same. Oops. I'll figure out how to play that off in character sometime tomorrow. Maybe something along the lines of forgiving the Pope's family's debt. Hmm... Big mistake there with the families on my part :o.

Maybe senility will save me. :D My fellow is the eldest of the Senate :D.

Your line about "descendant of" was hilarious, by the way.

[Polycarp]

[ic=Letter to Vittorio Manzinni]Then we shall, as ever, put our trust in God.  Your words of caution are noted, and will be considered again should the German King make good on these rumors to descend upon us.

- Shabbathai ben Moses, leader of the congregation of the Jews of Rome[/ic]

Letters to people or entities outside of Latium (eg. John of Sicily, Pisa) will not be answered until next turn.

Also, "ooc" comments can just be regular text - try to reserve the red box for your actual orders so I can find them easily when I'm updating.

However, there stand eight thousand in this city who can stand and afford to fight. If they will not provide the soldiers in volunteer of our cause, then they should be taxed. I do not suggest a heavy burden, and have no desire to see the senate become another parasite like the pope we have just evicted. Perhaps we take this season to institute a survey, and determine what might be raised without impoverishing our people?

Point of clarification: The 8,000 members of the popolo grasso are all those in households capable of providing one fully armed infantryman to the militia muster, which includes not only the militiamen themselves but their wives and children, as well as some citizens who may not be physically firm enough for duty, those who live in areas of the city under hostile control, and merchants who may simply be out of town when the militia is called up.  In other words, the number of this class that can "stand and afford to fight" is not even close to eight thousand.

OOC: ah... shoot. I forgot that the Pierloni were of a different family than the Pope's family.

Don't worry about it, easy to get mixed up.  I added some background on the four big families of Rome in post #3, if you hadn't noticed it.  Actually, the Pope - Eugene III - isn't Roman at all, he's originally a monk from Pisa.

Edit: Speaking of which, I edited the family info a bit and added some historically correct-ish coats of arms for everyone but the Tusculani, for whom no arms are attested as far as I can tell.

[Stargate525]

Point of clarification: The 8,000 members of the popolo grasso are all those in households capable of providing one fully armed infantryman to the militia muster, which includes not only the militiamen themselves but their wives and children, as well as some citizens who may not be physically firm enough for duty, those who live in areas of the city under hostile control, and merchants who may simply be out of town when the militia is called up.  In other words, the number of this class that can "stand and afford to fight" is not even close to eight thousand.

Pah, petty details. I'm a politician. Numbers fly out of our butt anyway.

Thank you, though, for the clarification.

[LD]

Would it be worthwhile to create a new thread so that the other players know that the game has started? Also, then the explanation of how to play can be put more upfront instead of slightly scattered?

Also, as to military- would the poor people of the city be counted as Rural Levies or something different?

[Polycarp]

Would it be worthwhile to create a new thread so that the other players know that the game has started?

I don't think so, but I'll try and catch Llum and Sarisa on IRC so they know.

Also, then the explanation of how to play can be put more upfront instead of slightly scattered?

Alright, I'll work on that.

Also, as to military- would the poor people of the city be counted as Rural Levies or something different?

Arming the poor is a historically controversial topic that has troubled civilizations around the world.  Generally, Italian communes of the 12th century avoided training or drafting the urban poor because they didn't trust them - unlike the politically active middle class, the poor were viewed as too easily manipulated by the wealthy upper classes, in the same way that anyone can stir up a riot in Rome with a speech and a bit of bribery.  The peasants of the contado that make up the rural levy are themselves a step above landless farm laborers, the kind of people that make up Rome's poor; it's doubtful that the urban poor could afford to bring anything to war, let alone a bow (and they certainly wouldn't know how to use it).  When the poor were drafted, it was generally as noncombatants, men with picks, spades, shovels, and so on who could contribute raw labor to a siege but little else.

If the Senate wished to arm the poor, they could, but they would have to pay for it themselves.  Currently, the Senate pays nothing when the militia is called up because the militia provides all its own equipment.  There is also the question of what a mob of poor laborers would do once they had proper weapons...

[LD]

[ic=Privately to Manzinni]
Manzinni, Pierlioni is descendent from Jews. Who will the pope see in guile BUT him?
* * *[/ic]

[ic=To Bernardo, Privately]
Eh, was not Pierloni a major sponsor of the Pope? Were they not bosom-friends at the supper table, drowning in the fruit of the vine during the negotiations? Politically he may be anathema, but I recall they were close. Eh, maybe that was Petroni. Age leads to confusion in names. It is warm here... Rome is burning in confusion. Giordano Pierloni... he led Rome's Senate...A Pope must crown an Emperor, or we need not have an Emperor; we need 'A' Pope, or we need an army. *Wanders Off Muttering to himself*[/ic]

[Polycarp]

Llum was asking me earlier about how much "1 Wealth" is really worth.  The answer is that it's abstract for a reason – finding out the prices of things in 12th century Italy is basically an impossible task.  In most cases, the value of things was figured in silver; gold was rare in Europe and not used in currency save in Sicily beginning around this time, but it was much more widespread in the Islamic world and Byzantium.

[spoiler=A denier of Frederick "Barbarossa" Hohenstaufen]
[/spoiler]
The denier was a silver coin originally issued by Charlemagne; the name comes from the Roman denarius.  There were 240 deniers in one pound of silver.  How much could a pound of silver buy?

• 122 pounds of "good Pisan deniers" was the total investment of two Pisan merchants in 1163 for trade goods carried on a ship bound for Tunis.
• 150, 200, and 400 pound licenses were issued to three different Italian merchants in the late 12th century, allowing them to freely trade cargo worth that amount in Genoa annually.
• 3,000 pounds was the amount the King of England sold the office of Archbishop of York for in the 12th century.
• 9,000 pounds was the amount the city of Milan had to pay as an indemnity when it surrendered to Emperor Frederick Barbarossa in 1158.
• 30,000 pounds was the amount that Barbarossa's scholars estimated he could gain in annual income if he was able to restore all his "imperial rights" in Italy, from taxes and duties on the cities and feudatories of Italy.
• 100,000 pounds was the amount England paid for the ransom of King Richard "the Lionheart;" it nearly bankrupted the entire country and plunged the monarchy deep into debt.

Based on this, I would estimate "one Wealth" to be a three-digit number of pounds – probably somewhere between 100 and 300 pounds of silver.  I'm not going to get any more precise than that because it will get me in trouble, and it's an abstract measurement anyway.  Suffice it to say that a ship's hold full of your average trade goods is about 1 Wealth, and a king's ransom is far beyond your means.

[Stargate525]

[ic=To Bernardo, Privately]
Eh, was not Pierloni a major sponsor of the Pope? Were they not bosom-friends at the supper table, drowning in the fruit of the vine during the negotiations? Politically he may be anathema, but I recall they were close. Eh, maybe that was Petroni. Age leads to confusion in names. It is warm here... Rome is burning in confusion. Giordano Pierloni... he led Rome's Senate...A Pope must crown an Emperor, or we need not have an Emperor; we need 'A' Pope, or we need an army. *Wanders Off Muttering to himself*[/ic]

[ic]*Bernardo looks at the tottering man quizzically, shrugs, and returns to the Senate floor, chuckling a little bit.*[/ic]

[Elemental_Elf]

[spoiler]
Picture: [spoiler][/spoiler]

Name: Domenico  DeRosa
Age: 56
Class: Noble

Influence: 6
Popularity: 5
Wealth: 5
Orthodoxy: 4

According to family history, the DeRosa family were originally a minor noble family from northern Castile. The Family grew to prominence during the early Reconquista, amassed great wealth via the spoils of war. Daughter of the family's patriarch, Camila DeRosa, was shamed and forced into exile by her father for secretly taking a Moor as her husband (the records do not list a name for this man). Camila and her Moorish Husband decided to travel to the Italian Peninsula, with the hope of using what little wealth they were able to sneak on their person to gain fame and fortune. Camila and her husband convinced a distant cousin, one Niccolo DeRosa, to take them to Genoa.  About midway between Barcelona and Genoa, the ship was attacked by Muslim Pirates. A furious battle was had, which saw the merchants soundly defeat the pirates, however, Camila's Husband was slain during the assault. Captain Niccolo DeRosa, who was an old widower, took pity on Camila and married her once they reached Genoa. The two had nine daughters and two sons.

The younger of the two sons, one Domenico DeRosa, moved to Rome to continue his family's mercantile ventures. Over the course of seven years, Domenico DeRosa gained fame and fortune in and around Rome for his cool headed nature and his business acumen. While in Rome, he met a beautiful woman by the name of Rosaria Lando. The Lando family was of noble birth but had become quite impoverished, Rosaria's grandfather gambled away his family's fortune. After a two-year courtship, Rosaria's father - Giuseppe - consented to a marriage but only in exchange for a very large dowry. Shortly after their marriage, Rosaria's father died. Acting quickly, Domenico quietly hired an assassin to kill Rosaria's only remaining living relative, and thus heir to her father's noble title - Giovanni Zorzi. The Assassin was accurate and subtle, making the murder appear to be nothing more than a hunting accident. Domenico then bribed every official and noble necessary to ensure he would be named Signore..

Over the years Domenico has strengthened his position within Rome's nobility but is still shunned by many of the more conservative Nobles for his foreign Castilian blood. The darkest family secret - that being that they are related to a woman who married outside of the Christian faith - has largely been kept a secret. However, a noble, named Larenzo Pitti, caught wind of the secret and blackmailed Domenico out of a year's worth of profits prior to the marriage. Though Larenzo has remained quiet, there is no telling if he will ever let the secret slip. Needless to say, Domenico keeps a close eye on what Larenzo Pitti.

Domenico and Rosaria have had a total of ten children, nine of whom made it past their first year. His two oldest sons, Roberto and Diego, went on crusade - both died before reaching Jerusalem. His third oldest son, Leonardo, has shown himself to be a competent fighter, poet and businessman. Domenico is quite protective of Leonardo, especially after the deaths of Roberto and Diego. Two of his daughters, Isabella and Elena, are married while a third, Catarina, is currently seeking a suitor. His second eldest daughter, Serafina, is now twenty-two years old and was married to Giovanni Morosini, who was a wealthy merchant. He spent his fortune to purchase a ship that he used to ferry Crusaders to the Holy Land. Egyptian Pirates caught sight of his ship near Crete and, after a battle, slaughtered everyone on board and took the ship as their own. Word of the tragedy only reached poor Serafina, after a Genoese captain recaptured the ship and realized who it originally belonged to. Domenico's three remaining children - Grazia, Alberto and Giacomo - have not yet reached the age of ten.

Quick Reference for Family, Friends and Enemies:
[spoiler]
FAMILY (Living)
- Rosaria  DeRosa: Wife of Domenico.
- Leonardo DeRosa: Eldest Son, being groomed to take over after Domenico passes away.
- Isabella Molin: Eldest daughter, married to a noble named Calro Molin.
- Serfina Morosini: Second oldest daughter, married to Giovanni Morosini, a merchant, who died ferrying crusaders to the Holy Land.
- Elena Moro: Third oldest daughter, married to Paolo Moro, a wealthy business partner of Domenico's.
- Grazia DeRosa: Fourth daughter, currently nine years old.
- Alberto DeRosa: Fourth oldest Son, currently 8 years old.
- Giacomo DeRosa: Fifth oldest Son, currently 7 years old.

- Calro Molin: A noble married to Isabella. He is a close ally of the DeRosa family.
- Paolo Moro: Married to Elena, he is a wealthy business partner of Domenico's.


FAMILY (Deceased)
- Camila DeRosa: Mother of Domenico. Fled Castile after secretly marrying a Moor. After her husband's untimely death, she married  Niccolo DeRosa.
-  Niccolo DeRosa: A wealthy businessman originally from Castile but immigrated to Genoa. Fathered Domenico.
- Roberto DeRosa: Eldest son of Domenico, shot down by an arrow near Antioch.
- Diego DeRosa: Second oldest son of Domenico, died of dysentery outside of Tripoli.  

- Giuseppe Lando: Rosaria's father, he was an impoverished Noble with but one daughter.
- Giovanni Morosini: Husband of Serfina, died ferrying crusaders to the Holy land.


ENEMIES
- Larenzo Pitti: A rival noble, knows the DeRosa secret and has blackmailed Domenico once (may do so again).
- Tomaso Steno: A Wealthy merchant who despises Domenico because Domenico was able to steal the heart of his beloved Rosaria.   [/spoiler]


[/spoiler]