The Republic Reborn

[Nomadic]

I'm glad that things are back to normal for you carp. I would be happy to continue. I unfortunately won't be available until next week since I have family coming over to visit during the weekend but I will get my orders in as soon as possible.

[Polycarp]

Not a problem.  We've been off for a while, so a slow startup is nothing to worry about.

[ic=Pope Alexander III to the Senate of Rome]Romans,

I am greatly aggrieved that the selection of a new Vicar of Christ has been the cause of bloodshed.  One man’s honor, even if it be the honor of the papal mantle itself, is not worth the blood of Christians.  I was not eager to take the throne nor do I consider myself a worthy successor to the pious and noble Adrian.  Nevertheless, I have been called to serve by the overwhelming majority of the College of Cardinals, in whom authority to make this selection has been instilled, and I dare not shirk this burden which has been bestowed solemnly upon my shoulders.

I am not a Roman, this is true; but I am Bishop of Rome, and I will forever hold Saint Peter’s city in my heart.  I tell you now that I am not King William’s vicar, nor Oddone Frangipani’s vicar; I am the Vicar of Christ Jesus.  I am not a servant to this man or that, but rather I am called to be a servant to mankind.  When I speak to you it is with my own words, in my own name and that of the Holy Church.

Christendom must not be subjected to schism and war.  I urge the Romans and their Senate to not rush to an ill-considered partisanship which threatens to turn the sacred rites of the papal office into a low and scurrilous brawl for power.  I pray to God that the bloodshed of two days past will be the last blood between Christians that is shed in my name.  With God's aid those mislead by the illegitimate Octavian will see the folly of their allegiance and return to the true and undivided Church, and those that would pervert the canons and traditions of the Church only to further their own pride will be humbled.  I pray that righteousness will prevail and the Romans and their leaders will be guided by wisdom.

Alexander Tertius episcopus, Servus Servorium Dei[/ic]

[ic=Pope Victor IV to the Senate of Rome]Countrymen,

With force of arms and the blessings of God, the conniving usurper and foreign puppet Rolando has been expelled from this most holy place.  The Romans have defended their honor and their city, even though suffering the ravages of the faithless knighthood which has unwisely chosen the obedience of a man who is at the head of a conspiracy to divide Church from Empire and create strife and war throughout Christendom.

Although I am rightfully the Vicar of Christ, it is not my wish to divide His seamless garment.  The faithful shall and ought to be united, and the designs of those who would divide them by the grace of God shall be frustrated.  Accordingly we shall not press for an immediate coronation, but shall delay as long as conscience should bear in order to allow those cardinals who have rejected their true head to reconcile with us.  I am assured that the faithful Emperor is friendly to our cause, and if this divide cannot be reconciled, I shall call upon him to resolve the dispute as is his right.

Although I pray for peace between all Christians, it has already been demonstrated that the servants of Rolando Bandinelli who would benefit from his elevation will not hesitate to use the sword to enforce their will and enslave the Holy Church.  Accordingly I call upon the Romans to prepare themselves for the defense of their city and their Church, and to work strenuously in words and in arms to defeat the enemies of unity and Christendom and compel the intransigent to abandon schism and falsehood and embrace the true Church and its true head.

Victor Quartus episcopus, Servus Servorium Dei[/ic]

[ic=Cardinal Gregorio to the Senate]I ask that the body of my nephew, Antonio Demetri della Suburra, be brought to his residence, and that men of my house be permitted to enter the city and take him from there that he may be given a proper burial.

Gregorio Demetri della Suburra, Cardinal-Bishop of Sabina[/ic]

[ic=Cencio Pierleoni to the Senate]As the nephew of Giordano Pierleoni, Patrician of Rome, and as his heir designated by him as many witnesses will attest, I, Cencio Pierleoni, hereby do lay claim to his lands, his titles, and all his property insofar as they are lawfully heritable and as it pleases God and his Holy Church.[/ic]

[ic=Oddone Frangipani to the Senate]It is plain to all that I faithfully observed the agreement made with the Romans and remained apart from the city, until it was observed from my camp that a fire had begun in the Leonine City which was surely a sign of distress.  Upon arriving at the Leonine with my knights, I was admitted by the armsmen of the lawful prefect of the city, only to be immediately and without any provocation attacked by a Roman mob raised in defiance of peace and law by the representatives of the Emperor, and to find that the lawful prefect had been slain by mercenary armsmen who had infiltrated the city.  Then entreated by the lawful Pope, Alexander III, to safeguard him from the ruthless mob and the Pierleonist arsonists that threatened his life, I withdrew with him and the cardinals from the city.  No reasonable man could impugn my actions or motives, performed solely to aid the lawful prefect and the lawful Pope.

I call upon the Senate of Rome to effect swift punishment upon those who stirred the Roman people to violence, murdered the Roman prefect, and attempted the murder of the lawful pontiff.  These abominable crimes cry out for justice, and if the Senate is silent in the face of these outrageous acts they will acknowledge themselves as culpable in their commission.

Signore Oddone Frangipani, Lord of Tolfa[/ic]

[Magnus Pym]

[ic=Before a full-house meeting of the consiliarii in the Lesser Council]Council colleagues, greetings. I am sure we all have much to do, so I'll get right to it. I do have a major preference for backing Octavianni in the current papal conflict. To support this preference I have a few reasons.

First, he helped us where Rolando and his backers sought only to obstruct. It is because of He that our voice was heard in Anagni and the procession for the late Pope successfully held in Rome, as our people demanded.

Following this is the fact that both popes are weak now, for none commands the full authority of the position. Because of this, we can push for the cancellation, or amendment, of the Treaty of Campus Neronius from whichever Pope we decide to back. However, Rolando is unlikely to submit to this, while Octavianni might very well be amenable to this idea in exchange for support.

Furthermore, as we align ourselves with His Imperial Majesty it would be wise to support his preferred candidate, especially if it suits us, and in this case it seems to be Octavianni.

And finally, he is a Roman. No doubt some will brand me senseless and a moron, but none can deny that in his heart Rome will forever occupy a great place, and the effects of this will surely be to our benefit.

There is no doubt that throwing our lot with him might mean that difficult months will lie ahead, but this Senate has been successful in navigating many crises, and this one, I am sure, will be no exception.

Thank you.[/ic]

[Nomadic]

[ic=Before the Lesser Council]
I see no faults with what the good Senator di Venti has said. It is unfortunate that the late master Pierleoni was unable to put to rest this farce and that he paid for his honorable actions with his life. We are however, in a strong position. I for one do not doubt the legitimacy of the rightful Pope Victor and likewise would urge that we back him while we do sit in such a position. Such a split has happened in the past and great damage was done when the usurper rallied many kings and other nobles to his cause. Yet this time Europa is on our side, I do not doubt that the Emperor will back the legitimate pope and the Romans who support him in this. We must act swiftly on this matter, it is almost certain that the Frangipani and their friends will use every moment we give them to foment discord throughout Latium. Standing up to them and their schemes shall certainly cause pain for Rome, yet how much more pain shall we endure if we bend over meekly for those who would seek to sully the holy church for their own selfish gain? I say we throw our weight behind Pope Victor, that we call upon the Emperor to recognize and back his legitimate claim, and that we halt this plot now before it has time to take full root.
[/ic]

[Polycarp]

[ooc=Due Date]Orders for this turn are due Saturday, September 13th.[/ooc]

While the big issue is obviously the Papal schism, a number of other issues are still before the Senate as noted in the last update.  In particular:

• How to deal with the dispute between the Bishop of Rieti and the Consuls of Rieti, and whether to support one or the other
• Whether Rome should act or intervene in any way in the Orvieto-Acquapendente war, which has already dragged in many of the local nobles
• How to deal with the bread crisis, still ongoing due to the disruption the Tusculani raiding caused to last year's planting season
• Whether to accept the proposal given to the Lesser Council regarding Pandolfo Cassi

Also, the previous update list on the first page has been updated to include links to all the September 1159 events.

[LD]

[ic=Before the Lesser Council]I find Octavian's assertions fair, and his preference for the protection of the fair city of Rome speaks greatly for his character. A proper Cardinal or Pope has nothing to fear from Rome. As to the other positions expressed in this chamber related to the situation, I do find them plausible. If we are to renegotiate a Treaty, the issue of the mint, which I will presently discuss (see below) should be addressed[/ic]

[ic=Lesser Council]
Announcements
As one of my final tasks as Interior Consul of Rome, I made a survey of some properties and the use to which they could be put. Below is information regarding the Senate's state properties:

Tabularium
"Technically the Senate also "owns" the Tabularium, a decrepit old building on the Capitoline that used to be the archive building of the ancient Romans.  The building was partially converted into a fortress by the Corsi family, but it was stormed by Patrician Pierleoni in 1144 (while he still led the Commune) and was the site of the battle in 1145 between the Commune and the forces of Pope Lucius II, who attempted to retake the city from the newly formed Senate (with largely Frangipani forces) but was driven back and mortally wounded in the process.  It has been held by the Senate since then.  The building has been mostly unused save for the lowest story, which is utilized as the Senate's impromptu treasury.  Something could probably be done with this structure – it is certainly in a good defensive position – but it would need a lot of work.  Only the lowest story even has a roof."

Taxation on the Aqueduct
"Nobody is quite sure how you would measure aqueduct water to tax it, exactly, seeing as the only functional aqueduct just empties into an above-ground cistern that anyone can collect from.  It might be possible to post guards and measure out the water, but this would sharply limit access and would require maintaining a round-the-clock guard presence there, possibly eating into any revenues.

"In ancient times, some houses had their own direct connections to the aqueducts, but the science of plumbing is not so advanced as it once was.  If in the future men build estates near the aqueduct, they might potentially be taxed for building a diversion to take water directly from the aqueduct.  So far, however, relocations to the area of the aqueduct have been minimal."

Mint Issues
The mint just began its work this past season, as noted above, on a run of billon (silver-copper) deniers struck with the symbol of the city on one side and the name and image of the late prefect Pietro Colonna on the other.  The quantities made so far, however, have not been great, and after an initial flurry of production the mint seems to have drawn down somewhat.

When questioned on this issue, the monetarius Senator Romolo Vannetti explained that while the prefect is no longer in the city, he has not been ordered to break the prefect's rules, namely that Rome should not coin money of silver or gold, and that Rome should not destroy Papal currency.  This is the reason why Senator Basile authorized him to strike billon coins (an alloy of silver and copper), which evidently the prefect allowed.  It is also why not many have been struck to date; since it cannot melt down and re-strike Papal deniers, the mint is left with only that part of the Senatorial treasury that is both silver and non-Papal to use, which is fairly small (in fact, it consisted mainly of plunder from the Tivoli campaign years ago, including candlesticks and tableware, that had been sitting about in the Tabularium).  That silver has now been converted, and without another source there is very little for the mint to use.  The mint has not produced a profit because it was ordered to mint 3 to 1 copper-silver deniers with the same value; no profit is made by minting a quarter-denier which is worth a quarter-denier.  To make a profit, the mint would have to either 1) debase the new currency, 2) acquire a source of pure silver (such as a mine) that would be tempered with copper and thus debased, or 3) recall currency from the population to re-strike it and either debase it or return it only in part as a tax, but this would violate the prohibition against re-striking Papal deniers.

Theater of Marcellus Issues
Nobody would actually be "tossed" from the Theater of Marcellus save perhaps a few vagrants camping inside; unlike the Colosseum, it has not in recent history been used for apartments or workshops, having been a fortress of the Pierleoni until its acquisition by the Senate.  It is quite possible that the space "under the bleachers," so to speak, could be turned into rentable apartments.  Whether the theater can do both that and serve as a barracks probably depends on the size of the force being barracked, though it's worth noting that using the building for rental properties would probably compromise its value as a fortification, which might not be ideal if the soldiers barracked therein are expected to be able to defend the theater itself from attack.
[/ic]

[ooc=Orders]
Armies
-1 WP Upkeep

FORGE MILL:
-20 Palatini defend Forge Mill. Two act as runners to bring assistance in case there is a threat. Also, raise flag if threatened.

PATROL:
-20 Palatini (on patrol through through my holdings in X, XI, XII. Patrol ones will respond to unrest in my districts and will send a runner for assistance to Senator Basile and DeVinti; if the disturbance is an another district where I do not have interests, then just give me an intra turn PM, please.) Patrol will also respond to reinforce my home if necessary. If my home is assaulted, send a runner to Basile and DeVinti. If someone else is assaulted, please PM me. Patrol will respond to disturbances at the Forge Mill, if necessary.

MANZINNI VILLA:
-10 Palatini (or the balance remaining of Palatini, if I miscounted) at or near home. Half of these Palatini will respond to disturbances at the Forge Mill, if necessary.
-All Masnada at home. Raise flag if threatened.

Construction
*None

Inquiries
* Survey Pierleone's Holdings. E.g. How much WP do his lands generate per season, how many soldiers does he employ, how much Defense Points are his towers worth?
* Survey Church Holdings in Rome and just outside the city walls. E.g. How much WP do these properties generate. (the actual churches v. the land/businesses owned by the churches)
* Express condolences to Cencio Pierleone, send several gifts and be present at the funeral.
* Begin crafting several high quality azzardo craps tables (4 prototypes) or locate who can make high quality looking ones if the former command is not possible.
* From my independent research, playing cards, like the game of Naip, were imported to Spain in 1371. Around the 1290s the Persians had playing cards, and the Chinese had playing cards in 1120 and they were widespread in China by 1131. Would it be possible to develop playing card games, or would that be too far a leap here. Given my connections to the Holy Lands, it is not impossible that an early Persian playing card may have been played by a well-traveled Saracen who then took it to the Holy Lands and from whom, one of my seamen may have learned. If so, have Leonardo and Rodrigo begin learning and perfecting the rules of the game. If not, focus on developing high quality craps tables and making them look ornate and have test runs among the masnada and my family only. If popular, consider making the tables opulent, with golden cresting. Create a picturebook demonstrating the rules of the game.

Council
*None

Policy
*Neutrality in the Northern Conflict unless the Imperial representative makes a promise.
*Choose either side in Rieti, no strong opinion at the moment.
*della Suburba Burial: I would hand the body over at the gates of the city.
*Pope Octavian in Rome.

Notes
Due to forge mill bonus, my masnada are considered armored.

Bonus:  If you own at least one Forge Mill, upkeep for armored soldiers is reduced by 1 WP for every 3 WP in upkeep you pay (that is, reduced by 33%).  Your 25 free masnada are also considered armored at no extra cost to you.  In addition, for each Forge Mill you own, you can equip up to 100 soldiers with armor in a single season; normally, producing that amount of armor can take up to a year.  You may "lend" this last ability to other players who are raising armored forces.

Total Expected Expenditures
1 WP.

[/ooc]

[Magnus Pym]

[ic=Letter to Roberto Basile]Signore Basile,
I know you are busy navigating the papal crisis and dealing with the power struggle in Rieti, so I will make my request brief.

A messenger for the despicable Pandolfo Cassi was sent to us. Obviously, I was against the idea at first, but the Prefect still existed then and there weren't too popes vying for the seat of St. Peter. If you would appoint me as deputy in this matter, I endeavor to get ahold of his plans while at the same time protecting us from scandal.

Hugo De Vinti[/ic]

[ooc=Question]Polycarp, does the Bishop of Rieti have close ties to Octavianni? Would he be leaning Victor's or Alexander's side? Is it something we would know?[/ooc]

[LD]

[ic=Lesser Council Regarding Cassi]
Pandolfo Cassi offers intelligence against the Frangipani's allies. This intelligence would likely come at a cost of angering the descendants of Colonna, who have absented themselves from Rome after their Father's demise. I have no strong opinion on this matter although I did have a positive relationship with Colonna- it was personal- his son has not appeared to be a great friend of Rome, nor has he particularly been welcoming of my entreaties--though nor has he been an enemy. If Rome has no near plans to march against Tivoli, I would counsel to not make an enemy out of a neutral.[/ic]


[ic=Lesser Council on Aquadepencia]It would seem that the pro-Imperial Aquadepencians would be the better side to support in the conflict, if one must be supported. But it also seems that Rome has little to benefit other than sacrificing the lives of its men to defend a town that has already expressed a wish to not be subject to a commune and who wishes to be subject only to the Emperor. Rome would receive no reward save the loot from the sack of Orvieto- if it would be accomplished. Politically, if the Imperials requested our involvement, that may make the matter worth investigating, but seeing as how involvement would endanger Rome and Roman lives for little gain save possible friendship, and while involvement would almost certainly disrupt the Spring pilgrimage system- non-involvement brings hope that some pilgrims may be permitted to come... Additionally, involvement will likely frighten more action from would-be-enemies in the Falsican League- I counsel neutrality.[/ic]

No comment on bread at the moment.
No comment on Rieti at the moment.

[Magnus Pym]

[ic=In the Lesser Council]Perhaps waiting for the Emperor to make a request is ill advised. Surely His Majesty would be willing to grant us a reasonable wish if we were pro-active in defending our and His interests. It is vital that the roads that lead to Rome be safe and well traveled next Spring. With the popes so weakened, we can finally profit from the influx of pilgrims and fill our coffers with money that will be much in demand when, and if, a war sparks. Perhaps Rome could propose to be a mediator in the conflict?[/ic]

[Polycarp]

[ooc=Due Date]By request, the due date for orders has been delayed to Sunday, September 14th.[/ooc]

Polycarp, does the Bishop of Rieti have close ties to Octavianni? Would he be leaning Victor's or Alexander's side? Is it something we would know?

It's only been a few days since the schism, and hardly anyone has formally taken sides yet, so you don't know which candidate he favors.

You do know that the bishop was appointed to his position in 1137 by Antipope Anacletus II, born Pietro Pierleoni, the brother of the late Patrician Giordano Pierleoni.  Anacletus died a year later, ending the schism of 1130 and bringing the Frangipani-backed Pope Innocent II back to Rome.  Dodone managed to retain his position under Innocent, so he obviously reconciled with Innocent's party, but then again most people reconciled after Anacletus was dead and the Frangipani had obviously won.

Before he was a bishop, Dodone was a Cistercian monk, the same order as the Abbey of Tre Fontane and Pope Eugene III.  That said, Dodone was never at Tre Fontane, nor was he known to be particularly close to Eugene.

Having been in office since 1137, he was present during the Norman sack of Rieti (well, not present, as he was forced to flee to the hills) and was likewise present when the Romans subsequently helped rebuild the city.

The Bishop has not been very prominent in politics outside of Rieti and Sabina, but he was indeed a proponent of the Roman alliance.  Had he not been, it's unlikely it would have been established.  Whether indeed "no man has been a greater friend to Rome" [his words] is up to you to decide.

There really isn't any firm evidence to suggest that Dodone is particularly partial to either Octavian/Victor or Rolando/Alexander.

[LD]

[ic=Before the Inner Council]
Emperor's Involvement
I do not expect to hear from the Emperor in time, but if his representatives request it, you may have the better of the argument. As it is, no Imperial representative in Rome has requested aid and I would not risk the safety of Rome for some imagined possible benefits. We have far more pressing problems with the Frangipani at the gates rather than to drive more allies into their arms.

I defer to the Consul of the Exterior whether we can spare men to aid in the north and defend Rome. Can it be done? If so, then let us bring the Imperial Representative before this Council to extract promises, perhaps a lesser burden of taxation, or a grant of lands that can benefit the Commune and any Equites who lend their horses to the cause.

Suburba Burial
I would hand the body over at the gates of the city rather than to permit entry of Cardinal Gregorio's men. Given that the popolo have rioted before and that Antonio was not well loved, it would be better for order that the passage of the corpse be done far from the crowds with as much honor as can be mustered.

Frangipani Response

As I am not the Consul of the Exterior, I merely suggest a response. As we have agreed, Octavian likely will be more amenable to the aims of Rome and I believe we should bring Octavian before the Inner Council to speak on what his plans are, or to request an audience with him and to present to him a new Charter for Rome. If we oppose this false pope, we should wholeheartedly stand by the other. And immediately after Octavian makes his decision to assume the rights of his Papal election, rather than later, we can best extract our concessions. Merely by protecting him, we will be seen to have been in collusion with him, so why should we not benefit from his selection. We should, for example, seek concessions regarding the minting of coins- (see above post discussing why the Mint has not made money). Either we benefit, or we turn him out.

What preparations have been made for the defense of Rome when we inform the Frangipani that their pope is false?

I suggest we assert we forgive Oddone his transgression to enter into Rome given as to the chaotic and uncertain circumstances and we ask that he permit the Cardinals and others who fled in the chaos to return where they can be properly seated and the College can meet in peace.[/ic]

[ooc]Request an Audience with Octavian, to come before the Inner Council[/ooc]

[Nomadic]

[ic=Before the Lesser Council]
I would support requesting an audience with the Pope and likewise support the suggestion of offering to forgive Oddone. It would be good for us to be seen as merciful in this as it may help heal any schisms.
[/ic]

[ooc=Orders]
- Pay [6 WP] for rent
- Pay [1 WP] palatini upkeep

- Due to current events much of Sismondii's time has focused on the matter of the pope however he will send out letters of re-assurance to Guillelmi that he has not forgotten their talks and means to follow through once this difficult matter has been seen through to its conclusion.
- On that note he will put out some subtle feelers to see what sort of support he might expect for formalized guild structure he could possibly expect once the more pressing issues with the pope have been put to rest.
- Work will continue as normal in Nettuno/Antium, obviously with the harvest in full swing that will likely not be much but Sismondii will do what he can to continue work on the mole and the roads and to maintain everything.
- Sismondii will personally visit with the Pieleoni family if permitted to offer his condolences over their loss.
[/ooc]

[Polycarp]

[ooc=Due Date]By request (due to illness), the due date for orders has been delayed to Sunday, September 21st.[/ooc]

Request an Audience with Octavian, to come before the Inner Council

This should probably take the form of a in-character message to Octavian/Victor.  That said, it's generally customary for people to request an audience with the Pope, not the other way around.  Asking for the Pope to come to you might be considered rather arrogant.

[Polycarp]

Every now and then I find something interesting while doing research for RR.  I thought you might enjoy this.

A few years ago in our game, the Senate (well, mostly de Vinti) paid for repair work to be done on the Aurelian Walls, specifically around the Porta Asinaria near the Lateran.  As it happens, I learned that a rebuilding project in this area actually did take place in 1157, and the Senate at the time posted a plaque there to commemorate it.



"In the year 1157 of the Incarnation of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Roman Senate and people [SPQR] rebuilt these old and dilapidated walls, when the senators were Sasso, Johannes de Alberico, Roieri Buccacane, Pinzo Filippo, Johannes de Parenzo, Petrus Deutesalvi, Cencio de Ansoino, Rainaldo Romano, and Nicola Mannetto."

[Magnus Pym]

Nice!
So all these guys contributed to the repairs back then?