Chris

Though Quintus trusted his brother Octavius, he nevertheless appreciated Aulus' intuition to defer to the higher authority when it came to matters of the state. He allowed a quick smile to cross his expression before returning to his regular straight face. He continued to listen as Aulus talked and they strolled into the courtyard. The caretakers of the courtyard were out, trimming bushes and tending to flowers as necessary. In the distance were two of the German Guard, different from the Praetorians in that they alone remained within the halls of the palace as the Praetorians protected the imperials everywhere outside of it. As Aulus expanded upon his plans for the coming year, he touched the subject of his wife and her resourcefulness. "I believe Octavius mentioned something of it," Quintus said, seeming to remember his brother broaching the subject not so long ago. "It is an inspired thing, to be sure. If we have more educated and socially engaged women, we can hopefully have better-educated and more responsible children." Quintus gave most of the credit for his own success to the morales his mother had instilled upon him. "I am sure the Augusta will be happy to help however she can." Just then, one of the message runners approached from the far end of the courtyard. He was promptly stopped by the guard, who intercepted the message and brought it to Caesar. "Ah, just a moment, Aulus," he said, and stepped away from his guest to read the missive. His eyes scanned it over quickly and without a word he returned the parchment to the guard and then returned to Aulus. "Apologies. Where were we?" @Sharpie

Lucius told Caecina he would enjoy any letters she could send, though truthfully he often detatched himself from home completely while on service. It was easier to focus on his duty if he only had it to think of. Reading of home would make him yearn for home, just the same as being home and speaking of service made him anxious to fight. The curse of a restless spirit. Her answer as to why she was in the villa and not in the city made sense; he couldn't argue her point. When Caecina asked about his own preferences he shrugged initially. "A bit of the charm, I suppose," he said, not wanting to reveal the whole truth. Though he suspected she had most likely heard of his legal issues, Lucius did not want to burden her with his personal matters. "Though mostly to visit Juliana, and seek her counsel." Other than birthing him, she was his mother in every other meaning of the word, after all. "Other men might not be so quick to seek advice from a woman, but I will not deny the wisdom or influence of a powerful woman." He paused, thirsty for some wine. "I suspect you'll wield influence of your own before too long," he said with a playful wink. @Echo

Lucius heard his brother's questions, and was still running over a thousand questions of his own internally while also wrestling with the urge to take action against those who thought to steal what wasn't rightfully theres. The courts be damned! He took a long breath in an attempt to calm himself and clear his mind, and then looked to Marcus. Though they were brothers, they were also cousins, and Lucius had suspected in the back of his head that some day Marcus - as Decimus' true son - would feel some entitlement to the wealth his father had left behind. It was understandable. Now, however, that wealth had all but disappeared. "I thought the same," came his controlled response. "Proculinus assured me as much. But the court ruled in Vitellia's favor on grounds of the land having belonged to her mother, our aunt Calvina." He paused again, sifting through his thoughts. "There must be something else we can do," he said, and muttered under his breather, "I'll burn the damned home down before I let that bitch step foot in it. She can have the ashes." And an idea was born.. small and tender as a flame that builds to blazing fire. @Atrice

Lucius chuckled lightly at her mention of the muck of Britannia and then told her that he would indeed be returning to Britannia for at least another six months, possibly longer. Truthfully, Lucius detested Britannia, though he rarely spoke ill of service. He kept his eyes on Caecina's as she spoke of her lenient and oh so kind tutor... as if such a person existed! He remained standing, just a few arms lengths away, and began to pull his legs up behind him to keep his muscles loose after the run. "I most likely would have done the same. And the garden is a good place with enough foliage to hide you from any searching eyes. A tactical move," Lucius said, grin still intact. He took a step closer, looking away from Caecina for just a moment at the sound of wind rustling a nearby tree. "I'm surprised to find a young woman such as yourself here at the villa and not in the city proper." @Echo

Lucius' eyes narrowed as his brother Marcus entered the room. Though internally he told himself to put on a carefree expression, outwardly his face clearly showed the anguish he was wrestling within. He let out a quick huff of air in mild amusement of Marcus' innocent question. "Not well," was his response. Lucius took in a deep breath to center himself and then corrected his posture. Not one to take overly long to get to the point, Lucius didn't waste any more time in telling Marcus what was going on. "We lost our home, brother. To that bitch Vitellia." A cousin he'd never properly met in person prior to their court date. Another slow, controlled breath to calm his frustration. "I know we haven't had proper time to discuss everything, but you need to be familiar with the details. What questions do you have?" @Atrice

Lucius wiped his face again, and shrugged agreement to Caecina's invitation for him to join her. "Sure, might as well," he said, and quickly closed the distance between them. He watched quietly as Astraea walked away to fulfill the request of her domina, and then let his eyes refocus on Caecina. "That I am, though for only a short while, I believe." Try as he might, Lucius couldn't entirely remember the last time he had sat with Caecina and spoken with her, just the two of them. He honestly wasn't sure they ever had. "And you... are here on leave from your lessons I presume?" He grinned slyly. @Echo

Looking over the brim of his cup, Quintus nodded. "Yes," he said, returning his now emptied cup to the slave, "Octavius has the gift of seeing space for great and impressive buildings where I only see slums." He chuckled, and then continued on to the point, which was Aulus' own ambitions. "Certainly the city could use a thermae... or some such. All new building projects are now passed through Octavius, but whatever it is you have in mind, give me the outline first and I'll make sure it gets approved." At the break, Quintus motioned for Aulus to follow him through the rear exit of the Aula Regia into the courtyard where they might enjoy the fresh weather as they talked. "So tell me, Aulus, what other ideas do you have in mind for your coming year?" @Sharpie

JULY 74 CE Lucius was seething. Where others might turn to wine or other distractions in times of stress or frustration, Lucius had no such desires. Typically a calm and collected man outwardly, he was a man who battled his temper inwardly. More than a few times in his life had he wrestled with an utterly overwhelming surge of rage. This time was set to boil over anything that had come before. The trial was lost. He could not fathom it. He could not understand, or even bring himself to think of the minute details that brought his case crashing down. Was it particular wording he had used? Flawed logic in one of his arguments? He knew he should have paid more attention to lessons in law and legal recourse. As always, he had returned to the home of his mother-in-law, Flavia Juliana. The place he had spent all of his fortune to leave behind (not that he particularly disliked it). He was leaning over a table, his hands gripping firmly onto the sides and all of his weight pressing down on it. He was consciously telling himself to breathe slowly, to feel the air come in and attempt to exhale the poison building up inside of him. He needed a calm voice to speak with his brother. @Atrice

"Ah, Aulus Praetxtatus!" Quintus stood as he saw the figure of his ally enter the room. He matched the man's steps until near enough to him to extend a military hand shake. "Good of you to come. Wine?" He turned to a slave who, with near impeccable placement, was standing just a few feet away from them with a vase and cups in hand. Quintus went ahead and took his, and took a drink. "I trust the preparations for your campaign are in order?" Quintus of course backed Aulus' nomination as consul, and would see to it that the man took the chair of prominence in the coming year. Though Aulus was two decades younger than himself, Quintus considered him a strong ally, daresay a friend. It was no secret that Quintus was not a man to trust easily. For almost all of his life he had relied upon his own strength and cunning to advance his career and his station. But those few men who showed not only loyalty, but a consistent kind of loyalty.. those were the kind of men worth supporting. @Sharpie

Another campaign to Britannia, and once again Lucius found himself at the villa of his mother-in-law's husband upon his return to Rome. It seemed that for all the changes in his life nothing had changed at all. Two places he couldn't get away from: Britannia, and the villa. Not that he particularly disliked the villa. It was as much 'home' to him as anywhere else considering the amount of time he had spent there. And of course his family was there - Junia, Marcus, Juliana - though they came and went. Then there was Tuscus who owned the estate, and his daughter Caecina. Tuscus, one of 'Caesar's men' seemed mostly to be away, or at least his terms of leave didn't overlap with Lucius'. Lucius had spoken with Caecina sparingly, and honestly hadn't paid her much attention. That particular day he had risen early and went for a run around the outskirts of the property. The morning air was chilly, but not so much as to keep him from breaking a sweat. He was wearing a simple tunic, a sort of dull brown in color with a wide black leather belt around his waist. When he at last returned to the villa proper, he had the choice to cut through the gardens or take the longer route around. He decided to cut through. His tunic had soaked up much of his sweat, showing in areas around his neck and arms, and his hair was a mess. He was not necessarily in any sort of formal condition to meet anyone, but as he walked - wiping the sweat from his eyes with a sleeve of his tunic - he saw from the corner of his vision a woman sitting to his left. Not expecting company, he stopped quickly to focus on the figure before realizing it was Caecina, not quite the child he remembered. He wasn't sure whether she even knew he was staying at the villa again... much less if she recognized him. So he thought to speak first. "Caecina," he said, and approached her with a grin. "What are you doing out here?" @Echo

April 75 CE Quintus was growing tired of Rome. He was a restless man. Always had been. He supposed it was the Flavian blood of his father, and perhaps even some of his Cornelian ancestors, that pushed him to always rise to find new challenges to overcome, or enemies to conquer. Thanks to his brother Jullus, the German frontier was mostly placated. Britannia and the Danube were always active, but were more areas of controlled enforcement rather than conquest. The true enemy was building in the east, and no Roman had yet been successful in conquering the east. It was in his name to do so. However, as always there were matters to attend in the Eternal City. The commander of the Praetorians spoke with him that morning of matters to keep an eye on. Over a decade prior, Quintus had personally seen to the reorganization of the Praetorian Guard. He enacted stricter, more rigid rules for requirements to join the Guard, and rules for length of service. Well over half of the guard was replaced after he donned the name 'Caesar', all of whom were urged to accept Caesar's offer of an early retirement bonus and a plot of land in the provinces. Those who refused the offer were quietly imprisoned or executed for treason; those who accepted were let be. From that point on, Caesar had maintained a careful watch over the Guard, consistently transferring veterans loyal to him in and pulling others out. He also decided to place men he absolutely trusted as the commanders of the guard. The first was a man of German blood, whom had at various times in his life been an enemy to the Flavians, and a protector: Alaricus Aetius. The second was Lucius Marcius Tertullus, a cousin-in-law whom had supported Quintus' rise to power and fought bravely for him over the years. While he personally appointed the Prefects, he allowed the Prefects themselves to oversee the recruitment of new guards, according to the rules he set in place. In his experience the tribunes were the men to be wary of. They were hungry and self-centered. They looked down on centurions, and saw the Prefects above them as the end goal. But such men, if they were to ever become Prefect, wouldn't be satisfied. Such ambition knew no bounds. Clemens had shown all of the empire as much. As a result, Caesar also required regular inspections of the guard, to ensure all those serving were worthy of the prestige associated with their position. The most recent had brought with it interesting developments, which led to Caesar calling upon one tribune by the name of Titus Cornasidius Sabinus, whom had finally arrived. "Caesar!" The tribune stood at attention once within the Aula. Quintus waved his hand to tell the man to be at ease, and then motioned for him to step closer. "I have just recently spoken with a good friend of mine by the name of Aulus Praetextatus. You know him?" Sabinus nodded. "I am familiar with the name." "Indeed," Quintus said, and then took a long, calculated, quiet look at the tribune before him. "He seems to think highly of you." Sabinus spoke up. "I am pleased to hear that, Caesar." Quintus brought his hand back up, this time telling the man to hold his tongue. "I've known Praetextatus for a long time, now. I trust him. I trust his judgement and typically pay close attention to his recommendations... but I found it odd the way the conversation just popped up." With a quick motion, Quintus flung his fingers away from his body to mimic an explosion. "That he might suddenly have a care for the position of the Prefect of the Grains, or Prefect of Egypt itself." "You understand, Sabinus, that grain is the most important resource to our city. If its supply is impacted in any way, my job quickly becomes much more difficult. In years past, lesser men have attempted to use that knowledge to their advantage. All of them failed." Quintus stood and moved closer to the tribune. "You have served the empire well, from what Tertullus tells me - and he tells me many things. A term in Egypt, and Britannia. Yet, I have not once heard of your name until today. A pity, then, that the manner in which I hear of you is one that feeds suspicion. "I can see the ambition in that small grin you can't seem to take off your face. I'm sure even now you are thinking of how you can get ahead of whatever obstacle I throw out next." "Caesar, I--" Caesar stepped closer to cut Sabinus off, looking him straight in the eyes. "You are being reassigned to Egypt, resuming your former post beneath the Prefect. I don't trust you enough to place you in a place of such power. But, I do prefer to have men of ability working for me rather than against me. The choice is yours what you will do with this opportunity, but rest assured there are only two outcomes: More opportunity, or death. Now get out of here." Caesar waved his hands and turned his back on the tribune before another word could be said. After Sabinus had left, Quintus called over his secretary. "Write to Prefect Vitellius in Egypt that Tribune Sabinus is on his way." "Is that all, Dominus?" Quintus nodded. Vitellius already knew what to do.

Eppitacos - 13 - Cyan - Chris Quintus Flavius Caesar Alexander Augustus - 4 - Red - Chris Manius Aemilius Scaurus Pius - 1 - Green - Chris

"The trial is a week from now. Enough time to find Alexia, dig into Proculinus, and prepare some speeches." He paused, thinking of where Alexia might be. "As for Alexia. As I mentioned, she is a free woman, and has a brother called Lycus who is a baker in the Caelian subura. I imagine if she's not there, he can tell you where she is." What I wouldn't give for one of his pies right now, Lucius thought to himself. "Proculinus... He seemed very prepared, confident, well-liked by the others present and before the proceedings began, I was sure I would come away the victor. But as the opposition made arguments, his confidence disappeared. His papers became disheveled. His voice weakened and he appeared he hadn't studied a day of law in his life." Lucius' eyes glazed over as he thought back to the day of the first trial. "I might think him an actor over a lawyer, for his show of hollowed bravado." @Sara

Lucius kept his eyes trained on Corinthia even as the brim of his cup of wine covered most of his face as he drank. The question was an interesting one. He supposed the average politician might respond with an answer about how much they enjoyed their time in the city... even though most of them had villas outside of it where they enjoyed their privacy. Adding weight to his answer was the fact that Lucius no longer had a home to return to. "In my life I've been away from Rome more than in it." He was born outside of Rome, and lived most of his youth following the uncles who raised him. "I almost might say the opposite. Too long in the city and I begin to yearn for new sights and new challenges." He hadn't really ever taken the time to consider his constant wanderlust before her question. "I suppose that's why the military life suits me." He took another sip. "And you? Do you prefer it here in Greece, or in Rome?" @Gothic

Quintus looked to his nephew wearing a small grin on the corners of his lips. Age had softened some of his features, though his eyes remained as piercing as ever - a trait he shared with Tiberius. "I did," Quintus responded. He began to walk around the Mausoleum, taking in the likeness of all the former rulers of the empire, noting how they had all chosen to be likened to Augustus. He had always favored his mother, and therefore was more Cornelian - more of a pointed face than the rounded foreheads of the Julians and squared jaws of the Claudians. He assumed the artisans would liken him to Augustus as well, when the time came. "I've always been a man to get right to the point, so I'll spare you small talk about your studies and the like." The truth was, Quintus was terrible at holding such conversations. He knew all he needed to know about Tiberius, and if there was something he found himself curious about, he'd ask the boy's tutors to get an unbiased opinion. "I believe it's time you see the greater empire, Tiberius. I've been planning, or considering, various diplomatic missions that need the attention of the men in our family. I need your uncle Octavius in Rome. Jullus is in Germania. And Lepidus' new name carries a different sort of weight than what is needed." He spoke, of course, of his youngest brother whom had been adopted into the Aemilii-Scauri as Marcus Aemilius Scaurus Alexander. "Tell me, what have you heard of the situation in the east?" @Sarah

Lucius shrugged and nodded in agreement when his commander named him for what he was: an idiot. Perhaps he should have gone to Longinus to start with. "I went to Juliana," who was, as Longinus knew, the closest thing to a mother Lucius had ever had. "She lent me the funds needed for representation, a man her husband recommended. Cnaeus Proculinus. A waste of coin he was." Lucius had later learned that Proculinus had only served in the minor circuit courts prior to Lucius' trial against Vitellia. Longinus had all the qualities of a good leader. He listened, he spoke straight and honest, and he was always thinking ahead. Lucius this time had a good answer for his question. "I think there are a few paths open to me. The most straightforward is to try to defend my actions with the simple argument that I destroyed my property, although it resided on 'her' land. To that end... I have a house servant, Alexia, who lives... lived? In my home. She was the slave of the architect I hired to build the home until I bought and freed her. His name is some long Greek contraption... Ante-something? I can't remember. But she would. He would have a record of the plans and payments." He paused to think and collect his thoughts, and then gave his mentor a long, careful look. "But, there is another thought that continues to eat at me. Vitellia was all but non-existent until just now. Why? What's her motive? And come to think of it, I'm not entirely trustful of Proculinus, either." @Sara

Lucius thought to speak to the instability of the bench as Longinus postured himself over it, but the man sat and seemed stable enough before any words could form, so Lucius let it be. He followed Longinus' eyes to the bucket he hadn't yet had to use, but was certain had been used well beyond its value - if it even had one to begin with. Not one to squirm in the face of a little dirt - or shit as it were - Lucius took a seat and then a deep breath to begin telling the tale of how he'd ended up in the Tullianum. "Well... I suppose rage possessed me," he answered honestly enough. If anyone knew of Lucius' bouts of rage, it was Longinus; he was there when Lucius, still then a boy of eleven years, took his father's gladius and slaughtered Scaevo, the Briton slave whom had gained Decimus Silanus' trust only to betray and kill him. "That domus had always been Decimus', for all I knew. I lived there before and after Britannia, and from all I could see it was the family home, and he, as the pater familias, was the owner. Turns out the truth was a bit more complicated. Any copies of the deeds and testaments that Decimus had were destroyed in the riots, so, I secured the land and rebuilt the home." Lucius stopped himself abruptly. "I don't know why I'm repeating all of this when you know it already." "But, what you might not know, and what I didn't know, was that my aunt Calvina had inherited the domus. Her daughter, Vitellia, had a testament that proved she was the rightful heir to the land." What complicated matters even further was that Calvina had been exiled during Claudius' reign, and all of her possessions had been forfeited to the state, after which time Decimus was given the land as a caretaker - which is what Lucius' argument had been in the courts. Vitellia's defense was that when Quintus Caesar extended clemency, all previous charges were forgiven and reversed, which also restored properties to rightful owners. "Without any sort of physical testament myself, it was a hopeless battle, and she won the home I spent all of my inheritance on..." He paused, rolling the tip of his tongue over the edge of his upper teeth. "Well, she won the land. I paid for the home. The walls, the decor, the furniture. So, she can have the land, and live there if she chooses, but not before paying to rebuild it as I did." Lucius understood that his actions had been incredibly brash and foolish. In the moment he had only been pushed by rage and a desire for revenge. Sitting in that cell, he felt a different, quieter sort of rage. He still wanted revenge. @Sara

Longinus was a welcome sight.. though truthfully any sight at all in that dark cesspit was welcome. Held at arm's length by Longinus after the brotherly embrace, Lucius grinned quickly. "Ever a man imbued with positivity, commander," Lucius said, letting live the old habit of calling Longinus by his title rather than his name. Lucius shuffled his feet against the moist floor of the cell, and put himself into the sliver of light that crept in from the corridor beyond it. Though he knew it was only the light of a candelabra and not the sun, it still felt oddly refreshing to be draped in it, however momentarily. "You've heard the details?" After the deed was done, Lucius prepared for the eventuality that he would be apprehended. Planning ahead, he had instructed his freedman Falcius to immediately call upon Longinus in such an event. Whether or not the man had taken time to investigate why exactly Lucius had been thrown in with common criminals was still unknown. "If not, all the better you hear it from me, I suppose." @Sara

Chris ~ staying ~ keeping: Quintus Flavius Caesar Alexander Augustus, Lucius Junius Silanus, Manius Aemilius Scaurus Pius, Eppitacusdropping: n/a

July 73 CE - the Tullianum in the Forum Romanum For most of his life, Lucius Silanus hadn't really had a home to call his own. He was raised in Asia in his youngest years, and after the death of his father and then mother, he moved on from place to place - living with his uncle Gaius Longinus and aunt Lepida in Syria, and then to Rome where he was taken in by his uncle Decimus, who was for all intents and purposes his father. He travelled with Decimus to Britannia for the man's proconsulship, and lived in the governor's palace there, only to return to Rome after Decimus' death. When he returned, he again took residence in the home of the Junii-Silani, where - at that time - his aunt Calvina was the caretaker of what was left of their family. Though she had been the oldest, she had only just returned to Rome from exile. Then came the riots and Clemens' rise to power, when Lucius, his siblings, and mother-and-law Juliana all escaped Rome to live in Africa. Calvina refused to leave Rome again, and was killed during the destruction of the family home. After Quintus Caesar brought peace, Lucius returned to Rome with Flavia Juliana - the widow of Lucius' uncle Decimus, and the woman he considered to be his mother. With her help he managed to rebuild the family domus on the same land, almost to the exact same specifications as the original. What a shock it had been, then, when Lucius returned from months of service in the east to find that a cousin he hadn't even realized existed - Vitellia Calvina - had laid legal claim to his home during his absence, and using his absence as an advantage, had created a very strong case against him. With what wealth he had tied up into the home itself, Lucius was left only with what Juliana could lend him, and in the end, the case had settled in favor of Vitellia, stating that though Decimus had lived in the home, it had always belonged to Junia Calvina, and thus was the inheritance of her daughter. Outrage. Disbelief. Two of the strongest emotions that coursed through Lucius. Two emotions that led him to set fire to the home he had exhausted himself to rebuild. Just when he'd thought he had a home, it was by his own hands that it had to be destroyed. Vitellia was quick to have Lucius arrested, and he went willingly to the Tullianum in the center of the Forum where he was held with others, nobles and common plebs alike, waiting for his trial. Though some had lost hope, Lucius was determined, despite his destitution. He still had connections. He still had allies. He still had friends... @Sara

Lucius let his lips bend to match Corinthia's slow smile after she had confessed her true nature, and followed behind as she led him into the dining room without any further exchange of formality. It wasn't until he had lowered himself onto a chaise opposite his host that he spoke again, this time to answer the question of how his journey had been. "Relatively uneventful," he said, which was fortunate, knowing how tumultuous the seas between Italia and Hellas could be. "I traveled with a military detail most of the way, so at least the pace was quick and to my liking." A slave arrived to give him a goblet of wine, which he took with a nod of acknowledgment. For all his distaste of things un-Roman, Lucius was a man who did not entirely agree with the institution of slavery. "It is truly a beauty to behold..." he said after taking a quick sip. "This country. I've never been. It feels as if everything has a history or a story behind it." @Gothic

Dressed in a dark blue tunic that was tied off with a maroon sash for contrast, Lucius followed behind the servant at a brisk pace. The villa was quite large and spacious. He admired its architecture - distinctly Hellenic - as they passed through the corridor. His eyes on the construction methods, Lucius didn't notice the servant's abrupt stop. Just as she uttered "Oh, Domi-" he ran straight into her, and the two of them stumbled awkwardly in opposite directions, though neither lost their footing completely. Lucius composed himself, flattening his clothing with his hands, and then looked up to see Corinthia in front of him. The servant began to apologize to Lucius, though it was entirely his fault, and he simply held up a lithe hand to wave off the need for an apology. "Claudia," he said, using the polite form of her name. "It seems that I have a bad habit of managing to make myself look the fool whenever you're around." @Gothic

Quintus Caesar arrived at the games with the full entourage of his family and the Praetorians who escorted them on parade from the palace to the still new coliseum. The procession of so many imperials had become a small spectacle of its own, and - ever a man of the people - Caesar had showered the onlookers with coins and bid them go watch the games and enjoy a few drinks on him. After the proper portents and speeches had been given, with dedications given to Caesar and the imperials, the first match of the day was set to begin. As soon as the required ceremonies were finished, Caesar quickly had his hands full... though not in political discourse as expected. His youngest son, Drusus - in his typical confounding way - had developed a love of the games, even though he still had a distaste for the bloodshed that accompanied them. He was nearly falling over the front wall of the imperial box, pining to get a closer look. "Pater..." he started, in a tone that preceded a question. Quintus simply raised his brows, a look that told the boy that his father was listening. "We make the rules for the empire, do we not?" "We do," he said. "And we enforce them, right?" Quintus nodded and Drusus continued. "And you are first among your peers, which means that your family is also first among other families, does it not?" "I suppose that's true," Quintus said. "Then why do we have to sit up here, where it's so far away from the action that I have to squint to see? Shouldn't we have a closer seat befitting our status?" Quintus smirked. "Your grammaticus has started teaching the Socratic method has he?" Quintus tussled Drusus' hair, and then gave him an answer to contemplate. "You are right that we hold a power and prestige above all others. Prestige which was earned by my efforts against Rome's enemies. But do you think I fought in wars and won battles just to see another fight from a good vantage?" Drusus frowned a little. "I guess not... but what about me?" "Well, my little warrior, you have yet to win any battles." "So when I win a battle, I can give the order to have the imperial box moved closer to the sand?" Quintus watched his son, whose eyes were transfixed on the fight. "I suppose you could, but the true measure of a ruler is not what he takes for himself, but what he gives to better his country. Even now if you wanted to see any of these fighters, we could give the order at any time of day or night to have them brought to the palace, to your very room even. None of the people down there have that privilege, and they never will. So we give them this enjoyment to better their spirits, which in the end lends to their support of our family." "But we can still go see the gladiators after today's matches are over, right?" Caesar shook his head - more from endearment than annoyance - at his son's lack of attention to the lesson he was trying to impart. "Yes, we can. But step away from the wall." @Gothic @Anna @Sharpie @Sarah

The past two years had been full of twists and turns for Lucius Junius Silanus. After Caesar's banquet where it was announced that Lucius would tag along with part of the official Roman delegation sent to speak to the kings and satraps of the east, Lucius was sure his star was on the rise. He had the advantage of his name, which thanks to his late-uncle, Decimus Silanus, had been restored to some sort of prestige (despite the man's defeat and death at the hands of the Britons). He spent three months in the east, though for most of that time he was in Armenia, listening to the endless ambitions of that nation's king - Tiridates - and why Rome should support him in an invasion of Parthia and the rebelling Greek satrapies. Rome's official stance, as it was handed down from Caesar, was to remain neutral but ready; Caesar wanted to see how things developed before committing Roman troops. While some within the delegation were eager to jump to war, Lucius and others were more mindful of Caesar's directives. After the east, Lucius returned to near disaster in Rome. Vitellia Calvina, daughter of his aunt Junia Calvina and Lucius' paternal cousin, had laid legal claim to the domus he built with the very inheritance he had received from Decimus' will. The original domus, where Calvina took up residence after her return from exile, was burned in the riots of Clemens' coup, and Lucius spent most of his personal fortune in rebuilding it as close to the original as he could. Vitellia's argument was that Calvina was the rightful heir to the land, per an old will she had uncovered from somewhere, and therefore the land and everything on it belonged to her. Lucius spent almost all the wealth he had left - and borrowed some - to fight his cousin in the courts, only to lose in the end. In an act of rage he spent his last denarii on hiring laborers to destroy the home so that Vitellia could have the land, but not the home. He was arrested shortly afterward and again went to trial where he faced charges of arson - pressed by his cousin - whose legal representative (her husband) pushed for Lucius to pay Vitellia the stated value of the home (as listed in tax records), or, should he not be able to, for him to enter into servitude to her until the debt was paid. By the graces of Flavia Juliana, Lucius had his own representation who made it clear that the home in question had been built by and was the property of Lucius Silanus, and therefore it was within his legal right to do with it as he pleased. He was acquitted, and though his lawyer advised Lucius to press charges against Vitellia for defamation, he waved off the suggestion, claiming he had had enough of Rome. It was then that he received an offer from a legate of the 7th Fulminata in Syria to serve as Tribune of a new Romano-Briton auxiliary wing that had recently lost its praefect. He accepted and decided to leave Rome early enough to pay a visit to Claudia Corinthia in Greece. He traveled from Ostia down the coast of Italy, passing between Regium and Messana in the Straight of Sicily before cutting across the sea and into the Isthmus of Corinth where he made landfall. It was Lucius' first time setting foot in Greece, and soon after landing he was enamored with the history. A carriage took him from the port to his destination where he was met by servants who ushered him to a section of the villa reserved for guests, where his belongings were placed. He was told there was a private bath adjacent to his room if he wanted to bathe, and that the domina would call upon him within the next hour. Lucius took the opportunity to refresh himself with a bath, all the while contemplating whether or not to be upfront with his drastic change in circumstance. He was interrupted from his thoughts by another servant bringing him towels. He quickly prepared himself and asked the servant to lead him to see Corinthia. @Gothic

**OOC: Jumping in to wrap this up. See further note at the bottom of my post.** The discussion continued on for some time until the sun had fallen and the limit for the day's session was almost at hand. With concerns raised and many opinions given on how to quiet those concerns, the core of the discussion boiled down to funding. Though always eager to look good in the public eye, Caesar knew that senators were not eager to simply hand over their wealth to those of less fortunate standings. He had heard enough for one day. Caesar rose. "Senators, a great many ideas have been brought forth," he began, "but I feel we have come to a point of simply talking in circles. Therefore, I move to formally adjourn the session so that it might reconvene in a week's time whereupon a fully formed proposal will be brought forth for voting." The Curia was in agreement, and the session was closed, with official notes handed over to Caesar. One week later... The follow-up session fell on an awful, rainy day and as a result of the weather the proceedings were delayed until enough of a body was present to vote on the legislation in question. Caesar had reviewed the official notes from the previous week and had invited various senators to meet with him privately so they might expand upon their initial ideas. When the floor was gifted to him, Caesar stood and gave the finer points of the alimenta, all of which were ratified by the house. The main points were as follows: Overview: The alimenta will provide general funds, food, and education to orphans and homeless children. It would be available across all of Italia, to children aged 0 through 14, and broken into three stages with the long-term goal of producing citizens who could contribute to society as a whole. Non-citizens (freedmen/pelegrini) could also gain access by way of sponsorship by a patron. Stage 1 - Ages 0-6 The state will begin construction and operation of large homes/education centers (Domi Alimentum) for young and abandoned children where they will be looked after and given basic education and survival skills. Stage 2 - Ages 7-14 At the age of 7, children will graduate from the Domi Alimentum and be sent to the homes of sponsors to learn a trade for the next seven years. These sponsors are vetted by the state, and are themselves citizens who are farmers, craftsmen, or temple staff. In return for educating or training the children in their trades, the sponsors receive tax breaks. Sponsors are to be regulated and reviewed twice a year, and if they are found guilty of abuse or neglect, they can be fined (the total of the tax reductions they have received, or more; or imprisoned). Any sponsor who decides to adopt a child will receive double the tax credit until the child comes to the age of majority (15). Stage 3 - Ages 15+ When a child turns 15, the sponsor has the choice to 'hire' the child, or not. If the child is hired, they will stay on to work as hired labor for their sponsor, with the sponsor continuing to receive a tax credit. For those children who are not hired: Boys will be enlisted into the military at full recruit pay. Those whom have been trained in crafts will receive additional pay, and most likely will serve away from the front lines. After serving 15 years in the legions, said 'alimenti' will receive a plot of land upon which to live. The sponsors will receive 5% of the alimenti's pay, only while the child is in active service. After 15 years, the alimenti will receive a plot of land and will no longer have to pay any percentage of their income to their former sponsor. Girls will be enrolled as servants in the temples, brought on as handmaidens for one of Rome's noble families, trained as nurses, or any other number of available professions. Funding: The initial donation to begin the construction of Domi Alimentum is to be made from the leftover booty from Caesar's British campaigns, along with donations from Rome's nobility. Further funding shall come from state financing. Loans will be given by the state to desiring members of the Equestrian order who meet pre-determined criteria. The borrowers are required to repay the loans with yearly payments (plus interest) that will go to fund the alimenta, and makeup for the income lost as a result of the tax reductions given to sponsors. Those who receive loans cannot also be sponsors. Longevity: Any alimenti who are able to rise into the Equestrian order will be eligible for a loan at a much lower interest rate than standard. Additionally, any alimenti who complete 15 years of service in the legions will also be eligible for loans, or to serve as sponsors themselves. Should the system of sponsorship fail, or borrowers dry up, taxes could be imposed on the equestrian and senatorial orders at large. **OOC: Thanks to everyone who participated in this thread. We had some really great interactions and ideas. We decided to wrap it up as it had slowed down - mostly because of my own inactivity, for which I do apologize. The staff are already cooking up some great new ideas, so keep your eyes peeled!**