Chapter 295
"Augustus..."
Caesar slowly savored the feel of the word.
"I like it. A fitting name for the leader who will guide Rome into the future."
"This name will represent the new Rome from now on. I have no objections."
Octavian agreed.
Maecenas was equally generous with his praise, calling it an excellent choice.
Because it had never been used, it didn't directly evoke a king, yet it brimmed with honor and nobility.
Octavian and Maecenas insisted they mobilize the Senate to bestow this new title upon Marcus.
"Rome owes a debt to the great Marcus Mesopotamicus that words cannot express."
He continued speaking calmly.
"You only need to walk through the city to understand. Among the distinguished senators gathered here, I am merely a young newcomer. But even to me, the Rome of today is entirely different from the Rome of my childhood. Rome has always produced countless war heroes, of course, but I am not simply speaking of military victories. In truth, the sheer expanse of territory the great Mesopotamicus has conquered dwarfs the achievements of any Roman hero in history. Only Lord Caesar, who annexed all of Gaul, Britannia, and Germania, can even be compared to him."
Brief murmurs of agreement rose from all corners of the chamber.
Octavian swept his gaze across the senators, deliberately paused for a moment, and spoke again.
"But the changes Lord Marcus brought were not limited to glorious military victories. His revolution in agriculture alone is a monumental achievement that will echo through Roman history. When I was young, I know your greatest headache was the distribution of wheat. Back then, Rome constantly argued over the grain meant for the poor. But has this been an issue recently? Many ruined yeoman farmers have regained their footing, and relief projects for the poor remain highly active. Furthermore, with the wheat supply more than doubled, we no longer have to worry about food shortages."
Octavian went on to list Marcus's many other accomplishments.
He detailed developments not just in agriculture, but across commerce, academia, science, tax reform, and finance.
There were so many items on the list that Octavian's explanation stretched on for nearly an hour.
"...Most importantly, this is by no means the end. Under Lord Marcus's guidance, Rome will continue to achieve even greater progress and stand tall as the center of the world. He previously expressed a desire to step back, but our Senate dissuaded him. It is a heavy burden to ask, but I hope Lord Marcus will continue to lead us as the head of the Senate. I am certain you all share the same sentiment."
"Naturally!"
"Hear, hear!"
Voices erupted from all directions.
"And so, I asked myself: what can the Senate offer our great guide? I thought and thought, and concluded that all we can do is present him with a name filled with our deepest respect. But it cannot be a name we have used in the past. It must be a title no one in Roman history has ever claimed. At the same time, Lord Marcus has firmly stated he will never accept titles evoking kingship, such as Rex or Dux."
The moment Octavian finished, countless senators shouted out various names.
Pretending to gather their opinions, he listed every name they suggested as a candidate.
Then, a few minutes later, Maecenas stood up and loudly declared that 'Augustus'—the most dignified among the dignified, the greatest among the great—was the only title fitting for Marcus.
"Augustus..."
"It is quite good, actually. No, it seems there is no other title that can express our leader's greatness."
With practiced skill, Octavian united the Senate's opinion.
The vote passed unanimously.
This time, even Cato voiced no objections.
If it had evoked even the slightest image of a king, he would have fiercely opposed it, but Augustus was merely a title of profound honor, completely untethered from royalty.
Ultimately, the resolution to bestow the title of Augustus upon Marcus in the name of the Senate was officially adopted.
Two days later, the Senate sent Cicero, the consul-elect for the coming year, as their representative to convey their will alongside a golden Laurel Crown.
"There has never been a Roman like you in all of history."
Cicero spoke in the most solemn and melodious voice he could muster.
"In gratitude and blessing for all you have done, we wish to show the utmost sincerity the Senate can convey."
Cicero carried on his speech for over an hour, employing his signature philosophical and literary expressions.
Thrilled to be standing before the public after such a long time, he used his speech to demonstrate exactly why he was considered Rome's foremost intellectual.
The citizens once again marveled at Marcus's majestic achievements and spared no cheers.
Finally, Cicero's speech—which felt as though it might last until sunset—concluded to thunderous applause echoing through the forum.
"For these reasons, this Senate formally declares: To you, the most honorable among all Romans, we bestow the name Augustus. We also announce the passage of a law stating that no one in Rome may ever use this name except for those to whom you pass it down. Marcus Augustus! The greatest name in all our seven hundred years of history!"
Marcus accepted the honor bestowed upon him with a polite bow of his head.
Cicero placed the Laurel Crown upon Marcus's head and embraced him.
The citizens roared in delight, showering them with unsparing applause.
In truth, the citizens didn't care much about complex political structures or ideologies.
Their only desire was for Marcus to remain their leader until the day he passed away.
And they interpreted this ceremony as the Senate's official recognition of their deepest wish.
Accompanied by his wife Julia and his close friends, Marcus stepped up the stairs and raised his hand high toward the citizens.
Octavian shouted out to the citizens.
Imperator and Princeps were names that had already existed.
The titles of Shahanshah, Pharaoh, and the Son of Heaven were no different.
In contrast, the name Augustus was completely unique.
It was a name that would be passed down to the future leaders of Rome, but in this moment, Marcus was the very embodiment of what the name symbolized.
The greatest Roman among all the great.
Marcus Augustus.
※※※
"...So, has Lord Marcus become the Emperor of Rome now? Will the capital remain in Rome? Even if it's a nation ruled by a king, will the election system still exist as it is?"
After several days of festivities concluded, Marcus arranged a private gathering with the two Pharaoh sisters for the first time in a while.
Cleopatra sighed and shook her head at the barrage of questions Arsinoe unleashed the moment she sat down.
"What exactly have you been watching this whole time? If Lord Marcus had any intention of calling himself a king, he would have done so ages ago. To see him claim power so elegantly and with such sophistication, and yet the best question you can come up with is that..."
"...I get the gist of it, you know? I was just asking to confirm."
Letting Arsinoe's protests go in one ear and out the other, Cleopatra turned her gaze to Marcus.
"Congratulations on ascending to such a supreme position. You now hold a power that no one in history has ever grasped, Lord Marcus. Neither any Pharaoh in history, nor the monarchs of Persia, nor even Alexander the Great himself, became the master of such vast lands as you."
"This isn't the end; it's merely the starting line. In fact, my next steps from here on out are far more important than everything it took to get here."
"It is harder to maintain than to expand... That is true. Even Alexander's great empire was ultimately torn apart by later generations, leaving barely a trace behind except for our Ptolemaic Royal Family."
Cleopatra's voice carried a hint of self-deprecating emptiness.
Unlike Arsinoe, who possessed vanity but no real ambition, Cleopatra was highly ambitious.
She had once dreamed of reviving the Ptolemaic Dynasty and Egypt, but now that was nothing more than a vain illusion of the past.
After meeting Marcus and witnessing the might of Rome, she had come to a clear realization.
The era where Egypt could once again seize global supremacy was never coming back.
Egypt's best path forward was to hold onto its current position and remain a loyal ally firmly attached to Rome.
As long as they did that, they could at least avoid annihilation.
Cleopatra even felt a genuine sense of relief that she and her sister had been born as women.
They were fortunate to be capable of sharing Marcus's bed and bearing his children. If the Ptolemaic Royal Family hadn't had princesses, Egypt might have ended up just like Parthia.
However, that was only a solution for this generation.
There was no telling how the future would unfold after they were dead.
She had received Marcus's promise that the Ptolemaic line would survive, but she needed a more concrete guarantee.
"Lord Marcus."
Seeing Cleopatra's deeply serious expression, Arsinoe tilted her head and fell silent.
"What is it?"
"It's about the promise you made last time. The one where you swore to ensure our dynasty's survival if we handed over the gold."
"I did. Are you anxious that I might break that promise?"
"No! Not at all. I was just wondering exactly how you plan to do it..."
Arsinoe chimed in with a nonchalant expression.
"Can't a child of your blood and ours just sit on the Pharaoh's throne, just like now? The rulers of the future dynasty will end up being your descendants anyway, so it shouldn't matter."
"There is no guarantee it will carry on so smoothly. Furthermore, since it's customary for two Pharaohs of the Ptolemaic line to co-rule, various problems could arise."
"Cleopatra is right about that."
Marcus took Cleopatra's side.
Still, there was no hint of heavy seriousness in his tone.
"I do have something in mind. The Pharaohs of Egypt rule jointly as a pair. That has certainly always been a seed of division in the past. Usually, one side has to violently crush the other to stabilize the state's administration. But things are different now. Even without the two of you fighting, Egypt's political situation is stable, isn't it?"
"That is because you are practically standing above us, Lord Marcus."
"Exactly. Therefore, we will maintain a similar structure going forward. My official successor—the one who inherits the name Augustus—will also hold the title of Pharaoh of Egypt. And descendants born of my blood with you and Arsinoe will also serve as Pharaohs, just as you do now."
If that happened, it was obvious that the true, absolute ruler of Egypt would be Marcus's successor.
However, since the Augustus of Rome couldn't just lounge around in Alexandria forever, the actual governance would be left to the bloodlines of the Ptolemaic Royal Family.
In practice, it would look much like a permanent, hereditary governorship of Egypt.
Cleopatra and Arsinoe accepted Marcus's proposal, agreeing that it was a splendid idea.
If their descendants' safety could be permanently guaranteed even in such a manner, why would they ever refuse?
With the mood lightened, the three of them climbed into bed and enjoyed a sweet time together for the first time in a while.