Then Gnaeus Fabius Pictor stood up among his peers and said in this way.

"[i]ὦ πόποι ἦ μέγα πένθος Ἀχαιΐδα γαῖαν ἱκάνει[/i]. Just as Nestor stated in Book Α of the [i]Iliad[/i] that a great sorrow comes upon the land of Achaia, so does it now comes to our very own city of Rome! Hannibal has broken through our defenses that we desperately needed to hold. Now all the men and women and children of this state are fearing for their lives.

Sometimes, having two heads allows difficult problems to become not as impossible because of multiple input. However, especially in our case, having two many heads inputting decisions just makes matters even worse. Therefore, in stead of electing a second Consul, I shall put forth a motion for instituting the emergency office of [i]dictator[/i], or rather [i]prodicator[/i], since the sole remaining consul is away from Rome so that we might have a glimmer of hope that this great city might live on. Many men have risen up to the call of the state and saved it from certain doom. L. Quinctius CIncinnatus and M. Furius Camillus both saved Rome from impending peril. Are we not in such a dire situation now? Therefore, I would like to put for [b]the Senate appoint Q. Fabius Maximus as the prodicator.[/b]

On the recruitment question, I stand near Marcus Cossus. Therefore, I propose to reduce the property requirement from 11,000 [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/As_(Roman_coin)]asses[/url] to 4,000 asses. While this will provide our great state with an ample supply of men for the ranks of our armies, it will also prevent them from being swarmed with the lowest and most base populations of our society. For the last thing we want is an armor not devoted to Rome, but rather to a man instead.

Finally, Oh Conscript Fathers, I wish to warn you about the advice given by Marcus Cossus concerning the question of Roman Citizenship for our Italian allies. Why do we need to give the non-Latins Roman Citizenship? They already provide a significant portion of our military might? In fact, at this time, there is no need for extending Roman Citizenship to our allies. Do you, Conscript Fathers, really wish for our great state to be diluted by non-Latin and non-Roman stock? If you wish Rome to remain pure, I beg of you, shout down Marcus Cossus' proposal to incorporate the Italian allies into the Roman state."

After he spoke in this way, Gn. Fabius Pictor sat down and gave the floor to the next man who wished to speak.