Cassius Longinus

Cassius, a character in the A Courtesan of Rome book, is a Roman Senator and one of your love interests. He is based off the real life Senator Cassius Longinus. He is first seen in Chapter 1.

Appearance
Cassius has light green eyes, short curly black hair, an olive complexion, and a beard. He wears a short-sleeved white tunic with a red cloak draped over one shoulder and fastened with a gold broach, and a red and gold belt.

Personality
Cassius is an honest and reliable man, ready to stand up for those he cares about. He is also the only one in the Senate who openly opposes Caesar, having the courage to stand against him even alone. You find him kind, thoughtful, and generous.

Background
When Cassius was young, he studied in Greece. There he decided that he didn't want to live a life without love, even though that is hardly something that is expected or supported in most patrician marriages. He never wanted a paterfamilias where he would have life and death power over his wife and children, because it would be difficult to trust in the love of someone who fears what he can do to them. When he turned 18, he joined the legions as it is the only path to the Senate and no other occupation would be acceptable to his family. He says his mother always treated him like a representative of the family, not a child. He left the legions a few years ago, after they fought the Parthians at Carrhae as it was not under orders from the Senate but merely for the hubris and glory of their commander. He led the retreat but not before his commander was killed, twenty thousand men were slaughtered, and more than ten thousand were captured and enslaved.

Series/Book: A Courtesan of Rome

 * Chapter 1: A Princess of Gaul
 * Chapter 2: Crossing the Rubicon
 * Chapter 3: The Aid of the Gods
 * Chapter 4: The Hunt (Mentioned)
 * Chapter 5: Red-Handed
 * Chapter 6: Marked
 * Chapter 7: A Fighting Chance
 * Chapter 9: Power Vacuum
 * Chapter 10: Snakes in the Grass
 * Chapter 11: Trial By Combat
 * Chapter 12: Raising the Stakes
 * Chapter 13: Bread and Circus
 * Chapter 14: A Twist of Fate
 * Chapter 15: Best Served Cold
 * Chapter 16: Triumph
 * Chapter 18: The Die is Cast
 * Chapter 19: A Warrior's Death
 * Chapter 20: The Liberators
 * Chapter 21: The Ides of March

Main Character
Cassius is Main Character's first patron and is immediately smitten by her. He tells her that he had competition in securing her debut, but also used it to draw other Senators to his villa, who would ordinarily decline the invitation. If she decides to share a meal with him in Chapter 2, he talks a little about his childhood. In Chapter 3, he gives her an amphora. In Chapter 9, you can choose to become intimate. As Main Character's relationship with him progresses, he tells her that he envies her and her feelings about her family. For him, family has always been more of a responsibility than a joy. Although his family had given him much, he would rather have had the love that Main Character had.

In Chapter 18, you discover he shares Main Character's desire to kill Caesar because he feels Caesar has become to ambitious and wants to become King rather than leave the rule of Rome to the Senate. In Chapter 20, if you decide to help him purchase a dagger (premium scene), he looks between the new dagger and Main Character's and asks if he can borrow hers instead. It is your choice to let him or refuse him. If you allow him to use her dagger, she tells him that if she fails before it is accomplished, using her blade will be as if she were there too.

In Chapter 21, if you decide to stay with him on the night before the assassination (premium scene), he may ask Main Character to marry him and it is your choice to accept or decline. If you accept and you tell Lena that he is the one you want to be with and you tell him that you want to help him rebuild the Republic, he tells you that he has called for a priestess of Juno to come to his villa to officiate your wedding. He wants to be married before Caesar's funeral. If you tell him you would like him to come with you to restore Gaul with you, he loves you enough to agree to leave Rome behind and go with you.

Sabina
Cassius is Sabina's cousin. She goes to his estate when she has to flee Aquila's temper.

Marcus Brutus
Brutus is Cassius' cousin. The former writes the latter letters, bringing news about the opposition against Caesar. In Chapter 15, if you decide to go to the bathhouse with Cassius, he tells you that Brutus is giving up the fight and coming home. Brutus has sent Cassius word that Cato and Scipio continue the resistance in Africa and want Cassius to join them.

In Chapter 18, Cassius tells you that he thinks Brutus will eventually see that there is no limit to Caesar's ambition. Brutus would never tolerate Caesar being named as Rome's King because the former is a direct descendant of the man who exiled the last king of Rome and founded the Republic. If Caesar becomes king, it would be an insult to all his family has achieved. In Chapter 19, Brutus came to Cassius after the riot and tells the latter that he's ready. In Chapter 20, Cassius believes Brutus sides with him because he could have been Caesar's top lieutenant and taken the position Antony holds, but he didn't.

Trivia

 * He is a real person who lived in ancient Rome and the first Love Interest who is based off a real person. Historically, he masterminded the conspiracy to assassinate Julius Caesar.
 * Despite this, his character design bears a resemblance to Colombian singer and songwriter Maluma
 * His greedy and indolent commander during the war with Parthians was Marcus Licinius Crassus, better known for defeating Spartacus.
 * If you adopt the monkey, he will tell the Main Character that his brother brought him a monkey when he was 10 years old.
 * As the first name of his full name is "Gaius", he shares the first name as Gaius Augustine, a character from the Bloodbound series.