The first Province to go over to Alanicus is Macedonia, Alanicus has been working on the officials of the Province in his lead up to conquest and with a tidy sum of Denarii each, they gladly flock to his banner. Alanicus now uses the immense wealth of the Eastern provinces to build an amphitheatre in Thrace, a very generous thing to do people say, so early on in the Campaign, but Alanicus nods graciously and says "This is just the tip of what I can offer you If I assend to the throne". With this statement the Provinces of Asia and Pontus, long disillusioned with Rome come over to his side. There has been much unhappiness and unrest in the East since the start of the war and it is this discord that Alanicus now capitalises on.
Alanicus is using his vast collected wealth to draw the greedy Provinces to him like moths to a flame.A great, vast marble quarry is established in Macedonia and in that same month, Galatia bows to his will, with the help of a few Denarii of course. With his immense generosity, Alanicus is gathering much support in the East and is soon known as Alanicus the Benevolent, everything is going much to his plan, by the time Secundus and the other one find out what's going on, Alanicus will have armies of his own.
The new Emperor has risen in the East and will soon set in the West....on the throne of Rome no less, If his treasury holds out that is.
(As recorded by Paulus the Scribe on the site of Alanicus's speech to the Galatians)
ReplyDelete"Listen to me my brothers and sisters, listen!
I come to you not to conquer you but to free you! I come not to shackle you in chains but to make you masters! We are of the same blood you and I, we are of the same mind, and I would have you follow me, not through fear, but through kinship.
I have no fear of betrayal, nor of resistence to my call. Not from my proud and virtuous eastern brothers. I have no need of bribes or platitudes. I give my money freely and liberally, not because I need to, no, but because my subjects DESERVE it! Yay, they are mighty and proud my loyal citizens, and do not such mighty and proud citizens deserve glory? Deserve freedom? Deserve RICHES!?
All that join me shall share in my fortunes. For you are my brothers, my sisters, one and all. The wealth in my purse is the wealth in yours. For would you not share riches with YOUR brother?
Nay, I have no fear of disloyalty here. For all the East shall pledge allegience to my cause, and they shall do so willingly. For is not the East the cradle of knowledge and wisdom? All here know the power of my authority. They know my claim is true and shall be loyal to me to a man. I fear not the opposition of any eastern citizen - for easterners have sense!
Join me! Join me! Come to me my brothers and sisters, kin one and all! Spend my riches, grow fat on my food, rejoice in my victories. Share my POWER!
My benevolent generosity knows no bounds. Follow my cause faithfully, be true to me, and I in turn will for ever be true to you.
To you Galatians I say to you now, as once your kind swept all before them, as once your enemies quaked in fear of you, so they shall do so again! Step under my Eagle, folow my lead and you shall know GLORY!
And to my other loyal subjects in the East: all ye Asians, ye Punii, ye Syrians, Scythians and Egyptians; You Macedonians, Thracians, Illyrians and Greeks - All of you of culture and history and rightfully proud, join me as these mighty Galatians shall today; reclaim your heritage, relive the glories of you ancestors and make the world shudder beneath your feet once more, as did your fathers before you. Such is your rightful heritage, your rightful station, and your time to claim it is NOW.
No opposition will resist me. No army can defeat me. I will be master of the world! Come share in this destiny. Be one with the Emperor! To me the East, to meeee!"
This speech transcribed, duplicated and distributed throughout the Eastern provinces.
(Bwhahahahhaaaaaaa They're mine, all miiine!)