Name: Hetairos Stagiritis
Gender: Male
Race: Roman Human (From ye olde Whitepeak family of Philosophers, is only Greek with his name. )
Appearance: 5'11", 210 pounds. A very heavyset man, late forties, hair grayed with experience and stress. One of the long time senators, he wears a majestic white toga with red and purple trim, signifying his status as the "elected" (not actually) eldest of the senators, a primus inter pares. Frown lines around his cheeks, crows feet near his eyes. He is the picture of the wizened warder, personifying the glamorized past.
Bio: He began his life with as a child in the upper middle class, though still a Patrician. His father was a lawyer, and his father before him, going back to the very beginning of advocacy. But one thing set him apart. He could electrify people, like no one else could. He had a charming wit, but when he spoke, he spoke with incredible power. When a family friend was framed for the murder of his uncle on the most fraudulent charges with no evidence, he stepped up to defend his friend. Why no other lawyer of course, took the case, was because the men who were "witnesses to the murder", and stood to gain from framing his friend, were also friends of Emperor Septimus' predecessor. He gave such a moving oration in defense, the first part exonerating the friend, by the name of Demerus, from all ability to commit the crime (as he was on the other side of the Empire at the time), and then portraying the accusers as corrupt men, vividly describing their conspiracy. In the end, the jury ruled not guilty, and Demerus went free. This infuriated the Emperor, and from that day forth he became an enemy to the empire. Realizing that he too needed protection, he was about to flee for his life when he received an offer from the Optimates. If he would stay, and put his powerful voice to work for the Optimates, they with their political might would protect him. Realizing running was futile anyway, he hastily accepted and was elevated to the office of Qaestor at age 28 for a term of exactly 2 days. Upon being released, as was customary he joined the ranks of the Senate thereafter and became a vocal proponent of the Optimates, though he is one of the more moderate of them. At 34, he became an Aedile. At 37, a Praetor. At 40, after a bitter campaign, he was elected as one of the Consuls. After his year of service, he served 8 years as a Proconsul (ex-consul), and was then elected to Censor. After finishing his term as Censor, he was selected by his successors at age 49 to be the Princeps Senator. His rivalry with the Imperial Seat was renewed under similar circumstances. Friends of the Emperor Septimus, who had attempted to swindle a plebeian out of profitable mining land he wasn't using with a forged contract, sued the plebeian for not giving over the land as the terms of the contract dictated. Using his personal political influence, Hetairos ensured that the jury was simply massive, as then they would not need to fear Septimus' revenge, and then he himself took the case. He showed that the plebeian had been duped into signing the contract, because the poor farmer was illiterate and thus any contract he signed, would not be valid. He then showed that the plebeian, who was somewhat old, suffered from tremors and could not have written with calligraphy as the document possessed. One incisive oration later, and the plebeian won the case, and the officials attempting to swindle him were brought in on fraud charges, though fear of Septimus's retribution was enough to make the charges go away.
Skills: Legislation, Charisma.
Political alignment: Optimate, a very moderate one however. He supports an increase in the Republicanism of the State, including making more positions that are open to plebeians, and things like Plebeian Aedile for deserving (Rich, mostly, to avoid alienating his fellow Optimates too much) Plebeian. He strongly supports strengthening immensely the offices of the Senate, and more (potentially, as he keeps this part of his politics secret) controversially, creating Plebeian assemblies, (which can still be overruled by an Ultimate Decree of the Senate).
Wife: Pulvia, a younger woman, not chosen for beauty or anything like that, though she is, but because she, a plebeian, can relate to the people and contributes greatly to her husband's popular image.