#This is actually half the reason the Cassius comic is going to be the sequel to Trikaranos

[brother-emperors]

So do you think Cassius' early experience with having to save who he could and survive Carrhea, hardened him in the same way that young Crassus was ? Is there some sort of constant cycle there ?

absolutely, it’s a whole trial by fire kind of deal, and everything in rome exists in repeating cycles. It’s all a circle, except for when it’s a mouth. and there’s actually a third one I would include in this set! in theory. to complete the narrative tragedy.

Crassus is in his thirties (like, late 20s when the ball gets rolling, but basically he’s in his 30s when things actually get going) when he rises to the occasion, cutting through bodies and paving the way for Sulla’s victories. This sets the stage for the next generation’s politics, the generation Cassius is a part of. It’s Sulla. Sulla haunts everything.

Cassius is most likely in his thirties, or enters into his thirties during Crassus’ Parthian invasion, and much like Crassus had to rise to the occasion against some pretty gnarly odds (in places), Cassius also had to rise to the occasion with even worse odds than Crassus ever had (talk about a narrative inheiritance! the book closes on Crassus and immediately looks to you to fill the space his body left), and pulled off several strategic miracles. Congrats on surviving the trial!

So

Carrhae is a traumatic disaster for Rome that haunts the subtext in a specific thread of expansionist Roman policy making, but more immediately, it fucks up the balance of power in Rome: Pompey and Caesar spin out into Civil War, Caesar stands triumphant. The dominoes continue to fall, Caesar is assassinated. Lucan’s focus on Crassus in his Pharsalia sort of nails Carrhae down as an event that has a definable Before/After in collective memory. etc.

This Sets The Stage For The Next Generation Of Roman Politics

Now, here’s the secret third one: Octavian is in his thirties when the culmination of his dynast war with Antony finally hits the climax at Actium, and this will set the stage for—