Ursus Longinus entered the Senate with Lucius and Decius. He saw a few familiar faces, but many were unknown to him. That was only natural since, before today, he had never set foot in the Senate building. As the Consul Nerva spoke the words reopening the Senate, Ursus stood.

"Esteemed Consuls, revered fathers, I am Ursus Longinus." He paused as whispers spread through the gathered men. "I have been informed of the legislation presently before this august body. With your indulgence, I would like to address each in its turn."

Pausing once again, Ursus went on. "First, as regards the SC Agrippina de Quaestura Caesaris. I can see no reason not to grant such a request. Whoever takes over as governor of that province would greatly benefit from having a competent and informed officer already in place. I will support this S.C. fully.

"Next is the SC Servilia Aemelia Bibliotheca. I, too, am all for maintaining a library here in Rome. Rome is the center of the world. All roads lead to her. However, as the Tribune Cimber pointed out, there are potential risks involved in the bill as it stands. Regardless of how much time passes between the passing of the legislation and the enactment of the legislation, it is unlikely the people of Egypt would passively sit by while their famed library was looted, and that is exactly how they would see it. Then the risks involved in transporting the valuable scrolls and storing them in grain silos." Ursus sighed. "Senators, grain silos are notorious as habitations for rats, mice and other vermin. Such creatures have no regard for human knowledge. Indeed, they view our written records as little more than bedding material for their nests! I do fear that by moving the scrolls from Egypt to our grain silos here in Rome, we would be risking losing all that our honored aedile wishes to preserve. Cimber's suggestion of copying the scrolls, in my opinion, would best serve the aedile's dream, and would also ease any concern by the Egyptian people. I ask you, Servilius Casca, to amend your senatus consultum from taking the scrolls from Egypt to copying them for inclusion in a sister library here in Rome. This will not diminish the glory of our library, or of our great city, but will, instead, rebound to Rome's greater glory!"

There was a brief and sporadic smattering of applause and voices of approval following Ursus' words. Taking another breath, he turned to face the consuls.

"Honored Consul Nerva Servilius, as a military man and one who knows the frustration that political and physical boundaries can place on our goals, I am in agreement with your SC Servilia Militaris as revised. It is clearer in its statement of purpose. An Imperium Maius is limited, fellow senators, to a specific goal. It is similar to our declaring a dictator to rule in an emergency. A dictator has absolute power for a limited time, normally six months. The imperium Consul Nerva is suggesting exists to deal with a specific situation, and only that situation, in a manner best suited to accomplish that task. I fully support this action. It is the best course to follow to settle the Egyptian rebellion."

With those words, and amid scattered applause and whispers, Ursus took his seat beside his cousin Lucius.