The envoy thought he misheard, as the land offered by the Nix Tribe was not only sizable but also flat, while the land they wanted in exchange was all swamps and marshes, entirely uninhabited, and not even considered part of the Skodisqi Tribe's territory.

Upon receiving the response that "it's no joke," the envoy was overjoyed and agreed without hesitation.

The Nix Tribe and the Skodisqi Tribe reached a land exchange agreement and promised to coexist peacefully in the future, as well as to engage in trade between the two tribes.

To avoid displeasing the Dacians, no alliance was formed between the parties.

...

In 65 BC (the eighth year of the establishment of the Nix Tribe), Caesar was successfully elected as the Municipal Officer of Rome.

During Sula's dictatorship, it was stipulated that "the minimum age to serve as a Municipal Officer is 37," yet Caesar was only 35 at the time, receiving special permission from the Senate.

The extraordinary privilege granted by the Senate was evidently related to his outstanding performance in managing the Appian Way the previous year and his noble lineage.

The duties of the Municipal Officer were almost entirely related to the management of Rome, responsible for maintaining public buildings, supervising the grain supply, conducting market activities… and even overseeing the operation of the house of women.

For the ambitious Caesar, the primary allure of this position lay in his responsibility for public entertainment and festivals, which he could use to win public favor.

Although the state treasury would provide funds to the city government to cover the expenses of these entertainment activities, it was customary for Municipal Officers to host extravagant entertainment events, often paying out of their own pockets to supplement the inadequacies of state funding.

Caesar was not only without money but had also incurred a heap of debt the previous year while managing the Appian Way. Yet he felt no embarrassment, instead continuing to borrow after assuming the Municipal Officer role, with his primary creditor still being Crassus.

Generally, Crassus was rarely generous enough to allow others to borrow repeatedly, accumulating more debt each time, but he evidently saw potential in Caesar's future and continued to provide financial support.

With funding from Crassus, Caesar and another Municipal Officer, Bibulus, organized the seven-day festival in April to commemorate the Earth Mother God Ceres and the fifteen-day Roman festival in September, grand and lavish. The public thoroughly enjoyed these free performances and competitions, totally engrossed.

However, Bibulus, who also bore part of the expenses, complained that all the credit and attention seemed to be monopolized by Caesar, with the public always referencing Municipal Officer Caesar, rather than Municipal Officers Caesar and Bibulus.

Municipal Officer Caesar did something else that stirred the Senate.

He ordered the re-erection of the monument commemorating Marius' victory over the Cimbri and Teutons in the square (Sula's dictatorship had ordered the removal or destruction of these monuments). Most of the public supported this decision, as they still remembered the terrifying atmosphere during the barbarian invasion of Northern Italy, and Marius saved Rome in its time of crisis, a memory worth commemorating.

However, the Conservative elders, led by Catullus, strongly opposed this. Nonetheless, today's circumstances were different, and Caesar persuaded most of the elders, successfully reinstating the monument in the square.

From that point on, seeing the monument in the square, the public would recall the Civilian Faction leader Marius, possibly associating him with his only living relative today—his nephew, Caesar.

............

Brochi, Mazi, and Andizeti were successively occupied by the Nix Tribe, rendering the Pannonian Tribe Alliance virtually non-existent.

Though the Nix Tribe did not advance further, the current situation of the three major Pannonian Tribes to the north was becoming increasingly dire.

They had to guard against the Nix Tribe while also defending against the Boyi people's attacks, finding it exceedingly difficult, especially witnessing the Nix Tribe stabilizing the situation in the newly occupied Mazi and Andizeti areas, which heightened their anxiety.

Thus, at the end of the year, the three tribes sent an envoy to the former Brochi Main Camp to meet with Maximus, hoping to negotiate a truce with the Nix Tribe to attain peace.

Maximus, considering that the Nix Tribe needed to focus all efforts on consolidating the vast newly occupied territories, did not wish for complications during this process. He hoped to relieve these three major Pannonian Tribes of their rear defenses, allowing them to concentrate on repelling the Boyi people's attacks, thereby securing more time for the Nix Tribe.

Eventually, Maximus agreed to the requests of the Pannonian envoy, with one condition: the three major Pannonian Tribes had to acknowledge the Nix Tribe's occupation of Mazi, Brochi, and Andizeti.

The circumstances were overwhelming, forcing the Pannonian envoy to grudgingly recognize the Nix Tribe's new territories, leading to a peace agreement lasting not just one year but five years.

............…

In 64 BC (the ninth year since the Nix Tribe's establishment), Caesar, just stepping down from the Municipal Officer role, assumed the position of court trial judge.

This year saw numerous court trials, nearly half caused by the activities of a Financial Officer named Marcus Porcius Cato.

This Cato was a descendant of the builder of the Appian Way and advocate for the destruction of Carthage—Old Cato.

At this time, Rome, as the Mediterranean's hegemon, continually amassed wealth through war and provincial exploitation, and the vast majority of Senators and Nobles had long forsaken the austere style of the early Republic, leading indulgent and extravagant lifestyles.

Figures such as the renowned orator and lawyer Hortensius flaunted wealth with luxurious mansions and gardens;

Individuals like Lucullus, newly returned to Rome from the East, engaged in creating saltwater ponds, breeding sea fish, and indulging in exotic delicacies;

Youths such as the Senate's rising star Caesar reveled in affairs with famous women and noble ladies, tales spreading throughout the streets;

Persons like the eldest daughter of the esteemed Claudius family, Claudia Metri, who owned a notorious villa in Baie known for unchecked debauchery, rumored to have countless male companions...

In this morally declining Roman society, Little Cato stood out, inheriting the character of his illustrious ancestors, living an extremely frugal life, and demonstrating unwavering determination.

This year, as a Financial Officer, Little Cato did not treat the position as a mere stepping stone up the political ladder, delegating routine management work to the long-term staff specifically responsible for such matters. Instead, he involved himself personally, scrutinizing every detail of the work.

Despite his peers' obstruction, he dismissed and prosecuted numerous clerks who embezzled from the state treasury. He also investigated some irregularities left from Sula's dictatorship: Sula had allowed favored confidants to borrow from the Republic's treasury without repayment.

He persistently pursued these borrowers until all funds were recovered.

He also launched a special investigation targeting bounty hunters who, during Sula's dictatorship, killed those exiled, receiving a reward.

Cato's series of actions gained public support, as the terror of Sula's exiling of political enemies lingered in the public's memory. Many seized the opportunity, seeking to accuse these bounty hunters.

Caesar, without a doubt, was very happy to preside over these trials because his own experience during Sula's dictatorship left him with no sympathy for these bounty hunters, and politically, he was once again involved in endeavors popular with the public, which was advantageous for him.

Caesar outrightly condemned and punished most of the bounty hunters, except for one whom he spared.

Catiline, born into an ancient Roman noble family, though his family had gradually declined over centuries, retreating to the political fringe.

To revive his family's prestige, Catiline sided with Sula during the civil war, amassing considerable wealth and navigating political circles adeptly.

He once aided the current Chief Elder Catullus by executing the murderer of Catullus's father.

He also received Crassus's support, preparing to run in that year's gubernatorial election.

He was known for his amorous pursuits, even having dallied with a Vestal Virgin.

Despite his notorious reputation among the Elders, he garnered significant support from many Roman plebeians and veterans, with a strong draw for young people… In summary, he shared remarkable similarities with Caesar.

Catullus defended him in court, and Crassus pleaded for him in private, which resulted in Caesar refraining from aggressively pursuing Catiline, allowing him to escape legal punishment.

During the entire trial, another event occurred: Cicero was planning to run for Governor. He knew Catiline had the same intention, so he wanted to represent him in court and hoped the two could stand for election together.

Catiline scorned the country bumpkin with aristocratic arrogance.

After Catiline was acquitted, he soon openly allied with another noble, Hibriida, to jointly contest the gubernatorial election.

Hibriida was also a debauched individual, making it hard to believe he was the son of Marcus Antonius (Cicero's hero).

Faced with these two candidates of such disrepute, the Roman Nobles could only pinch their noses and reluctantly choose the relatively less poor candidate, Cicero; the plebeians did likewise.

Ultimately, Cicero received the most votes, winning the next year's gubernatorial position; Hibriida came in second with barely enough votes; Catiline fell to third, actually being eliminated in such a weak electoral year.

Failure was catastrophic for Catiline because he was heavily indebted, with the main creditor being Crassus, who had no interest in continuing to fund a loser.

Nevertheless, this year's gubernatorial election was quite poor for the Romans. However, they still saw a glimmer of hope in the political arena—Little Cato.

This young Roman, born into a noble lineage, could share hardships with his subordinates while serving as an officer. He dressed extremely simply as a plebeian, often walking barefoot, and during his year as Financial Officer, his diligence and integrity astonished the public, with many claiming he dignified the role as much as being a Governor.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.