Strabo, who thought he had figured everything out was infuriated by Tiberius' treacherous intentions.
However—
From beginning to end, Tiberius had never even considered him.
He simply continued, "Perhaps in the short term, you all think this is a good thing.
But no one has stopped to considered that if this is how we choose our officials, who will be elected if they don't have money?
After spending a fortune just to win an election, where will they recoup their losses?!"
As Tiberius passionately shouted—
It was as if a bucket of cold water had been thrown on the crowd's fiery anger.
Suddenly, one by one, they all froze and became calm.
Indeed—
To become an official, one must learn to bribe and spend money, but would a truly ambitious person stoop to buying votes?
Would they engage in such dirty dealings and collusion?
They had only focused on the joy of receiving money and the excitement of free celebrations, but had never considered—what would happen to Rome if all its officials were replaced by such people?
The crowd shivered.
Such a simple truth—even the most ordinary citizens could easily understand it.
No one would be foolish enough to spend vast sums of money just to buy a hollow title.
They weren't children anymore.
They knew full well that people only strive and fight for what is profitable.
Just as Rome coveted the lands and wealth of other nations, leading to wars of conquest.
These truths weren't beyond people's understanding, but they had simply never cared, falling into a blind spot.
Some might have realized it, but knowing that change would be difficult, they chose to pretend ignorance.
But now there was one person—or rather, there were a few people—who were no longer asleep.
They had awoken from their slumber and were trying to wake more people up.
Tiberius: "Let me tell you—
Of course, being elected is profitable—!
Who would engage in a business without gains?
Why do Rome's politicians exhaust their efforts, wracking their brains for even minor positions, constantly expanding their influence?
Why do they go to such great lengths, even falling into massive debt, just to win an election?
Is it to serve the people of Rome once they attain high office? No!
Some may think spending money to win votes is a thankless task, but in Rome;
As long as they seize the opportunity to become the governor of a wealthy province, they can pay off any election debt within a single year of their term.
Meanwhile, in these provinces, they enjoy supreme power, unrestricted by Rome's laws. And in the end, who suffers the most from this system?
It's the people!
Abusing their positions—
The aristocrats and high officials are able to amass vast estates, and who loses out on the land they should have received?
It's the soldiers!
The countless citizens, the men of Rome, who fight on the frontlines, risking their lives.
It's their wages that should have been earned by their sacrifices.
Now, in the north of Rome, land that once belonged to the Etruscans has become estates for Rome's wealthy.
Meanwhile, the soldiers who fought to conquer that land cannot even secure a small farm for themselves.
How many of you have family members or friends who were conscripted and have been away at war for years, never returning?
How many of you have been impoverished because the only pillars of your family went off to war?
How many of you, in your poverty, were forced to sell your children to the aristocrats as slaves?
Those wealthy landlords can't find enough free men to work their fields and are unwilling to distribute the land you deserve.
So in the end—what would happen?
What would happen!!"
As Tiberius roared, "Let me tell you—in the end, they will find ways to turn free citizens into slaves, so that they can harvest endless wealth!
Some might say, 'As long as we never bow our heads, nothing will happen.'
But how long can a person hold out when faced with hunger?!
Relying on your husbands, brothers, and fathers, the only pillars of your family, fighting on the front lines, conquering lands and capturing a large number of captives for Rome.
Among them might be Carthaginians, Spaniards, Gauls, Macedonians, Greeks, or people from outside, with thousands of prisoners sold into slavery.
Even if you can hold out for a while, the aristocrats will never lack cheap labor!
Eventually, your persistence will be crushed and reduced to absurd, meaningless farce.
It will dissolve into hysterical despair and tears.
You have personally abandoned your loved ones, given up on the happiness that was within reach.
This foolishness—that is the second sin!
Let me tell you—!
During the slave revolt in Sicily, it wasn't just slaves.
Many small landowners, free citizens, were also burning down the villas of the great estate owners.
Why do you think the free men helped the slaves in rebellion?
Was it unnecessary pity? "
At this time, the entire central square below the stage was completely silent.
Strabo was even more trembling when he heard this, and his eyes turned to Tiberius with horror.
How—how dare he say these things?!
Some issues in Rome aren't unknown to the upper class; it's just that they're untouchable.
Because once you address them, you threaten the interests of the aristocracy as a whole.
It means offending every noble family—!
Yet Tiberius had now spoken aloud the stark truth about Rome.
The Rome that Tiberius described was no longer a shining beacon, no longer adorned with flowers and thriving prosperity.
Instead, it was filled with filth and corruption, darkness and barbarity, oppression and coercion.
Countless Roman citizens were abruptly awakened—!
Immersed in the bleak vision Tiberius painted, they realized, as they came back to their senses, that their backs were already drenched in cold sweat.
It was as if they had truly seen the day when they, as free citizens, would be forced into slavery.
This—
Is this the truth?
What, then, have they been doing all these years?
Panic, anger, and horror consumed the crowd.
It was terrifying—
Some of these things were happening right in front of them.
Like families whose men had been away fighting for so long that the burden at home became unbearable, leading to financial ruin...
Mothers who had worked themselves to death doing multiple jobs.
Or those who, unable to bear it, had sold off their extra children or siblings.
But how can there be any 'extra' family members?!
Looking back now, the brutal realities that had once filled them with despair—had they truly caused this themselves?!
They were on the verge of collapse!!
If foolishness is a crime, then at this moment, they were unforgivable.
If that were true, as Tiberius had said, they should be ashamed to the point of sinking into the ground.
What a cruel joke.
Our family members bled and sacrificed for the country, yet we were forced into slavery, unable to survive, with families torn apart.
How can such a thing be justified?!!
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