Content of Page
(Note I have had to put this because I have so much on this page.)

1.) Notes
2.) "Love conquers the importance of duty"
3.) About Me
4.) Romanimiac
5.) The Ships I Sail
6.) A Poem By Robin Hyde
7.) Background To "Strictly Patrician"
8.) FAQ

1

Note: I have added the new chapter and the next one is in the process of being written.
Meanwhile I have added an FAQ to this page because I get asked a lot of questions.

2

“Love conquers the importance of duty"

If you are reading this, that means you have found my profile page, and I would like to welcome you here. I would like to point out that I never get paid for the work I do, I do it purely for the pleasure of writing this rubbish. Thankfully, a lot of people don't view it as rubbish, they actually say it is very good. Someone said I have started off a fad... I don't know about that but it is nice to know that people enjoy the story enough to write their own Porcia fanfics. Just remember that the "Strictly Patrician" Porcia is mine, I'm not expecting you to write as my Porcia, but if you do... Kindly tell me and direct me to your work because I'd love to see what you've done to her. Anyway, stroll down and you'll get some background on "Strictly Patrician", I assume that is what you came for... You'll have to stroll, my profile information, links, ships and general rubbish is just before it:

3

Name
Robyn Elizabeth Lane-Payne

Sex
Female

Age
19

Interests of writing
Rome HBO
Books I like at that time.

Other point of interest for you

Rome RPG
My Diary (Full of my nags and snags)
My LiveJournal (I will accept friends)
Website (Currently getting a re-vamp)

4

Romanimiac (row-man-ee-mee-ac)
1.) A person who is enjoys Roman history.
2.) The pleasure of reading and studying Ancient Rome.
2.) Robyn Lane-Payne

I am what one could call "Romanimiac" (row-man-ee-mee-ac) meaning "one who is obessed with Ancient Rome" and this condition became worse when I got hooked on Rome HBO/BBC and then I discovered that people actually wrote fiction about it. For some reason I took an interest in the historical character Porcia after watching "Julius Caesar" on TV and ever since then I've been writing fanfictions based on Rome and including her in it. It was a little odd leaving her out... and Fulvia too... but that's another story. One I can't be bothered to write...

5

The ships I sail

I support many ships, historically and Rome-HBO-ically, and as well as my ancient Roman freak-e-ness, I do happen to dig other couples in other stuff as well, though I must confess I'm one of those people who dig one thing per fad, see? Note: The bits under some of the in bracets are just my personal feelings on the pairing. These aren't just my favourite ships they are ones I don't care about and ones I HATE with a passion.

Rome HBO/BBC

One-True-Pairing-ships:
Lucius Vorenus and Niobe

Throw-a-bucket-of-water-over-those-two-ships:
Lucius Vorenus and Gaia
Titus Pullo and Gaia

If-I-dabble-a-little-it-would-be-ship:
Lucius Vorenus and Lyde

If-I-dabble-a-little-more-it-would-be-ship:
Lucius Vorenus, Titus Pullo and Lyde

They-were-made-for-each-other-ship:
Titus Pullo and Eirene

Wouldn't-it-be-funny-if-it-happened-ship:
Octavia of the Julii and Marcus Junius Brutus
(What? Weak victims, both have evil mothers are total doormats.
Only in Rome though, Brutus belongs to Porcia in history and
everywhere else.)

Missing-in-action-ship:
Marcus Junius Brutus and Porcia Catonis
(Need I say anymore?)

I'll-shoot-myself-if-it-happens-ship:
Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullo
(Just... no.)

Just-historically-sick-ship:
Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa and Octavia of the Julii
(I hate these two together! It's icky!)

Poke-my-eye-out-it's-sick-ship:
Gaius Octavian and Octavia of the Julii
(Sick!)

This-is-ridiculous-ship:
Gaius Octavian and Mark Antony
(It has been done and all I say is this... lol!)

Historical-but-weird-ship:
Mark Antony and Octavia of the Julii
(Yep, don't like it much because I'm a Fulvia fan)

Well-why-not-ship:
Lucius Vorenus and Lyde
(Sorry, I just love these two together!)

Still-to-come-ship:
Empty (See below)

Why-don't-you-love-each-other-more-ship:
Julius Caesar and Calpurnia
(I love these two... I'm going to write a one-off)
Gaius Octavian/Augustus and Scribonia Libonis
(Come on, she gave birth to your daughter. Surely she deserves
a pat on the back?)

Ships-that-I-never-sail:
Servilia of the Junii and Julius Caesar
Servilia of the Junii and Octavia of the Julii
Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa and Octavia of the Julii
Gaius Octavian/Augustus and Livia Drusilla
(I just don't like Livia, she's only good as an evil empress.)

Ships-I-built-myself:
Gaius Octavian and Vorena the Elder/the Younger
Servilia of the Junii and Quintus Valerius Pompey
Marcus Junius Brutus and Porcia Catonis
(On account of she wasn't in the series and I wrote her in.)
Marcus Junius Brutus and Octavia of the Julii
(After all, people may have thought of it by I put it in
a shipping catergory.)

UPDATE: I have added some new ship-tastic ship catergories:

Ships-that-could-be-played-with:
Servilia of the Junii and Quintus Valerius Pompey
(You heard her: "He has fire in him, it warms me...")

The-ultimate-Pulp-Fiction-ship:
Mark Antony and Vorenus
(Everyone used to love these two, but recently Vorenus has been losing
ground to Brutus when it comes to Antony pairs.)

The-oddly-matched-yet-exteremly-hot-ship:
Mark Antony and Marcus Junius Brutus
(What? I didn't think I'd like it but when written well it's cool.)

The-ship-that-goes-overboard:
Mark Antony and Atia of the Julii
(Sorry, I just don't like them... I miss the real Fulvia.)

If-there-were-more-seasons-it-would-be-ship:
Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa and Julia Caesaris
Julia Caesaris and Julus Antonius

6

I liked this poem so I thought I'd share it with all of you.
This poem was written by a man named Robin Hyde, so here we go:

Portia carried for Brutus some days in her thigh
A secret wound, of which she would not speak.
This was that she might prove
A still and resolute love.
No doubt, during that wrenched, half-frightened while,
She’d look at him with the same friendly smile,
Touch up the colour on a Roman cheek,
Say to the pain, ‘Well, women and pain . . . both weak.’
And I shall carry for ever in my heart
A wound as deep, and one not made with steel.
I do not think that such wounds will readily heal,
Or that they touch the grave physician’s art.
I know that I never shall tell,
It may be, I love you well.

Sweet, nay? Here is the source:
http:///authors/hyde/analysand.asp

7

Strictly Patrician just first came from my annoyance that one of the better known historical women were left out in favour of the over dramatised Atia and the curse-mad Servilia (Okay, well Servilia I don't mind because she was fun in history... but Atia?) and I was talking to my cousin online and we were both watching Rome at the time. I just said, "That is not on! There are hardly any love-couples in this series, and the ones they have are made up! I mean Atia and Antony? Please..." and let's face it they aren't really a love couple. One-sided love but not love-love. Plus, thinking historically, I couldn't get why the man who was married to Claudia for eight years (even if he didn't do anything much with her) who then divorced her for no other reason then to marry Porcia, would be lacking his wife. Now, I said to my cousin, Brutus needs a lot of loving in this series (well, he did in season 1... he's dead now... woe is me!) and I decided, "Hey, let us give him a loving!" so we talked about it over MSN, I saved it and forgot about it for a while.

Last year, I came across the text and thought that adding Porcia into the series would be a good idea. This was also fuelled by the fact that many posters on had been complaining of the fact that HBO: Rome is Porcia-less and that Brutus is shamefully Porcia-less. I sat down and just started writing one day when I was supposed to be doing my French work. I had nothing special in my head, I just kept typing and chapter one was born. This was originally posted in an old LiveJournal, and I intended to keep doing that before I took over my brother's account here on FanFiction.net. My brother didn't want it anymore and rather than let it gather dust, he let me have it, said I could just change all the details, delete his stories and put my story on it.

Porcia Catonis, the historical one, was the daughter of Cato and his first wife Atilia. She was described by Plutarch as a brave, devoted, loving woman at the height of her beauty and with strong republican principles to match. Her first marriage to Bibulus is hardly spoken of and only really was interesting when other men asked Cato for her hand in marriage, each one refused because Bibulus wouldn't divorce her. Interestingly enough, one of the most famous of these men was Quintus Hortensius, Cicero's greatest rival. Cato couldn't afford to upset both Bibulus and Hortensius; there was even talk of Porcia marrying Hortensius just so he could produce a son off her (It should be noted that Hortensia, Hortensius' daughter had been married to Quintus Servilius Caepio, Cato's beloved half-brother) nonetheless, Bibulus refused and so Cato divorced his own wife, Marcia, and gave her to him! Another one of Porcia's supposed suitors was Pompey himself!

Porcia married Brutus in June 45 BC, we know this from Cicero's letters, although it appears that the marriage had been "on the table" for much longer than that. It is theory that before he left for Gaul, he may have secretly engaged himself to Porcia without letting everyone. The Pompeian Family appear to have held Porcia in the highest of regards. In her personal life, she proved many times that her love for Brutus was greater than any other force in her life, even her stoic rules. The pair of the appeared to challenge each other over who was more unworthy of who as a spouse. Nonetheless Porcia's love for her husband was very strong. Upon hearing of his death after Phillippi, she killed herself by a burning coal in a desperate attempt to end her life; she'd rather die then survive her husband or her fallen party.

It is my goal to give all of you an interesting story. However, I intend to give you as accurate portrayal of Porcia as possible. Nothing is over dramatised in her character and I want to pick up all of her faults as well as her qualities. I hope that it is these beautiful little faults that make her a good character.

Either way, she has not only inspired me, she has been the insperation for many other writers, especially those who write off Brutus, and her suicide is legend. One of the most notable Porcia lovers was Shakespeare, who not only place her in the only powerful female role in his play "Julius Caesar" but he named one of his most famous heroines, Portia, in "The Merchant of Venice" after her.

‘In Belmont is a lady richly left,
And she is fair, and, fairer than that word,
Of wondrous virtues. Sometimes from her eyes
I did receive fair speechless messages.
Her name is Portia, nothing undervalued
To Cato's daughter, Brutus' Portia.
’ 1.1.161-66

Many have a theory that her strength as a woman inspired his other female characters also, Lady Macbeth for one. I read an article not long ago. You can have a look at it via my online journal; it is on the blog page, highlighted points "Brutus and Porcia in...Scotland". Who could blame him when another famous red-head spoke words that Porcia herself has famously been linked to:

"I have the body of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a king!" Elizabeth's own words, to what many historians and writers have asserted to Porcia: "I have a man's mind, but a woman's might."

8

FAQ

Why write a fanfic about Rome?

Well, why not? It is a very rich thing to write about. It all started with just something to take up
my time but it evolved into the story that you so obviously like reading that you are here checking
about my profile. (See part 7 of my profile.)

Why did you choose to write a story about Porcia, a character missed out,
and why not another character of more historical importance?

Firstly, why I wrote the story. I explain this in my profile (See part 7) where I say that I was surprised
that the writers left her out, of all characters, when characters of little importance at that period of
time or people who didn't really do anything even if they were well-known, were missed out. Two
characters like this are Octavia and Atia. Not to mention they were inaccurate. Another good example
is fake characters, like Quintus Pompey. Secondly, who said that Porcia was unimportant? I'll have you
know that she was the only woman who knew of the plot to murder Caesar. She has been idolised by
many historical writers - most notably Valerius Maximus - and writers, like Shakespeare. Many of
the important characters are either too hard to thread in with the way the writers of Rome have
mucked about with it or do at least appear. The reason I chose Porcia was because I wanted to
write about her and I did. Never mind she was missed out - the writers were wrong to do it and I
am putting them right.

Why do stay loyal to the plot of the TV series if you dislike its treatment by the writers?

The first series was a very good story, or I thought, but that isn't the reason I stay loyal to the story
lines. The reason I do it is to give the impression that, when a reader looks at my story but then
watches the series, they might see that everything I said could have happened off-screen where no
one saw. Lucky there are a lot of plot holes where I can fit Porcia in. No offense to the writers.

I think it is great that you make Porcia so amazing, awe inspiring sometimes but
you still give her faults that can be very unreasonable or unfair, like her hate for
Caesar, and make her a real b-tch at times! Yet we still LOVE her.

I wanted Porcia to be a realistic as possible, so much so that she has weaknesses, and is no perfect.
If there is one thing I hate most, it is when an author makes their characters out to be wonderful
while characters they are around are horrible. When a character lacks that part of themselves, the
part that makes us angry, sulk or lose our heads at times, then we don't believe in them. Some people
like goodie-goodie characters but many just hate them. There is no depth to Snow White,
Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty - they just have looks and that's it. Only kids like those characters.
An adult is more likely to think the 'fairy tale princess' is a b-tch rather than Porcia.