Publicola the Younger

Lucius Valerius Laevinus Publicola, born Lucius Valerius Laevinus (7 March 42 BC – 2 October AD 39), better known as Publicola the Younger, was a first-century Roman, and later Romano-Jewish, fisherman, historian, and the Third Publicola of the Order of Rome. He is known as a secret founder of Christianity, for expanding the network of connections for the Order, and for doing a great deal to set precedent for what a Publicola should be and how they should operate.

Publicola the Younger initially refused to accept the mantle of Publicola from his father, Publicola the Elder. While his father would be off on his journeys to the eastern provinces of the empire, Publicola the Younger would remain at home with his mother, Labiena. He and his father would share stories of their lives when he would return home. This kept their relationship strong in spite of his long absences. As his father grew older, Publicola the Younger accepted the role of successor and quickly became his father's closest confidant and adviser, acting in his stead when he grew too old to operate on his own.

Publicola the Younger began developing his own network of connections throughout southern Syria and Phoenicia. To the public, he kept the guise of a fisherman from Sidon, often found fishing along the coastlines of the Mediterranean. It was through Publicola's network, that he developed selling fish in the markets of Damascus, that he came into contact with Marcus Titus, prefect of Syria, and worked to coerce him on behalf of his father.

When Publicola the Elder died, Publicola the Younger quickly took over the reins and utilized his already powerful network of connections, operatives, and agents to greatly expand the scope of the Order of Rome, even coming into contact with Quirinus, the legendary prefect of Syria. By AD 10, the Order of Rome had a foothold of influence in Syria, lower Asia Minor, Phoenicia, and was starting to expand into northern Judea.

Publicola the Younger would spend a great deal of time in northern Judea fishing in the Sea of Galilee. It was there he met his close friend and, later, adviser and eventual successor, Malichus of Bostra, a Nabataean fisherman. He would end up marrying Malichus' wife, Haganu, with whom he would have six children, with only three making it into adulthood, Gaius, Valeria Secunda, and Valeria Quinta.

In his later life, he would befriend John the Baptist and meet Jesus of Nazareth himself after moving to Capernaum. It was there that Publicola the Younger undertook his plan to incite Jewish rebellion in Judea. After converting to Judaism himself, he worked to spread Christianity throughout Judea. However, even after Jesus was crucified, it did not have the intended effect and was met with colossal repercussions. Even after enlisting the help of Saul, later Paul, the grandson of one of his father's connections from Tarsus, Christianity operated entirely independently of the Order of Rome, going against the initial plan.

Publicola the Younger died in AD 39 at the old age of 81 of natural causes in exile in Tabawa, Nabataea, having already transferred most of his power to his friend, Malichus. He is remembered as critical in the Order of Rome's network expansion, which nearly quintupled under Publicola the Younger's reign. However, his efforts in Judea are viewed as one of the biggest blunders in the history of the Order. As a result, he is viewed as a controversial figure, but undoubtedly a critical player in one of the biggest events in human history.