The Semaphore telegraph tower.
Developed by the Chappe brothers in France in 1793, this communication system was the most advanced technology in Europe before the advent of the electrical telegraph.
An operator manipulates wooden arms attached to a tower, and an operator at the next tower observes this through a telescope and relays it to the following tower.
By repeating this process until the final tower, a message can be transmitted rapidly.
At its peak, there were over 500 semaphore towers erected in France.
What if that were created in Rome right now?
"Attaching arms to a tower and sending signals with it... what exactly do you mean by that?"
"Imagine three wooden poles. If you move them like arms, you can create countless different positions. If we assign letters or numbers to specific positions..."
"We could send letters and numbers at high speed."
Vitruvius panted as he trudged after me.
We were in the middle of climbing the Palatine Hill.
From here, we could see not only the entire city of Rome but also the panoramic view of the outskirts.
My head was still throbbing from the hangover.
Still, it was bearable now.
Nothing was as exciting as a fresh idea.
"Beacon fires can only send very simple messages. At best, they can signal a warning that enemies have appeared, and roughly their numbers."
Beacon fires were ultimately an emergency signal.
They couldn't send elaborate messages.
But optical semaphores were different.
"If we combine my proposed method with the telescope, we'll be able to send messages no courier could ever match."
"Stationing people at every tower to manipulate wooden poles, and the next tower seeing that and repeating it exactly..."
"Wouldn't that actually take longer?"
Felix gasped for breath as he approached us.
Perhaps climbing the hill was too much for him; Felix flopped down onto the ground.
"It seems like sending a messenger on horseback would be much faster."
"You'll be surprised when you learn how much of a time difference there is, Felix."
I answered with a smile.
If it were slower than a messenger, Napoleon wouldn't have used it.
If you install towers every ten or fifteen kilometers, you can send a message from Paris to the city of Lille in just 10 minutes.
It was faster than a 21st-century passenger plane.
Could Romans even imagine speed like that?
"From a fixed tower, the operators wouldn't be moving around—so even with a telescope, they wouldn't get dizzy."
Vitruvius muttered as he looked outside the walls of Rome.
"Literally, the whole world will be connected to Rome. If we could get news from Gaul within a day or two..."
"It would be a massive deal, wouldn't it?"
Answering that, I plopped down on the hill.
There really are so many things I can do just with ideas.
Semaphore telegraphy wasn't cutting-edge rocket science.
It was made with simple woods and didn't even require electricity.
All we needed were telescopes, operators, towers, and clear weather.
"About seven years ago, pirates raided the port of Ostia. Rome sent an army, but they arrived too late."
Felix said.
"And after that, Pompey took charge of the pirate eradication campaign, didn't he? If this tower is really as fast as you say, Young Master, such things won't happen in the future."
"It doesn't only have military uses."
"Pardon?"
Instead of answering, I shrugged.
Of course, it was an understandable assumption.
Until now, beacon fires were only used for military purposes.
Even if a new communication technology was developed, one would naturally think of military applications first.
But it could do far more than that.
"To begin with, it could become a neural network connecting commerce, and perhaps going further, the entirety of Italy."
"What is a neural network?"
"You'll see soon enough."
I turned my head and looked toward the southwest.
The direction where Ostia, one of the coastal cities closest to Rome, was located.
Most cargo originating from the provinces arrived at the port of Ostia, and from there it was transported to Rome via barges and wagons.
Effectively, it was the heart pumping blood into Rome.
The distance from Rome was only about 25 km (16 miles).
Three to six towers would be enough to establish a communication network.
"Ostia would be perfect for a test run."
"Then I will try designing it. I'll improve upon it based on what you told me, sir."
Vitruvius said as he sprang up.
At that moment, Felix hurriedly stepped in, as if to stop the two of us.
"Both of you, please calm down for a second. Building towers isn't something that can be done so easily. To connect Rome and Ostia, wouldn't we have to build towers in between?"
"We will need permission to use public land."
I stroked my chin.
Building towers as I pleased could definitely cause problems.
If I didn't get proper permission, the Senate or other politicians would likely make an issue of it.
But I didn't want to go to the Senate and reveal my plans.
My true plan had to be hidden until the final moment.
Then what should I do?
Come to think of it, there were two heavyweights who promised me their support not long ago.
"Then let's ask our reliable allies."
"Reliable allies such as..."
"We have Magnus, the greatest general in Rome right now. And Crassus, the richest man in Rome, too."
Caesar, Pompey, Crassus.
It was time to get the wheel of the Triumvirate rolling in earnest.
***
"Welcome, Lucius Caesar! To think you would seek me out the moment Saturnalia ended. This is a surprise."
Pompey's gaze turned to Felix standing beside me.
"And Felix. I remember you too. During the last Saturnalia, you were the only one who stayed until the end without getting drunk."
"Didn't you ultimately win, sir Pompey?"
Felix said with a dismissive wave.
"You remember too, right, Young Master?"
"Sorry, but I passed out after a few cups, so I don't remember anything."
I answered with a smile.
Crassus as well, but it seemed Pompey also took a liking to Felix.
"Were you, by any chance, losing to me on purpose? Don't let my looks fool you—I'm quite perceptive. Let's settle the score again sometime later, Freedman Felix."
"For a great general like you to bother with someone like me..."
"What does noble or lowly matter in a drinking bet? Anyway, I'll hold you to that promise."
Pompey said with a playful smile.
"By the way, Lucius, I think I have a rough idea of why you came to my house today."
For a moment, I couldn't help but flinch.
He knows why I came?
No one except Vitruvius and Felix should know about the semaphore tower.
"Sorry, but my daughter went to the market for a bit. Will you wait until Pompeia returns?"
Ah, he meant that.
My mother and Pompey were currently in the middle of a tug-of-war over my engagement.
I suddenly recalled my conversation with Pompeia.
It was a more enjoyable time than I had expected.
I cleared my throat as politely as possible.
"Actually, the reason I came to seek you out today, sir Pompey, is something else."
"Another reason?"
I explained the plan for the semaphore tower.
And also the point that we first needed a testing phase connecting Ostia and Rome.
"A device that lets you see distant places as if they were close. Does such a thing really exist?"
"It would be easier to understand if you saw it yourself."
Pompey carefully accepted the telescope I handed him.
He looked at my face through it, then startled and stepped back.
"By Jupiter! I thought you'd jumped right at me."
"Using this, you can easily see things far away. Though the image is upside down and reversed, of course."
"It would be helpful on the battlefield too."
Pompey muttered, looking at the telescope.
"I could read the battlefield at a glance. So you're saying you'll use this to send signals to towers?"
"Yes, tower to tower, the signal would leapfrog all the way to its destination."
It wasn't a difficult concept to grasp.
Rather, it's more surprising that no one imagined this until the 18th century.
Sometimes imagining something is harder than the technology itself.
"With this, it will definitely help ensure the safety of the port of Ostia. Even though I wiped out the pirates of the Mediterranean, some remnants remain."
Pompey turned his head and looked at me.
"You wouldn't come all this way unless you needed my help. Isn't that right?"
"That's right."
"To build such towers on the shortest route between Ostia and Rome, you'll ultimately need permission for roads and public land."
Pompey nodded.
"You're saying you want me to mobilize the Tribunes under my command."
"You just need to propose my suggestion to the popular assembly."
If I tried to do it through the Senate, there would be too many restrictions.
Time aside, it was highly likely that other Senators would step in to interfere.
Once the semaphore towers were built, it would be a different story, but I needed to avoid such obstacles from the start.
"For a friend like you, of course I can do that much. Don't worry. I'm not like that bastard Crassus—always demanding something in return."
Pompey stroked his chin, wearing a thoughtful expression.
"But will using the Tribunes be enough?"
"Are you saying there is another way?"
Other than the Senate and the popular assembly, there shouldn't be any other suitable method.
"It will be the new year soon. New magistrates will also be elected."
Pompey smiled.
"And among them, there are magistrates responsible for the streets."
"You mean the censors and aediles. But they won't accept my proposal easily."
"I think you misunderstand something."
Pompey leaned forward.
"I am saying you should enter public office yourself."
I couldn't quite understand what he meant.
Rome's tradition and path of honor, the Cursus Honorum, had strict age limits.
Starting as a Quaestor at age 28, one could rise to Aedile, Praetor, and finally Consul.
Of course, there were exceptions who didn't follow this path, like Pompey, but they were rare cases.
"I still have a lot of time left before I can enter public office."
"Of course, if you follow that stupid *Cursus Honorum*, yes."
Pompey leaned back.
"But magistrates aren't the only public offices in Rome, are they?"
"You mean..."
I couldn't run for tribune because I was a son of Caesar, one of the oldest noble families in Rome.
Ah, he meant that.
There was something I could do before starting the Cursus Honorum.
"The Vigintisexviri."
Hearing my words, Pompey smiled and nodded.
This might actually be possible.
The Vigintisexviri referred to minor magistracies, which included various positions such as mint masters, prison administrators, and police magistrates.
But among them was one, 'Duoviri viis extra urbem purgandis'.
Honestly, I don't know how Romans memorize these absurdly long titles.
Outwardly, it was nothing more than a minor magisterial position, but in reality, it was a position that controlled Rome's infrastructure.
"Perhaps my first election will come sooner than I thought."