Cassius Verus was not born for greatness—or so it seemed. In the sprawling Roman Empire, where stature and bloodlines often determined one’s fate, Cassius had neither wealth nor physical might. At barely five and a half feet tall, he was frequently the subject of jokes among his fellow soldiers. They called him parvulus, meaning “little one,” and snickered at his slight build.
But what Cassius lacked in size, he more than made up for in determination and intellect. Raised in a small village near the edge of the empire, Cassius was no stranger to hardship. His father had been a farmer, teaching him the value of discipline and hard work. When Cassius turned eighteen, he left the plow behind and enlisted in the Roman army, determined to carve out a future for himself.
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