Gaulish plagues

3

Five months after his arrival in Gaul, the Governor of Aquitania, together with the King of the Aquitanians, received news of his residence in the Province. 

The Governor was occupied with disputes within the military, the Aquitanian client king became occupied with reducing social unrest within the Aquitanian community. The Aquitanian community had become a periphere area within Gaul, due to the lack of investments. The new focus on conquering Britain will further decrease the importance of Aquitania. Britain at this time had around 3.650.000 inhabitants and Ireland around 1 million. According to Roman spies the population was quite young and it would increase to 4 million within the next 20 years and 1,5 million for Ireland. The Aquitanians are worried about their economic future within the Empire, because they only were around 1 million people with an ageing population. Within the next 30 years they would decrease to 700.000 people only. The decrease in population size would imply that many cities would become ghost towns. 

The King of the Aquitanians is also surprised by another news... even though it's still unconfirmed..  Emperor Claudius is planning to incorporate the West of Gaul into the New Province Britannia. Furthermore, he plans to eliminate Aquitania as an independant province, but to merge it together with the West of Lugdunensis and make Lutetia Parisiorum the new capital and administrative centre. Also, this would imply that the nobles houses in Aquitania will loose their position and their household. Also the idea of foreigners entering their area is creepy! The Aquitanian leaders are upset and stressed out because of the rumor. Britain is still far from being conquered and it would take years to subject all the British tribes.

At an informal meeting in Burdigala, at the Palace of the King, the noble leaders discussed the whole matter. One of the elders takes the stance.

''Fellow countrymen and your excellency the King, this demographic crisis can be solver. There's no need to freak out and burden ourselves with a future that isn't even here yet! Around 150 years ago there were Judeans that migrated to the South-west of Gaul. They were refugees fleeing from persecution by the Greek rulers in Judea. They multiplied in number once's settled at the shores. Their cattle also multiplied mightily. They became the dominant economic power in cattle, and the trade with Britain. They enriched the previous generations of our people. However, after the Romans conquered Gaul, 96 years ago, and have  installed the great grandfather of the your Excellency the King, as client king, he became frightened of the prosperity of the Israelites. He feared that jealousy would devour the locals and that it might lead to civil unrest between the Aquitanian families concerning these Israelites. Because he wanted to secure the interests of the Aquitanians and prevent military sanctions against our people, he and the leaders in Aquitania conspired evil against the Israelites. They've accused them of impoverishing the local communities. This led to thugs from the Mountain area to attack them, slaughter them and taking away their possessions. The government confiscated all their possessions from those thugs and executed them for their crime. The confiscated wealth was sold throughout the Roman Republic and the profit was used for social and  communal projects. The rest of the Israelites fled and around 542 were captured and made slaves. Five years later the economy of Gaul collapsed, also due to the instabilities in Rome. At this time around 300 Israelites fled and were never heard off again. The others accepted the harsh labour they were subjected to. Within 40 years those that remained were all death and their offspring, around 2000 people are still in servitude today, even though they are no formal slaves any more. It has almost been 100 years ago. Yet, till this day no justice has been done towards the Israelite refugees that sought their refuge in our country. Even though we were not there when things happened, we knew about these things and we kept them hidden. We took advantage of the Israelites due to their political weakness and their minority statues. It's normal. That's the way of the world. However, it seems as if the god they are worshipping with their Sabbaths and their rejection of Roman gods, is paying back affliction unto us, for not repenting of our collective crimes against those people. It's ironic. They were massacred and scattered, yet the remainder of them is reproducing, while the native Aquitanians are decreasing in number. We enslaved them for profit, and now possibly, Emperor Claudius will take away our country and use it as spoil for his conquest of Britain. I myself am 116 years old. I was 10 years old when the massacres took place. I probably won't live for long any more. Maybe a few years I'll be still alive. Most of you were born many years after the massacres took place, so you have no memories of it. Listen to my council, you elders and leaders of our community, do not persecute the Israelites any more. There's something with those people that anyone who fight them loose, in the long run. The Israelites were oppressed under Pharaoh.... and when they were led out of Egypt by their king Moses, the whole Egyptian Empire collapsed... also all other 8 great civilisations on the Earth collapsed together with Egypt. The Assyrians took the Northern Kingdom of Israel and their beloved capital Samaria.. this led to the bankruptcy of the Assyrian Empire and economic collapse of Nineveh the Assyrian capital.. also by a revolt led by an ambassador named Jonah, whom they see as a prophet...   After the collapse of Assyria... the Israelites took all the wealth of the Assyrian princes and migrated till the ends of the earth and build their new kingdoms and countries with it. The Babylonian Emperor Nebuchadnezzar conquered Judah and transported them over the Babylon.. this led to an invasion of the Babylonian court... and one of their countrymen, Daniel, who was nicknamed Bethesassar, managed to mess up the whole Babylonian Empire... before Daniel's death the Babylonian Empire collapsed and was taken over by Persia. Under Nehemiah, a Hebrew slave of the Persian King, Jerusalem was restored and they manage to found their own country and become independent. This led to disintegration of the Medo-Persian Empire... which was later conquered by Apollo, also known as, Alexander of Macedonia. During this time many Judeans fled to Western Africa where they counted several countries. The Judeans remained a source of contention to the Greek rulers and when Rome took over and restored the Greek world, they remained a source of irritation. They had several revolts which were carefully smitten down by the legions. There was also this Nazarene carpenter, who got a great following, He was called a god by His followers. The present governor Pontius Pilatus ordered Him crucified between two criminals... However, short after that Pilate's doom came and he committed suicide in Helvetia. And the sect of this Nazarene has spread throughout the Empire, which they claim that He is risen from the Death and returning soon to overthrow Rome and establish a Hebraic world order. The sect of his Hebrew Nazarene, whose name in Greek is named Jesus, is also threatening the social construction of Rome. In short... nobody who fights the Israelites will eventually survive it. History has proven this, over and over again. We would be very stupid and mentally ill if we thought to be greater the the historical civilisations that harmed them. So, gentlemen, I urge you to refrain from harming these Israelites. Those remainders at the coastal area, threat them with kindness and don't bother with them. If they don't break any of the laws of the land and pay their taxes we should leave them at peace. Besides, this Matthew from Nigeria, is rumoured to be the son of some Judean Empire founded in Western Africa. We don't know much about him. We do know that every week messengers arrive to him with updates from his homeland. He is wealthy, influential and therefore politically relevant. We are certain about that. Let's remain at good terms with him and seek our own benefit from an alliance with him. It's better to have the Israelites as friends than to have them as enemies. Not even a crucifixion could take away their confidence! So.. Gentlemen, I propose that we will grant these Israelites large plots of land at the border with Narbonensis and Lugdunensis. In this way we will prevent them from unifying themselves and turning against us. Don't forget this brethren, the Israelites are wise: they remember history well and their collective memory is quite intact. They never forget what the nations did unto them. Disperse them throughout the land so they will be divided... we have to prevent them from taking revenge on our children and our heritage. We have problems enough with the Romans and their intrusion on our lives... we shouldn't get in contention with the people of Yahweh! Nobody who fights this Deity will ever survive. You can content with the Greek gods, you can cheat them and scam them... but nobody can defeat the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!''

After the elder finished speaking he received a standing ovation of everyone involved, the slaves included. The other elder agreed and also the Aquitanian king gave in to the request. The elders didn't want to promote the well being of the Israelites - they hated them. Yet, they discovered the hard way that by being on peaceful terms with them is the only way they can protect themselves from ruin - temporarily.