Assignemnt 4: Character Descriptions

       Lucius dropped his sword in exhaustion.  Battle practices with his master’s son were beginning to take their toll on his already fatigued body.  His muscles ached, but in a way that proved he was getting stronger.  His brown hair, lightened by all the time spent under the sun, was damp with sweat; his bangs stuck to his forehead.  He wiped the sweat from his brow with the backs of his callused, overworked hands and began to return the practice equipment to its proper place.  The soles of his calcei were wearing thin, making them much more uncomfortable than they already were.  Soon he would be able to feel the roughness of the gravel beneath him against the flesh of his heels.  His plain, tattered tunic was also wet from perspiration; he was all but thrilled at the thought of remaining in his soiled clothes for the remainder of the day.  Lucius made his way back to the house to tend to the rest of his lingering chores.  Walking inside, he caught a glimpse of his own reflection, and what he saw mirrored back to him was the sight of a champion.  Standing at five foot nine, his quick movements with a sword and the ferocity in his gaze could be intimidating to any enemy.  He was a hero in the making.

        Footsteps were coming from the stairs above him.  It was Julia, the master’s daughter.  Julia had a particular elegance about her.  She moved with certain lightness with each step she took, so that it almost looked as though she was floating.  Her linen peplos nearly touched her feet, revealing her sloeae she often wore around the house.  Today her hair was down, and the loose brown curls covered her delicate shoulders.  When she reached the bottom of the stairs she stopped and glanced at Lucius, always happy to see him, before smiling and continuing on. Julia was the one person who was able to look past his demeaning social status; she saw him as a human being, not a slave, and he appreciated her for this.  Though they had a special friendship, Lucius was hesitant in telling her of his dreams to join the army.  He was afraid she would not understand his desire to be a part of it. He kept these thoughts to himself.

-Elizabeth Reed

Assignment 4-Tori Miles

             His servant tunic hung loosely over his figure, his thin tanned limbs stretched from beneath its worn folds. A dark shock of hair framed his youthful features in a tangle of wild curls. Though his face appeared young, his hands were rough and strong with the familiarity of hard labor. Plucked from the arms of his mother as an infant, Felix had known no other life but that of a slave. From an early age the boy had won the favor of his master through his dedication and spirit, as well as the heart of his master’s daughter whom he’d grown up with. This secret cast a threatening shadow over Felix’s future, he couldn’t afford being caught up in a scandal with a Roman patrician’s daughter or the consequences would be deadly. He had to keep his reputation clean, for-despite his humble upbringing-Felix had always harbored a fascination for accomplishing something greater and more permanent with his life. If only he could escape the prison of slavery he was bound in and make a name for himself. The only path he knew to this freedom was manumission, thus Felix committed himself to excellent service, hoping one day he would proudly wear a citizens ring on his hand.

            Opinionated. Powerful. Persuasive. Philosophical. Simply the mention of his name sparked recognition in the eyes of citizens young and old. Marcus Tullius Cicero was a man who could sway the most steadfast opinions with his words. Though he was older than the average man, his mind was still as sharp and daring as the youths being schooled in the forum. Despite his recent monetary struggles, Cicero still walked about the city in his finest togas, maintaining an air of stateliness and pride. But his emotions were not completely impenetrable. The recent death of his beloved daughter, Tullia, had deeply affected him. As he posed in the workshop for his portrait carving, he enlisted every effort to stay composed, but the artist knew that Cicero was empty. Deep in his troubled eyes one could see that the man was tortured by his notions of guilt and blame.

Barlam assignment 4

Sitting on the steps of his modest home atop Palatine Hill, Marcus waited for his wife, Julia, to return from the market.  Always the dreamer, he fantasized back to the first time he laid eyes upon the love of his life. Marcus chuckled to himself as he realized it was in the very same market that Julia was now shopping in.  He recalled feeling utterly helpless and completely possessed by her beauty. Unable to control his jaw from dropping or his eyes from staring, Marcus found his legs to be the only functional part of his body. They seemed to have a mind of their own as they dragged him closer to the magnificent creature, who was occupied browsing a fruit stand.  It was obvious she was wealthy, as she wore a crimson collared stola with a maroon palla draped gracefully over one shoulder.  Her one exposed arm revealed  a collection of silver rings and a golden armband.  As Marcus got closer, he noticed the shimmer of red in her almond colored hair, and the specs of gold in her hazel eyes. Although well covered, her olive skin showed from underneath her stola as the breeze blew.  Marcus guessed her to be of the equestrian class. From first sight, he knew she was well above him and that he didn’t have a chance. Risking making a fool of himself, Marcus said hello. Roused from his day dream by footsteps on the path he sat by, Marcus smiled to himself and felt proud, as he could now call that beautiful girl his wife. 

As Julia shopped, she passed a fruit stand in the market, and was flooded with memories of the first time she saw her dearest Marcus. She recalled the nervous but well muscled boy who approached her that day.  He was nearly six feet tall with sandy blond hair, and piercing blue eyes.  The toga he wore seamed somewhat dingy, and the shoes that covered his feet were of untanned leather.  Obviously beneath her class, and most likely a plebs, there was still something about this boy that made him desirable. There was passion and ambition in his eyes, and yet also a playful joy. Before that moment, Julia did not believe in love at first sight. Realizing what this boy would mean to her, she resolved to give everything up for him. Her wealth and societal position meant nothing if she could not be with him. As Julia picked up an apple, she smiled to herself, forever cherishing that moment. 

Characters

            Julia a seventeen-year-old Roman girl with nice beautiful blue eyes is the daughter of Tulia and Julius. This beautiful girl enjoys the wind that passes by in the city of Rome, her long light blonde hair moving from side to side as she sees

Aulus her lover, from far away. Julia is a very intelligent woman, even though she does not attend school, she has the ability to do many things. As a little girl she started reading, learning by herself since she was not able to attend school. She would go inside her father’s desk and read along documents she would find. She is a wise woman but has she made a wise decision in falling in love with Aulus?

            Aulus, a hardworking slave of age 18 years old works for Julia’s family. He is the main servant of the family, helping mostly Julious. Julious has now retired from his army duty but does many things at home where Aulus is the helping hand. Aulus is a really kind person, very vulnerable where he follows all orders and does not contradict anyone. He knows Julia is a really beautiful woman but he also knows he cannot look at her. Aulus with his brown eyes still looks at Julia while she goes down the stairs with her nice white toga and brown soleaes covering her nice feet. Aulus, a hardworking loyal slave has fallen in love with Julia but is he ready to betray his owner’s orders?

            Julious the governor of Gaul and army commander is a tall light-skinned Roman. He is now old and has retired from the army. In his young years, he led his army many times in war especially the time against Poropey. With Julius’ tactics, they were able to defeat Poropey. Many times he was named dictator and at times consul. He was not being the greatest nicest man there could ever be but he sure did have the most sophisticated mind in between all the army commanders while at war. As the man of the house he has arranged Julia’s marriage; she is to marry one of Julius most loyal soldier. He was found the perfect match for Julia but will Julia accept him?

            Tulia a loyal wife, also with blonde beautiful hair and blue eyes has helped her husband chose Julia’s husband. She does not fully have the final world but she can express her opinion even though it won’t really be taken into consideration. She helps her husband in everything he needs. She is very hardworking and very helpful at home. She takes care of Julia, their only child, in becoming a good lady. Tulia loves to write letters and in these letters she writes poetry but she never sends these out. She keeps them in her desk locked from her husband. If her husband finds them he would be very disappointed since she is not allowed to write anything but help her husband around. 

-Andrea Alvares 

Michael Opinion
Professor Hahn
CLASS80
January 31, 2012
Character Description
Note: Character name change due to lecture. Yavi -> Decimus Titus Lepidus
Decimus Titus Lepidus was a short, but surprisingly lank, with broad shoulders, with lengthy arms and legs. His palms fell down to his knees, and his hands unwillingly became scoops for gravel and dirt. As his appearance seemed lanky and weak, but his head was strong. Decimus did not take advice from any one in the senate. Decimus was loyal to his senate and stood behind many of the ideas that the senate believed in, but money was a top priority for Decimus. As one of the top senate leaders at the time, Decimus took many bribes from many outsiders in Rome. While Decimus was a top leader in the senate, he used his power to his advantage and took money to change sides and persuade the senate the way he was bribed. Through bribes from Caesar, Decimus was a changed man. With Caesars money and power, Decimus was wrapped around Caesars fingers.
Gaius Julius Caesar in this novel, had a strong facial features, good looking and was physically strong. Caesar was well liked around Rome, except the Senate. Caesar fought many wars, and won many for Rome. Caesar was smart, he foresaw the attack on him from the senate. With his power and money from all the wars he had won, he had much comfort with giving Decimus money to spy on the whole senate was planning. Caesar used his money and power to take over Decimus but took it way too far. Caesar was abusive to Decimus, but was still very trustworthy to Decimus. Caesar was too confident with Decimus and through much abuse to Decimus, Decimus turned his back towards Caesar.

Fabia, whose husband is away at war, dominates the villa and orders her slaves, such as Lavinia, and the new comer Dida, around. Her husband is a high-ranking officer, but his loyalty to the cause has left Fabia lonely and hot headed. Obsessed with displaying her wealth, she dresses quite elaborate on a daily bases, especially since her husband has been away. She disregards the standard undyed woolen tunica interior, and prefers garment with more color and vivacity, a much more expensive taste. She liked her stola sleeveless, this way more attention can be brought to her elegantly embroidered collar of crimson and also to her brooches. Fabia’s friends envy her extensive collection of brooches, making her more eager to show them off more. She has gold clasps threaded in intricate designs and even brooches made of ivory and silver. She has her slaves polish them nearly everyday in order for them to keep their lustrous shine. Fabia also has a palla, for when she carries herself outside to show off her wealth in the unsympathetic weather. She loves the versatility of the palla and likes to try out new ways of wrapping herself in it. Fabia also likes to keep up with modern hairstyles, imitating the latest fashions. She recently discovered that she can transform one of her beautiful brooches into a hairpin and adorn herself with it atop a soft bed of curls. How much has her style changed since her beloved husband has left and how she wishes he could get a look at her now.

Assignment #4

The man’s dark tunic covered most of his face as it shadowed the sunlight at his back. His garments were from that of a typical plebeian, but appeared suspiciously free of dirt for a man who spends his time at the market. As he approached Marcus, the man did not care to expose his identity by lifting his head into the sunlight or by removing his hood. As the two men came together, Marcus prompted him to speak.

Dressed with his tunic girt low about his hips and a broadsword on his side, Marcus dwarfed the suspicious man. Standing over six feet in height and boasting an impressive body, he bears a large stature that is complemented by his known victories as a military officer and connection to Julius Caesar. Born into a well known family, Marcus utilized his fortune to help others and has gone to great lengths to gain the loyalty of his soldiers as well as the people. 

Instead of choosing to speak, the man discreetly offers Marcus a silver denarius minted with the profile of Julius Caesar. As Marcus placed the coin in the palm of his callused hand the man whispered, “The shadows of Rome speak of an epic fall great Marcus. I suggest staying well as you may be the only man to save him.” Marcus’s face, accented by his large forehead and curled nose seemed to reveal no reaction to the man’s warning. Instead, he clutched the coin and asked, “Where do you receive such information?”

Having studied eloquence in Greece as a boy Marcus was not only a man of physical power but of articulate expression. His speech was clear and precise given with a deep yet smooth tone. He said but few words and utilized their meanings wisely by thinking before speaking. Experiences with patricians and other smooth talkers had taught him to listen first before engaging and coming to a decision. His dealings as a paterfamilias also taught him how to utilize his persuasive speech which he found most useful towards his wife and young son.

Before walking away, the man answered Marcus’s question. “I can hear the voices of the men who choose to hide behind their walls.” Upon his departure Marcus took one last quick glance at the mysterious man before he disappeared into the sea of people within the market.

Introduction of Characters Assignment 4

       Leon grew up as a slave, yet reaped the benefits of having the Paterfamilias as  father. However, this did not stop the Domina from working him hard with daunting tasks. She would keep him thoroughly occupied for many days on end. He would scrub the villa clean, and ready the kitchen for luscious feasts which included the procuring of various seafood and meats such as oysters, mussels,fowl, hares, and boar’s head.  Even while doing a slaves work, Leon was still able to seek counsel with his father, and thus learned to read and write as well as a fair amount of Greek and Latin. Leon was cast out after his father died with only a pair of rough old leather shoes and the plain workers tunic on his back. Leon luckily had a simple toga and a nice palla stowed away that his father had given him, and now being a pleb but nonetheless a free Roman citizen, he dawned the new garments and set forth to try to make a life for himself. Living without ever knowing if he’d obtain a stable life hardened Leon and made him a strong, ambitious man who wanted to prove to Rome that his father hadn’t simply raised a slave for a son. After joining Caesar's 13th legion he became a loyal supporter of the man, and remained so even after his beloved friend died. Despite being dealt the hand of such a difficult life, Leon still remained optimistic in that someday he’d find a fulfilling, successful life. He is compassionate and strong-willed, yet in impersonating Atticus he may have gotten himself into a situation that even his guile, wit, and determination can’t save him from. 

The daughter of a wealthy equestian family, Aelianna is a slender, fair-haired and well-educated girl of her class. She is young but learned quickly to read and compose in both Latin and Greek and participate in various advanced conversations about politics and economy. Although reaching the age where her paterfamilias was to pick a husband for her, she did not want to dawn a stola just yet. Aelianna was content being desired by the many men that graced their lovely villa where they’d find her reading adorned in the latest hairstyle trend and showing off her status with beautiful amethyst and garnet pendents, earrings, and bracelets her parents had spoiled her with. Aelianna was small when her brother left, but now that she believes Atticus is back she is overjoyed and wants to hear of war stories and about the Julius Caesar among other political figures she follows the exploits closely of. 

Julius Caesar and Mark Antony are characters that will be also be seen in the story. They both will recognize Leon and thicken the plot since they too would confuse Atticus and Leon for one another during the Civil War. These big political figures will play a role in the development of Leon’s endeavors to conceal his real identity, and also between the conversation of Aelianna and Leon since she is very interested in politics and warfare at the time.  

Character Description

Caesar was warrior and he thought that he was above Roman people. As a result, he was very arrogant and took the notice of people around him. Also, he wanted to be trusted and to be a trusted leader from people. However, he was never willing to do something for them to get confidence. Most people believed him as a good and powerful leader, so they probably respected him. As a result, he abused his power to keep his position.

Catullus was born into a family of royalty. His uncle and adoptive father, Caesar, was the emperor of Rome. Catullus was trained from birth to be a great ruler like his father, too. When he was young, he dedicated himself to religion, although he considered philosophy to be the rue and inward religion. Also, when he was appointed to priesthood, his father supervised his education, which was with the best professors of literature. Since he ascended the throne and shared his imperial power with his best friend, Benedick. In fact, Benedick was regarded as Catullus’s sidekick.

Benedick was a director of the opera, who flourished at Rome in the last days of the Republic and the early days of the Empire of Caesar. He was very small and short, but he was a kind of perfectionist, so it was not acceptable to give up or complain. In fact, he had a bad memory related with Caesar. One day, his opera played on the bandstand in the hall. However, the atmosphere was strained throughout the concert because Caesar watched his playing. Caesar limited the people’s rights and freedom of expression, so no one could express their thoughts.

character description

As the light deemed inward Ceasar quickly called for his slave to help him prepare for the upcoming day. As prestige was solidified through attire the dictator of the land was most evidently the one to have to put forth the example. This consisted of the typical routine of Ceasar dressing in the finest drapery of the land which was specifically weaved and put together by the most skilled of slaves. These slaves were given the laborious task of having to deal with large amounts of fabrics and were expected to create only the best for Cesar. The attention to detail was clear as Cesar’s toga praetexta was getting wrapped and the light began to catch the intricate fibers in the cloth while simultaneously being reflected upon the infusion of color. However, as the slave continued to help Ceasar it was clear that Ceasar was zoned into a deep trance thought. This trance seemed to be solely focusing on that persist and reoccurring of nightmares. However, whatever worries were brought upon through these obtrusive thoughts, Ceasar knew that while Rome feared him Rome also loved him. He knew that his power went beyond his clothing and demeanor and fell on his ability to change the destiny of Rome. While he remained in this pensive state, his focus was reawaken as he heard distinct voices of his wife and daughter bringing upon him a small yet noticeable smirk to his face as he pictured them.
Calpurina Pisonos, his wife, was in fact very young and a true embodiment of beauty and despite her young age she was a nurturing and loyal wife to Ceasar. She took upon the responsibility of raising his daughter Julia. Her eyes unlike Ceasars, possessed a tender gaze  kind and noble an essence true fitting of an empresse. Julia, who was never too far behind Calpurina, tug on her lavish colored stola to notify her of visitors.  Calpurina quickly walked over to see who they were. From a far she could see distinguished broad stripes on their tunica laticlavia which meant these men were no ordinary men but senators. In fact, as they quickly approached she could see it was Marcus Junius Brutus and  Gaius Cassius Longinus. As she walked away to find Ceasar and inform him, her body shook as if some kind of premonition took over her. Now slightly fearful of these men she continued for Ceasar.

Regina Alvarado Assignment 4

(Changing Claudia to Clodia and Remus to Marcus)

                Clodia was the fifth child born to her parents but only had two older siblings. All were girls but the first two died in infancy. Her mother never got over the fact that she had lost her first two daughters and was extremely emotional around the times of their birth. Clodia’s father, although he didn’t wear his heart on his sleeve, also felt deeply for the losses of his two first born children. As a result both of Clodia’s parents left sisters and her in the care of the slaves. As the paterfamilias, Clodia’s father, Quintus Clodius Pulcher, he handled his duties but kept his distance from the girls. Clodia never doubted that he loved their family, but she couldn’t help feeling as though he had built up personal walls to protect himself from any more personal harm.

                One thing that always brought a smile to Clodia’s face was that her father would tell all the women in the family that they were beautiful daily. And Clodia was indeed a very beautiful girl. She had long, luscious locks of honey brown hair that fell midway down her back. Her skin was the loveliest golden shade of brown; it was as though the gods had hand painted her. She had delicate features and was herself a delicate little woman. Her most remarkable features were of course her eyes which were a piercing blue that reminded one of the cool creeks and the endless skies. But beyond their color, they had an inquisitive, intelligence to them that could not be found in the eyes of any of the other girls on Palatine Hill.

                It was these eyes that first captivated Marcus that one fateful day. He was drawn to the life in them and astuteness in them. Marcus also caught Clodia’s eye that day as well. He was a tall, well-built young man, whose body had the tell-tale signs of hard work. He too was a golden shade of brown because his skin had been kissed by the rays of sunshine everyday as he lived his life as a plebe. And just as Marcus had been drawn by Clodia’s piercing blues eyes, Clodia was attracted to the seductive green eyes of Marcus’s. She swore that there wasn’t a jewel in all the land that could match the beauty of his eyes.

               

Assignment #4 Character Introduction

As she walks through the forum towards the River Tiber, Lucilla scans the crowd for her husband Titus.  Knowing this was the time of day he finishes up his meetings, she hopes to meet him and walk with him through the forum to retire to their home on Palatine Hill for the evening.  When her father Lucius arranged her marriage with Titus, Lucilla was skeptical about the match; but now she has become accustomed to her husband’s domineering ways and is even proud of his commandeering nature.

The thick, dark curls of her long hair begin to unravel from her fashionable Cleopatra-style hair arrangement as she cranes her neck to search for Titus among the throngs of market-goers.  Her erect posture gives off an air of dignity as her comfortable yet elegant solea supports her determined stride.  The maroon, sleeveless stola sweeps the ground as she pulls her palla tighter around her to protect herself from the cool breeze.  Lucilla cannot help but notice the pleasing contrast of her olive skin with the gleaming gold of her expensive arm band.  The soft, delicate hands that adjust her fine jewels hint at the leisurely upper-class life she has led.   

Lucilla’s heart leaps as she catches a glimpse of her husband from across the forum, swelling with pride at the thought of him running for office.  With all the political meetings he has participated in lately, she thinks he has a good chance of becoming a Senator.  She admires the way his toga candida falls around his tall frame.  Titus appears especially tall and powerful when walking next to his slave and secretary Quintus, who wears coarse leather perones and a plain, grey tunic over his squat body.  When he spots her, Titus raises his hand in greeting and Lucilla notices the bejeweled iron ring perched on his immense hand.                     

Titus towers over Lucilla as he greets her, his furrowed brow and dark, glaring eyes hinting at his stern demeanor.  Lucilla smiles up at Titus despite his solemn greeting, taking in the clean-shaven visage and the stylish crab claw locks that top his creased, sloping forehead.  Always an optimist, her plump lips break into a whimsical smile as she imagines all the decadent jewelry her husband could afford once he becomes a Senator.