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Praetor Urbanus Severus Camillus Aelianus
The current Praetor Urbanus, Severus Camillus Aelianus, is a corpulent, violent, disgusting lump of a man well-known for his depraved urges and infractions against justice. In abuse of his imperium, he extorts payment from victims both rich and poor that he might ignore the 'crimes' they have committed. It is a well-known rumor that Severus owes his position solely due to a deal between Tribune of the Plebs Lucius Hortensius and Consul Flavius Tertius Cassian in return for Lucius to block all attempts for Titus Naevius to pass Equestrian reform.
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Legate Caius Flavius Tertius Cassian Aemillianus
Legatus Caius Flavius Tertius Cassian Aemilllianus is the adopted son of the revered statesman and current Consul Flavius Tertius Cassian, as well as the Legate of the distinguished LEGIO X ANTIQUA, which stands in defense of all Italy. Himself an equestrian, Caius' rank has been hard won and not gifted. In his rise through the ranks, he came under the mentorship of then Legate Flavius Tertius, who soon adopted him as he himself had no children. Caius thus stands to raise to the head of the auspicius house Cassian once Flavius himself passes. Caius is a strong candidate for the office of Consul, though he has never occupied any office along the Cursus Honorum.
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Consul Flavius Tertius Cassian
Flavius Tertius Cassian is among the foremost men of his day, having served as Consul twice in the last three years. Well respected by many, he is a favorite of the Optimates clicque in the Senate, who support him as he blocks Plebeian attempts to gain prominence. He belongs to the revered Cassian family, who distinguished themselves 200 years ago in the Second Punic War against Carthage. There is perhaps no one in a better position to manage the fracturous classes of modern Rome, and thus he is considered a strong candidate for a third Consulship in 77 BC, along with his adopted son Caius.
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Tribune of the Plebs Lucius Hortensius Lacius
A considerably wealthy slave trader, plantation owner, and all-around business magnate, Tribune of the Plebeians Lucius Hortensius is evocative of a rising ‘lower class’ - new money, afforded power if not respect and title. Through the influence of an extremely popular grain dole, as well as generous salaries to his retainers, he has bought the love of enough of his fellow Plebeians that he has been elected as Tribune of the Plebs for the second time. Through his money, Lucius controls the actions of his fellow Tribunes as well, having placed them in power through the same method he came to it. Lucius is a man that rules by the weight of his inaction rather than his action; the position of Tribune affords him enough power to rattle the cage of an aristocracy petrified by pushes for popular reform that he can easily make extremely lucrative backroom deals in order to snuff out legislative movements before they can even reach the floor. Through his ‘friend’ the Praetor Urbanus, it is also rumored that he controls the Roman judicial system. It seems likely that so long as the Optimates wish to suppress either Equestrian or Plebeian reform, Lucius will have a place to pull the strings of both high and low.
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Consul Gaius Quintus Cinna Aequus (The Just)
The companion Consul to Flavius Tertius, Gaius Quintus is a man of singular respect and renown, not just for his accomplishments, but for his dignity in conduct. At the age of 38, he was offered a place alongside Flavius in his first Consulship; he refused. This year, at the age of 40, he duly accepted the support of several of his Patrician colleagues (specifically, those among the Optimates clique) and was subsequently elected suo anno to the Consulship. Gaius Quintus was something of a prodigy growing up, and has distinguished himself by serving suo anno in every senate position along the ladder. First serving as a military tribune in LEGIO II HISPANIA, and later as Quaestor, Aedile, Praetor, and Pro-Praetor for Trans-Alpine Gaul, Gaius’ record has been nothing less than exemplary. This perfection has placed him in an uneasy role amongst his fellow Senators, who often see his attention to the exact letter of duty and the law as being annoying, when the bread and butter of politics is bending the law for the sake of function - and personal profit. In this way, while Gaius’ views tend towards the conservative, placing him amongst the Optimates clique, his fellow senators view him as an outsider. To the contrary, his careful and fair dealings have won him quite a bit of support in Hispania, Gaul, and in Italy itself, the Plebs and Peregrinos appreciating anyone who gives them a fair shake. Personally, Gaius believes in many of the values that have been forgotten in all but lip service in Rome; duty, honesty, austerity, and honor. His role as Consul - and his morality - may place him in a dangerous position for anyone looking to climb the ranks in less than legal ways.
