Chapter 609: The Injustice Across Time and Space
In the classroom, classes are proceeding in an orderly manner.
Caesar, who sneaked in as an auditor, sat in a corner. He pretended to flip through a book while secretly looking at the five classmates in front of him, with turbulent waves in his heart.
The heir of Claudius, the high priest of the Temple of Dionysus, and the messenger of the Temple of the Three Phases of Fate...
Wow, they are all important figures in the empire.
Moreover, he had met four of them before.
3 acted as doormen and led him in;
1 companion as a maid, cheated him of 20 gold Zeus.
Fortunately, he was careful enough and did not do anything out of line, otherwise the consequences would be disastrous.
Just as Caesar was secretly rejoicing, Loen on the stage had already finished explaining the basics.
This is a semi-social history class.
It mainly introduces the development history of the two great gods of Greece and Rome, the origin of the Pantheon and the seven clans, as well as some of the current problems in Rome. The content is relatively simple.
More importantly, is the question and answer session that follows.
As Lorne's most loyal supporter, good student Cassandra remained as active as ever.
She was the first to stand up and ask a question:
"Teacher, the empire currently has more than 300 clans with different beliefs. How can we make them have a common sense of belonging and eliminate conflicts as much as possible?"
"Use this."
Lorne picked up a parchment book from the table and waved it in front of Cassandra.
It was the Sacred Word, a must-read classic for Dionysian believers and also the enlightenment reading for most Greeks today.
As a priestess of extraordinary intelligence, Cassandra understood what her superior wanted to express after a moment's thought.
Conquer with the sword and educate with the classics.
If a common cultural identity can be created in this way, the problems she raised will naturally be solved.
But although the Divine Word still had a market in Greece, it might not be so popular in Rome.
There are more than 300 clans with different cultures and beliefs. It is a pipe dream to expect that a book of "Holy Words" can make them submit and recognize each other.
Seeing Cassandra's doubts, Lorne asked:
"Why did the Holy Word become popular in Greece and widely recognized by major city-states and various divine blood families?"
Cassandra frowned and thought, but couldn't find a clue for a moment.
Lorne reminded again: "Think about what class you have today."
Hearing this, Cassandra suddenly had an idea and realized:
"History! The Holy Word shaped the history of Greece, as well as the history of major city-states and various divine blood families!"
The current "Holy Word" not only praises the Greek gods, but also praises the heroes of divine blood who stand up in times of crisis.
They came from the gods, appeared in the disaster, expanded the territory on the earth, built cities, created great achievements, and continued their bloodline.
Therefore, the city-states founded by heroes inherit [destiny], and the bloodline continued by them possesses [divinity].
Their authority to rule the world is born with them, and their obligation to save the world is to be carried out throughout!
Therefore, if the Divine Blood Families want to prove that they have the legal right of inheritance and jurisdiction over a city-state, they must recognize and uphold the sanctity of the Holy Word and work hard to benefit the people under their rule.
Simply put, this book shaped the Greek concepts of history and nation, connected the entire Greek world from beginning to end, and is equivalent to the spiritual lifeline of Greece that has continued to this day.
So, what about Rome?
Cassandra felt like she was about to grasp something, but there was always a thin barrier between them.
"Of course, mechanical application will not work. We must learn to adapt to the times and make adjustments according to local conditions."
The meaningful hint echoed in her ears, and the priestess was enlightened and blurted out the answer:
"You mean to revise the Sacred Word?"
Luo En nodded happily and said:
"Since so many Roman clans believe that they are the children of God and the chosen ones of fate, then let's do as they wish and add their content to the mythology genealogy so that all the gods in the Pantheon can have a place in the book. But remember, although they are all gods, they have their own strengths and weaknesses, and they should be ranked according to their merits. Don't mess around."
Cassandra understood what the teacher meant and secretly kept the teacher's teachings in mind.
To put it bluntly, although they are all gods worshipped in the Pantheon, they are all citizens under Roman rule.
But the positive gods of Greece dominated the Roman mecha gods, the foreign gods who voluntarily surrendered, the enemy gods who surrendered after being conquered, and the evil gods who were eradicated after resisting stubbornly... It all depends on who came first, and we can't generalize.
Soon, Cassandra asked a new question:
"Teacher, revising the Sacred Word is indeed a good idea, but how to sort it is a big problem. What if the clans in Rome are dissatisfied and start quarreling?"
"Then select representatives from the major clans and have them participate in the revision. If a settlement cannot be reached verbally, isn't the Colosseum in Rome short of manpower recently? If there are any opinions, we can resolve them privately."
Lorne suppressed a smirk and added,
"In addition, the content is all written in Latin. After the book was completed, it was used as a compulsory subject for preschool education, temple sacrifices, and official promotions."
It is like the Four Books and Five Classics to China after the imperial examination system, the Koran to the modern Islamic world, and the Prophet Muhammad to today's Greece... Whether you think they are golden rules or feudal poisons, if you want to stand out and have a respectable identity, you must understand them thoroughly.
With a unified classic, we can create a common cultural identity.
With a common cultural identity, we can distinguish between "us", "you" and "them", and thus give rise to the concept of the [Roman] nation.
"What if someone doesn't want to learn?" Cassandra asked again.
"Then give up the opportunity and position to some small clans who are willing to learn and perform well. Rome is naturally tolerant and is willing to accept all outsiders who are devoted to this glory."
Lorne replied with a smile, and added secretly in his heart,
After tasting the sweetness, those new outsiders who joined Rome would identify with and support this value system a thousand times more, and would even be more fanatical and loyal than the original seven royal families and three hundred clans. This was given a special term in later generations, called "convert fanaticism."
Although Cassandra did not fully understand her boss' intentions, she could feel the feasibility and perfection of this strategy through the intuition granted by her blood.
And once put into action, Dionysus would inevitably rise again in Rome, and even have a greater cultural influence than before as Rome expanded.
The priestess suppressed her excitement and asked:
"Teacher, after listening to your words, I deeply agree with you. I am determined to compile a new scripture for Dionysus and Rome in the future to spread the gospel of the gods. What do you think it should be called?"
"Since this is your plan, it's up to you to decide."
"Then how about calling it the Bible, after the Holy Word?"
"puff!"
Luo En couldn't help but spit out the tea in his mouth and coughed violently.
"You think it's inappropriate?" Cassandra was a little nervous.
"No, it's perfect. I just drank the water too quickly and choked."
"That's good."
Cassandra breathed a sigh of relief, a bright smile and an eagerness to try revealed on her face.
Luo En wiped the corner of his mouth, feeling a subtle emotion in his heart.
It seemed as if he had accidentally created and witnessed history again.
Moreover, the idea that Christianity will monopolize education and science in the future, and Latin will become the common language of Western countries, may also be related to this and be a subsequent influence.
At this moment, as Cassandra sat down with a full harvest, Nero couldn't help but stand up and asked his own question:
"Teacher, those people from the seven clans have been eyeing this position all day long, fighting for it and wasting the empire's military and financial resources. Is there any way to mobilize their enthusiasm and let them do more real work?"
"If they want it, give it to them."
Lorne smiled and added,
"Since all seven clans have the chance to inherit the throne, then let's put the competition on the table. The candidates supported or nominated by the seven clans will be named [Electors] and sent to various provinces to manage military affairs. If they can make some achievements, you can report them to the Pantheon and ask the goddess to grant them [Power of God]."
Rome’s current problem is that it is expanding too fast, the main ethnic group is being constantly diluted, more and more new foreign clans are joining, the territory is becoming more and more vast, and it is becoming increasingly difficult for the central authority to radiate to the local areas and form effective control.
This problem was also experienced in the early Zhou Dynasty of China.
The answer given by history is to establish states and use them as vassal states to protect the Zhou Dynasty.
That is, by enfeoffment of relatives, princes, and ministers, a relatively stable hierarchical ruling system was established to strengthen the central government's management over the local areas.
Of course, as he taught Cassandra, if you apply things too rigidly, it will easily lead to problems with the local environment.
Therefore, he brought out the Roman Electoral System thousands of years later, and drove the candidates of the seven major clans who were busy fighting among themselves to the local areas, letting them deal with the major foreign clans that were not very honest.
Although in this way, these [Electors] are likely to become powerful locally.
But this world does have gods, and with the Pantheon's background, it is not afraid of these descendants of gods playing tricks of holding their own troops. Instead, it is more worried that they will be mediocre and will only waste time.
Moreover, Nero and the Pantheon in the center also have a powerful weapon that can make the candidates of the major clans obedient.
——【Conferred Gods】!
Even those who are descendants of gods will inevitably die one day.
But if they could exchange great achievements for godhood and become immortal, this would be of unparalleled appeal to them.
As long as Nero and the Pantheon firmly grasp this point, it will be enough to make those dispatched [Electors] obedient and do their best to expand the territory of the empire.
As long as the Pantheon does not collapse from within and Nero, who is qualified to preside over the ceremony of deification, does not die, they will always be princes.
It is most appropriate to use them to suppress foreign tribes and defend the royal power.
But because there were too many games of strategy involved, Nero seemed to understand it only briefly and reacted rather calmly. He simply wrote down the contents and prepared to go back and ponder them slowly.
Instead, it was Caesar in the corner who understood what was going on and his eyes lit up.
Can you open up a path for advancement from the descendants of gods, electors, emperors, and even gods?
If it is carried out, as a member of the Julius clan, will he also have a chance to [become a god]?
Thinking of this, Caesar couldn't help but feel excited and full of imagination.
During this period, Nero and others raised some questions, but the content was relatively simple and not worth discussing.
As the discussion became more heated, Caesar couldn't help but be infected and couldn't help but raise his own questions:
"The old-timers in the Senate only know how to benefit themselves at the expense of the public. They are already behind the times and have become an obstacle to the empire's progress. Is there any way to restrict them?"
Although under the unification of the divine ancestor Romulus, Rome entered the imperial stage.
However, the Roman Senate, which was derived from the Greek Citizens' Assembly, still has a strong influence, and those members of the Senate often rely on their noble status and bloodline, and under the banner of "democracy" and "freedom", interfere in the decision-making of the empire and seek personal gain for themselves and their families.
During his tenure as a judge and tribune, Caesar was often ridiculed and impeached by these Senate dignitaries because of his reforms and impartial law enforcement.
The fact that he has now lost his job and is in poverty is closely related to the senators in the Senate.
Such a deep hatred made Caesar have no good impression of the entire Senate.
Naturally, he would be happy to have the opportunity to put some false veil on the other party in front of the future emperor of the Roman Empire and make him unlucky.
Lorne heard the malice in the tone and looked at Caesar in the corner with interest.
If I remember correctly, this great Roman emperor in history was assassinated by members of the Senate in his later years because his promotion of reforms touched the interests of too many senatorial nobles, and ultimately his great cause fell through.
Tsk tsk, it's really an injustice that transcends time and space.
Under Caesar's expectant gaze, Loen gave a very counterintuitive answer:
"Restrictions? Why should we restrict them? If they want democracy, then we should give them democracy. And for the sake of fairness, this democratic power should not only be given to them, but also to the 300 clans and all Roman citizens!"
"?"
"So I propose to establish two levels of parliament, the upper and lower houses. The upper house will still be hereditary by the God-blood heroes and their descendants, while the lower house should be open to all Roman citizens with citizenship and elected by all Romans. It can supervise the upper house and propose proposals that are beneficial to the development of the country."
"!"
Caesar's look changed from confusion at first to disappointment, and finally to almost uncontrollable excitement.
He originally thought that this teacher from Greece said the above words because he did not dare to take action against the Senate.
Unexpectedly, the other party gave him a new idea in a unique way.
In addition to using tough measures to reduce the number of Senate members and take back power, you can also do the opposite and divide the Senate's power indefinitely in the name of [fairness] and [democracy]!
This blow was equivalent to cutting the Senate's vital point, cutting the entire Senate's power system into pieces.
The Greek Citizens' Assembly has proved that the more people involved in decision-making, the more dispersed the power, the more complex the composition, and the more difficult it is to reach a consensus.
At that time, it will be easier to deal with those old antiques in the Senate.
That’s too bad!
Caesar understood the intention behind this and was overjoyed.
And Loen couldn't help but curl up the corners of his lips, a happy smile on his face.
He learned the separation of powers between the House of Commons and the House of Lords, and the fight between the left and right brains, from a famous world troublemaker.
It may be difficult to use it to accomplish something, but isn't it easy to use it to do something bad?
As long as this policy was implemented, he could almost foresee a lively scene in which the Senate would quarrel and argue all day long but accomplish nothing.
With their energy and power severely dispersed and consumed, the nobles in the Senate naturally had neither the time nor the ability to challenge the royal power.
The bell rang and Loen closed his book, ending today's class.
Before he even walked out the door, Caesar rushed to the podium and said righteously:
"I've thought about it carefully and I think what you said is right. We should stand up and work together to eliminate the accumulated evils for the empire!"
He had only been somewhat hesitant about the recruitment of this big shot.
But now after listening to this class, he really wants to join in and do something big.
On the one hand, the messenger of the Triumvirate of Fate, the chief priest of the Temple of Dionysus, the future heir of the Claudius family... so many forces have already rushed to place their bets, which is enough to prove that this matter is very feasible;
On the other hand, being able to set up this situation right under the nose of the Pantheon, this "teacher" from Greece must have an unimaginable status and position.
More importantly, he is a smart man.
If you follow him to do business, you will basically make money.
However, regarding Caesar's initiative to surrender, Loen smiled and said:
"You're not the only one who thinks so, are you?"
Caesar heard the hidden meaning and understood that he was trying to increase the stakes and recruit more people to join the gang.
He rolled his eyes and said with a smile:
"Sir, I have a good friend who is a good commander of troops in battle. He has always wanted to serve Rome, but he just can't find a way."
"How does it compare to you?"
"We haven't fought each other officially, but he should be no weaker than me."
A military commander that Caesar would have praised endlessly? Interesting.
Who could it be?
Pompey and Crassus of the first triumvirate, or Antony and Lepidus of the second triumvirate?
Or maybe it was Caesar's good nephew, the future Roman Augustus - Octavian?
A strong interest in exploring arose in Loen's heart.
Then, under the guidance of Caesar, he walked out of the private residence and came to a dilapidated courtyard in the city of Rome.
Hearing the noise outside the door, a sturdy figure walked out with a hearty smile:
"Caesar, how dare you come to my house today? Isn't it time to pay me back for the wine you owed me?"
He has fair skin with a slightly reddish tint around his chest and cheeks, a voice as loud as thunder, thick, curly hair combed back from his forehead in the middle, a tall, straight nose, and although he is not tall, he exudes an extremely tough temperament.
Seeing who was coming, Caesar walked forward, gave him a big hug, and said with a smile:
"Alexander, my friend, don't worry, I'll treat you to dinner today!"
(End of this chapter)
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