Chapter 3612
Nurturing Bandits for Self-Respect
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While the mixed news from the front lines was good news for Pompiñus at that moment, it was absolutely good news.
At the national level, there are essentially two possibilities for ensuring the sustainability of national finances.
Either open source or cut costs.
And now Rome has accomplished both in Parthia.
How could anyone not be happy to plunder Parthia's core wealth and weaken their own elite forces?
What business is it of Pompionus what other people think and feel?
In matters of the Roman Empire's finances, Pompiannis never needed to consider anyone's opinion or explain himself to anyone.
The original plan could only sustain the national treasury for a little over a decade. However, after a simple preliminary estimate and further calculations based on current consumption levels, it is projected that the funds can sustain the economy for several more decades.
This duration could last at least until the end of Pompiñus's life.
Pompiñus was already very satisfied that the national fiscal reserves had reached this level.
As for what happens next, let those who come after handle it.
At this time, Pompiñus had no idea that Severus, who had suffered heavy losses in the war, had already begun to plan how to rebuild Rome's large and elite army.
For a military emperor like Severus, each legion had its own specific role and function in large-scale battles.
While not indispensable, legions with this role do indeed have a much easier time in battle, while legions without this role will need to start making similar substitutions in large-scale battles.
While such substitution and targeting are themselves part of the command capabilities of a large army, the command capabilities of a large army will be much stronger if they are prepared in advance.
For a commander of a large army, the ability to make good use of the troops and combat power at his disposal is also a manifestation of his capabilities.
However, if the soldiers themselves can meet this basic requirement, it can greatly free up the focus of the large army commander, making the large army commander simpler and more relaxed, with a higher ceiling and command ability, so that in actual war, they can exert stronger strength.
Although there are no rivals now, it is unclear who Rome is further strengthening its army for. However, for a military emperor like Severus, there is no other way to proceed if he does not continue to strengthen the army.
Who will they fight in the future? Who will be their opponents?
Even after Severus had defeated Parthia, a sense of confusion still lingered in his mind.
Without an opponent of Parthia's strength, the only adversaries that could provoke Rome to send troops to attack were, at best, the surrounding barbarians.
But which of the barbarians entrenched around Rome hadn't been defeated by Rome? Which of them hadn't been conquered by Rome?
Having ended the Parthian War, Rome could now be described as bewildered and lost, a world at its feet.
In a true sense, because there was no opponent, the future of the military conflict was unknown.
However, precisely because of this uncertainty and lack of knowledge, Severus continued his old habits in his future actions, continuing to strengthen the army's combat power and organizational capabilities, ensuring that the army continued to serve as a safety net for Rome's current system. After all, Rome's current system dictated that the army must maintain extremely high combat effectiveness, a formidable deterrent force that commanded the respect of the surrounding barbarian tribes.
Only in this way could the Roman citizen system continue to exploit its citizens and maintain their high welfare levels.
However, Severus himself was unsure how long this situation could last.
While high-intensity training can indeed maintain the army's combat effectiveness and allow the Roman army to remain a formidable force, how long can this level of training continue if there are no adversaries?
The First Auxiliary Legion of Rome, which persisted for nearly a century, also aimed to become the Second Trajan's Legion, and trained with all its might to survive.
However, without an opponent, even the currently powerful Eagle Banner Legion might, like the Seventh Legion, degenerate from its long-term strength and glory, completely losing the combat power and deterrent capability that an Eagle Banner Legion should possess.
In the short term, it's fine, but if time drags on, a weary Rome, suddenly faced with a powerful opponent, could very well face its demise.
It doesn't even need a powerful opponent; it only needs to suffer a defeat in a routine barbarian suppression war, and continue to fail in subsequent suppression wars, and Rome will be devoured by the current system and continue its march toward destruction.
Just by thinking about it, Severus discovered many flaws in Rome's current system.
This shortcoming becomes even more apparent when compared to the state system of the Han Empire.
Rome was strong, always had been!
However, such strength is not eternal. When there are no opponents, a powerful fighting force will inevitably decline.
"It's a pity. If we didn't have to annihilate the Parthian army to give the country an explanation, keeping a decent opponent as pressure wouldn't be bad..." Severus glanced in the direction of the Tenth Knight and keenly sensed Caesar's presence. With a hint of helplessness, he spoke frankly.
As the current emperor of Rome, Severus was well aware that the Roman imperial throne was not a firmly established position and was easily influenced and misled by external factors.
He is the current Roman emperor, but it could also be someone else.
If he hadn't achieved enough merit in the war, it would have been difficult for him to have a peaceful end, whether facing Trajan who was still on the battlefield at the time, or Caesar in the present day.
For the Roman Senate, Caesar was perhaps an extremely complex figure, and there may have been some conflicting views between them. Even if Severus had not attacked, he might not have fully supported Caesar.
Trajan, however, was completely different. He was a great emperor recorded in Roman history, and his abilities and achievements were already evident in history.
If an emperor like Trajan were to return to the Senate, who would the Senate choose?
Even a small child could guess it.
Therefore, after Trajan appeared on the battlefield and began to take command of the army in a substantial way, Severus had only one choice when facing Parthia.
Eliminate the opponent, annihilate them with all your might, and leave Parthia no chance or possibility of resurgence.
Only by completely ending this century-old rivalry and extinguishing the centuries-long hatred between the two nations could Severus continue as Roman emperor based on this achievement. (End of Chapter)