Based on readers’ comments, Laelius appears to be the most popular character in the Scipio novels, with the possible exception of Marcus Silenus. He is slim (at least in the first two novels), smooth-muscled, handsome, and devil-may-care.
To keep him in mind as I wrote, I visualized him as a slightly more muscular James Franco, the Academy Award nominee of 127 Hours. Franco’s ready but irreverent smile always reminded me of Laelius’ character.