The House of Caius Cassius Longinus

Caius Cassius Longinus is a Plebeian of the Cassian family, the branch Longinus. He hails from the town of Salernum, in Campania, where his ancestors were very well situated for many generations. He, however, had dreams of grandeur from his early youth so when his Father died, he left rustic Campania after selling out all his factories in order to acquire land fourteen years ago and settled in the Aventine Hill while soon after he entered the Senate after topping the Quaestorial elections. Being look down upon for years due to his rural background, Caius Cassius claims that his family is no new men at all; he claims heritage from a certain Caius Cassius, a Consular murdered from the Patricians after a revolutionary agrarian bill of his, however the heritage claim is much doubted and furthermore clouded in myth – everyone but himself regard him still as a New Man. Unable to persuade them of otherwise, Caius insists on saying: “Cato the Censor was a rustic provincial too – look where he is now!”. He’s married to Aelia Marcia, a shrewd woman of little looks but deep pockets, and has sired three children; his beloved Cassia Prima, the hope of his old age and the next in line, Caius Cassius Junior, and young Lucius Cassius who prefers to drive everyone insane for the time being.

Caius Cassius is a well studied man who can use his knowledge to make a persuasive point. Being a defence advocate for more than a decade, he has a skill with getting others doing what he wants them to do, by manipulation if need be. Saying that Caius Cassius isn't principled is harsh; he does have some moral refrains. But he always manages to see the profit in doing the thing he believes right, and more than often he has ended being a richer man, after doing something he declared in all tones to be right.

Cassius fancies himself as being born for politics. Being an awful soldier and leader of men, he channels all his energy into getting involved in the day-to-day running of the State and admittedly he has some skill at that. Surprisingly enough, Caius Cassius stands with the conservative line though it is from the same conservatives that he is most insulted by; deep in his heart Caius knows that in order to really ennoble his family, which is his ultimate goal, he has to be accepted by the Quality and respected by the People. Thus, he is always keeping a low profile, away from firebrand behaviors while trying to prove himself to the same nobles that laugh at his lack of breeding.

His goals are simple: he wants to make the Cassii Longini a respected family name amongst every Roman citizen in order for his son to avoid the humiliations he had to endure without loosing his well-thought persona. Caius demands nothing less from Caius Junior than to be up to the task of continuing the family name forward while he demands nothing less from himself than making such a precedence for the Cassii Longini that will be remembered as long as a Cassius exists!