Main characters
Spartacus
A Thracian who becomes a gladiator in the ludus of Lentulus Batiatus. Spartacus disobeys an order by legatus Gaius Claudius Glaber, who refused to send his men to protect Spartacus' village. Spartacus' wife Sura is condemned to slavery, and Spartacus is taken to Rome to be executed in the games by Glaber. Instead of dying, Spartacus kills the gladiators sent to kill him, and as a result Spartacus cannot be executed: Glaber would lose faith with the people, as Spartacus has become popular with the crowd. Batiatus purchases Spartacus to either win patronage from Glaber by having him killed, or use the Thracian's popularity for his own ends. Spartacus comes to live at the ludus and eventually proves himself a skilled gladiator. He makes an enemy of Crixus, especially when they defeat Theokoles in which fight Crixus is wounded and Spartacus inherits his title of 'the Champion of Capua'. Batiatus makes a deal with Spartacus that if he continues to fight for Batiatus, he will find Spartacus' wife for him; however, she is brought to the ludus dying from an apparent attack. It is revealed immediately afterwards that Batiatus had Sura murdered so Spartacus would stay at the ludus, as he would have no reason to gain his freedom. Eventually, Spartacus finds out and plans vengeance against Batiatus. He gains the support of Crixus and at a party to announce Batiatus' pursuit of political office, Spartacus leads a slave revolt that kills Batiatus and almost all the people in attendance. After she helps him escape the ludus, Mira becomes Spartacus' lover, until she comes to realize he would never love her the way she loved him. Spartacus eventually has an army of hundreds of thousands of freed slaves, who free one city after another. The tensions between him and Crixus heat up again when Crixus wishes to take their army to Rome, whereas Spartacus would head up to the mountains. He also becomes involved with a former Roman woman named Laeta, who now stands slave with the rest of his people. Spartacus hosts a series of games like the ones he used to fight in, to honor Crixus after his death. In the final battle against Crassus, Spartacus leads his people into the fight, and has Gannicus with another group approach from behind. Although they seem to be fighting their way through the army at first, the rebels eventually start to fall one by one. Spartacus then faces off with Crassus, but when he finally has the Roman on his knees, Spartacus is struck from behind, when three spears pierce his body. Agron and others come to his rescue and take him away before Crassus can finish him, but Spartacus has been mortally wounded, and asks his friends to move on without him. He then dies in the hands of Agron, longing to see his wife again. He is buried at the foot of the mountain, with Agron's shield as a gravestone. Coincidentally, the shield has a red serpent on it, thus making Sura's prediction about Spartacus falling before the great, red serpent, come true.
Quintus Gnaeus Cornelius Lentulus Batiatus
A lanista and Spartacus' master. Insatiably greedy and ambitious, he schemes to become a Roman magistrate. His schemes including ridding himself of his business rival Solonius, as well as gaining sufficient advantage with the local magistrate Calavius and legatus Glaber so that they will provide him patronage. However, after refusing to support his ambition, Batiatus kidnaps and kills Calavius. Using blackmail and the aid of Ashur, he has Solonius condemned to the arena, framed for Calavius's murder, and earns the support of Glaber by threatening to reveal that his wife has murdered a noble woman. His plans to control Spartacus (killing his wife so he has no reason to attain his freedom) are uncovered and he is slain by Spartacus in the season 1 finale.
Lucretia
Batiatus' wife. She acts as a willing partner in order to advance Batiatus' goals and uses deception and blackmail to further his aims. In Gods of the Arena, she poisons Batiatus' father to stop him disowning his son, framing Tullius for the deed. Despite her loyalty to her husband, she regularly has sex with Crixus. Originally, she did this reluctantly in order to give Batiatus a child, but later she started to enjoy this. She jealously resents any other attention to Crixus and when Ilithyia requests a private session with him, she becomes enraged and tricks Ilithyia into lying with Spartacus and reveals the event to Licinia. She eventually falls pregnant and assumes that the child is Crixus'. She is furious when she realizes that Crixus is in love with her body slave, Naevia. She has Naevia sold and convinces Batiatus to poison Crixus' food so he will be unable to defeat Spartacus in an exhibition match. When the rebels take control of the villa, she is critically wounded by an angered Crixus, doing so to prevent her from bearing his child and out of revenge for her treatment of Naevia and himself. She returns in season 2, where she is discovered by Glaber when he takes up residence in the former house of Batiatus. Being the only survivor of Spartacus's massacre, she becomes viewed as an oracle by the people. She was found and cleaned up by Ashur after the massacre, and at first trusts him because of this. But he later turns on her because he had realized that Lucretia doesn't truly see him as her equal or partner-in-crime, but as an expendable pawn and begins to rape her, forcing her to become his unwilling lover. Due to being repeatedly raped by Ashur, Lucretia slowly loses her sanity and the will to live. Ashur also plans for Lucretia to become his wife after Glaber sets him free. Despite their previous animosity, she and Ilithyia apparently slowly rekindle their friendship. But in the season 2 finale, Lucretia is revealed to actually hold a grudge against Ilithyia for her role in the death of Lucretia's husband, Quintus and Lucretia's fall from grace, as Ilithyia prepares to give birth to her child, she takes his vengeance on Ilithyia and kills her servants. Once the child is born, Lucretia claims it as her and Quintus' son. No longer having the will to live since Batiatus's death, due to Ashur's rapes and wanting to give Quintus, who dreamed of becoming a father, a child at all costs, She then commits suicide by falling off a cliff, taking the baby with her.
Oenomaus
Doctore, Gallic gladiator, and trainer of gladiators in Batiatus' ludus. He was rescued from the Pits as a young man by Titus Batiatus and in gratitude, pledges his loyalty to the House of Batiatus. He believes in the honor of the ludus and the House of Batiatus until he learns differently. He is married to Lucretia's body slave, Melitta, until her accidental death by poisoning. Oenomaus is good friends with Gannicus. He was a gladiator until he was seriously wounded in a battle against Theokoles and becomes the new Doctore when he is forced to kill the previous one. Batiatus proposes to make Oenomaus master of the ludus if he is successful in his political ambition. He provides limited aid in the rebellion of the ludus and makes an unsuccessful attempt on Ashur. He keeps himself separated from the rebels at first, and resigns himself back to fighting in the Pits. He is captured by Ashur and tortured for information on Spartacus, eventually learning of the affair between Melitta and Gannicus. He is condemned, along with Crixus and Rhaskos, to fight to his death in the arena and angrily engages Gannicus. He is rescued by Spartacus, and Gannicus later joins the rebels. Oenomaus slowly begins to forgive him. His eye is damaged beyond medical help after a fight with the Egyptian. Oenomaus is slain in the season 2 finale by the Egyptian, following a brazen attack on the Romans to escape the mountaintop on which the slaves were trapped. But Gannicus avenges him by killing the Egyptian. Before dying, he tells Gannicus that he and Melitta will be waiting to greet him in the afterlife.
Crixus
A Gaul, he is Batiatus' top gladiator, the lover of Lucretia and the "Champion of Capua". In Gods of the Arena, he is shown to be a slave of Tullius and hauls stone to build the new arena. After witnessing his potential, Batiatus purchases him to curry favor with Tullius. He rises in the ranks of the ludus, eventually becoming second only to Gannicus. When Gannicus earns his freedom, Crixus becomes the new Champion. He and Ashur are bitter enemies and he is revealed to have been the one who burnt and crippled Ashur in the opening games of the new arena. In Blood and Sand, he initially despises Spartacus and believes in the mark of the brotherhood, i.e. being a gladiator is a huge honor and service to the city. However, when paired in a match with Spartacus against an unbeaten foe, Theokoles, he is severely wounded, costing him the title. Spartacus emerges victorious from the match and becomes the new "Champion", giving Crixus more reason to hate him. Crixus is the object of lust for many women, but only desires to be with Naevia. Ashur discovers their affair and manipulates Crixus into revealing it to their masters. Once their affair is discovered, he is beaten and Naevia is sold off. Crixus reveals to a scorned Lucretia that he had never loved her, only Naevia, and shows little care when she claims her unborn child is his. He and Spartacus are scheduled to fight to the death and the two talk the day before. He originally refuses to join in Spartacus' rebellion but the two strike an accord; if Spartacus wins, he will find and free Naevia; if Crixus wins, the rebellion will not happen, but he will kill Batiatus for what he did to Sura. After Crixus discovers his food was drugged, he decides to take part in the rebellion, launching Spartacus into the balcony. In revenge for her actions against Naevia and for poisoning him, Crixus critically injures Lucretia, killing their unborn child. He later sets out to locate Naevia, and finds her in the mines. Though he is captured by the Romans and sentenced to death, Spartacus rescues him and he is finally reunited with Naevia. He helps her to fight like a warrior, so that she will never be anyone's slave again. When the rebellion causes their army to grow to hundreds of thousands, Crixus grows impatient and wishes to set foot to Rome, and take the city. He eventually does so, with Naevia, Agron, and many others, and although victory seems near, it is soon discovered they've been led to a trap, and Crixus is eventually beheaded by Tiberius, the son of Marcus Crassus, who leads the army against Spartacus. Spartacus hosts a series of games in his honor, much like the ones they used to have in the arena, where his strongest people fight the Roman soldiers they've captured.
Ashur
An Assyrian and former gladiator. It is shown in Gods of the Arena that he was acquired by Batiatus along with his fellow Syrian Dagan. Dagan does not speak the Roman tongue and Ashur is required to translate, often delivering incorrect translations to further his own needs. He and Dagan acquire the mark of the brotherhood after helping assault Vettius, rather than after the test against a seasoned gladiator. Though Dagan eventually earns the respect of the other gladiators with his combat skills, Ashur proves a much less competent fighter and is the subject of constant scorn. At a party organised for the Capuan elite, he tricks Dagan into being raped by a Roman, after which even Dagan turns on him. In a desperate attempt to avoid deportation to the mines, he partially blinds Dagan. In the opening games for the new arena, he makes it to the primus, where he manages to kill his former comrade. His leg is then crippled by Crixus. In Blood and Sand, he now serves Batiatus as a bookkeeper and henchman. His cunning and talents serve Batiatus but also condemn his enemies. His machinations cost Barca and Pietros their lives. His aid proves invaluable in removing Calavius and Solonius. Batiatus promotes him from the ludus and makes him a part of his household as a result. He discovers Crixus and Naevia's affair, and goads Crixus into revealing it to their masters. His treachery in the fate of Barca and Calavius is uncovered, which almost costs him his life at the hands of Oenomaus, but he manages to hide under a Roman soldier's corpse. In Vengeance, is it revealed that he managed to save Lucretia and stitched her wound before brutally raping her. He uses his talents to serve Glaber, acquiring a fortune in the process. Although they are somewhat trusted partners at first, but he later turns on her once Ashur had realized that Lucretia doesn't truly see him as her equal or partner-in-crime, but as an expendable pawn, he then begins to rape Lucretia, forcing her to become his unwilling lover and plans for Lucretia to become his wife; after Glaber sets him free. After a discussing with Lucretia, Ilithyia manipulates Glaber into turning against Ashur and Ashur meets his end in the season 2 finale when he is forced to deliver a message to Spartacus, and the slaves on Mt Vesuvius; turn over Spartacus and the Romans will go easy on the slaves. Crixus challenges Ashur to a fight, but Naevia insists on fighting him. Ashur defeats her, but his arrogance overcomes him, and she takes advantage of the opportunity and decapitates him.
Naevia
Lucretia's personal and loyal slave. She becomes Crixus' love interest after he declares his affection. The two are seen by Ashur making love, and in attempt to gain vengeance on Crixus for crippling him, he asks for Naevia's purity from Batiatus. Naevia refuses to be with Crixus again and reveals to him that Batiatus has given her to another man. Though she refuses to mention who, Crixus finds out it is Ashur during an exhibition fight between Glaber's soldiers and Spartacus. He attacks Ashur in a fit of rage, revealing their affair to all. She is punished (beaten as well as her hair cut) and sold after this, and Crixus vows to find her. After the rebellion, he sets out to seek information about her whereabouts, and eventually finds her in the deepest mines of Rome, taking her back with him. While she was sold from master to master, it's revealed some of them had done unspeakable things to her, and this forces Crixus to teach her how to fight like a warrior, so that no man will ever hurt her again. She becomes a strong warrior, having no difficulties defeating and killing many Roman soldiers. However, haunted by her past mistreatment at the hands of the Romans, Naevia develops a severe hatred toward anyone of Roman descent, be they soldiers or civilians. Her hatred causes a large rift between the major generals of the rebel army, particularly Spartacus, as well as Gannicus, after they refuse to kill the unarmed Roman families who were in a city they had taken. Eventually convincing Crixus to separate from Spartacus to take further vengeance. The two of them, as well as the several thousand who followed them, begin marching toward the city of Rome itself, winning many skirmishes along the way. Just a few miles outside the city, they are cornered by Crassus' vastly larger army, and thus soundly defeated. She is forced to watch as Crixus is beheaded by Tiberius. Naevia, however, is spared and sent back to the rebel camp carrying Crixus' severed head as warning of Spartacus' demise. Games are held pitting Roman soldiers against gladiators in honor of Crixus, with Naevia to face a now captive Tiberius in the primus. Begrudgingly, sparing him for the purpose of trading him in order to regain 500 of the slaved defeated in battle, she later helps Spartacus prepare for the final battle against Crassus. While aiding Gannicus in protecting their flank, Naevia is severely wounded after a horseback rider slashes her jugular vein. Despite the fatal injury, she still attempts to engage Caesar, though she is swiftly bested. Forced to her knees from a slash to her kneecap, she is then stabbed in the neck, and through the heart (mirroring the manner in which Diona was killed) with her own sword.
Mira
Mira is one of Lucretia's house servants, who uses her to seduce Spartacus in order to ensure that he can perform sexually for her friend, Licinia; but Spartacus turns down her advances. Later, Mira develops genuine romantic feelings towards Spartacus and becomes his lover, and aids him in the rebellion by opening the gates to the villa. In season 2, Mira continues to aid Spartacus, becoming a skilled archer and warrior in her own right. Despite his affection for her, she realizes that she ultimately cannot replace Spartacus' wife, Sura. Spartacus loses trust in her when she tries to murder the captured Ilithyia. While trapped on Mt Vesuvius, Mira helps Spartacus rescue a group of rebels attempting to escape the surrounding Roman forces and is struck by an axe, launched by Salvius, Glaber's new second-in-command. She dies in Spartacus' arms and Spartacus is devastated by her death.
Gaius Claudius Glaber
Husband of Ilithyia. A Roman army legatus who is responsible for Spartacus' enslavement as a gladiator. Glaber requested the aid of Spartacus' tribe of Thracians in return for Roman aid against their enemies. When Glaber's interests changed, the Thracians rebelled and Glaber put down the insurrection. He then sold Spartacus' wife Sura to a Syrian slave trader and sentenced Spartacus to death in the arena. When Spartacus defeats his opponents, he reluctantly sells Spartacus to the ludus of Batiatus. Many months later, after it is revealed to him that his wife murdered Licinia, the cousin of Marcus Crassus, he is forced to grant Batiatus patronage in his quest to gain political station. In Vengeance, he is tasked by the Senate with ending the rebellion. He vows to find Spartacus and bring him to his knees, whatever the cost. He resorts to ever more murderous tactics to secure this goal; murdering Seppius to gain control of his men and enlisting Ashur to recruit former gladiators as a personal hit squad. His marriage to Ilithyia becomes strained and is unaware that the child she carries is not his. He is devastated when he discovers she plans to dissolve their marriage and abort their child. He ruins these plans when he kills her father, Albinius. After she is taken by Gannicus and thought to be dead, Glaber begins an affair with Seppia. When Spartacus offers to trade Ilithyia for weapons and armor, Glaber refuses the deal, essentially condemning his wife. Despite this, Ilithyia returns and saves Glaber from Seppia, who planned on killing him after she discovered he murdered her brother. Glaber and Ilithyia then reunite. Glaber finally tracks Spartacus to Mt Vesuvius and traps them on the mountain, intending to starve them out. Spartacus and his followers escape the mountaintop and began bombarding the Roman army with his own siege equipment. During the battle, Spartacus and Glaber fight once more with Spartacus finally slaying his hated foe by stabbing him through the chest, then ramming his blade down his throat.
Ilithyia
The daughter of senator Albinius and wife of Glaber and another one of the series antagonists. She hates Spartacus for embarrassing her husband and forms a close friendship with Lucretia, frequently visiting the ludus. Her interest in the ludus impels her to purchase her own gladiator, Segovax, whom she pressures to kill Spartacus. The attempt is unsuccessful and Segovax is crucified, though her involvement is not proven. An arrangement where Ilithyia has sex with Crixus is set up, but a jealous Lucretia instead has a masked Ilithyia lay with a masked Spartacus. Licinia, cousin of Marcus Crassus, and Lucretia interrupt, causing Ilithyia to kill Licinia. Ilithyia then seduces the boy Numerius into having Varro, Spartacus's only friend, put to death by Spartacus. A petty and cowardly woman, Ilithyia escapes during the revolt but unregretfully causes the death of many friends by ordering the doors lockers to prevent anyone escaping as the rebels go on a murderous rampage through the ludus. In Vengeance, she falls pregnant, the father initially assumed to be Glaber. After being forced to return to Capua while her husband hunts Spartacus, she reunites with Lucretia and they slowly become friends again. When Glaber neglects her, she plans to dissolve her marriage to Glaber and become Varinius' wife. This plan is ruined when her father is killed. Glaber then turns from her. When she is kidnapped by Gannicus, Glaber begins an affair with Seppia and does not honor a deal with Spartacus for Ilithyia's release. Spartacus is briefly tempted to kill her for all the misery she caused him, but she avoids this by revealing the child she carries is his, not Glaber's. Ilithyia later returns after Spartacus lets her go, and kills Seppia, who was about to kill Glaber. They then reunite, bonded by vengeance and his ambition to gain power in Rome. But after Glaber tells her to kill Lucretia, Ilithyia is about to do so when her water breaks. Lucretia, revealing that all along she has been madly set on bringing a child at last to her husband, kills the servants, cuts the baby from her womb and falls over the cliff with it. Ilithyia, who had crawled out to stop Lucretia, bears witness to this and then dies from shock and blood loss.
Agron
A German slave, who was sold to the house of Batiatus along with his younger brother Duro. After Varro's death, both Agron and his brother take over as Spartacus' main training partners. Agron and his brother are the first to join Spartacus in his plan to rebel and take back their freedom. When the plan is set in motion and the slave revolt starts, Agron fights by Spartacus' side and slays many guards. He is overcome with rage when his brother is murdered during the revolt, and vows to avenge his death. He joins Spartacus when they escape the ludus, and becomes his right hand as they take on Roman guards that have been sent after them. He and Spartacus go their own ways when it's revealed that Agron lied about Naevia's supposed death, as he did not wish to see many men (especially Spartacus) die in the search for one single person. He and others set foot to Vesuvius, where they reunite with Spartacus again later, who has found Neavia. Agron later becomes the lover of Nasir, a young slave whom he supervised after he was rescued from his fate after Spartacus and the rebels kill his master. Agron continues to fight by Spartacus' side, but his relationship with Nasir becomes unstable when a pirate named Castus shows interest in Nasir. Although Agron and Nasir eventually work out their problems, they are separated when Agron decides to join Crixus in his plan to take the city of Rome (believing that a peaceful life was not meant for him), while asking Nasir to remain with Spartacus, as he knows Spartacus and his group will have a better chance of surviving. Crixus' army is defeated by the Romans, but several are captured alive; and Agron, refusing to give up Spartacus' location, is crucified. Gaius Julius Caesar, however, makes a deal with Spartacus; he will return Spartacus' people who have been captured, in return for Kore (a former slave of Crassus whom he loved deeply). Thus, Agron is returned to the rebels, and reunited with Nasir.
As the rebels prepare for the final battle, it is revealed that Agron’s hands are still damaged from his crucifixion; and he can't hold a sword properly until they fully heal, much to Agron's frustration and impatience. Nasir, however, crafts him a shield with a sword attached to it, allowing Agron to participate after all despite being originally ordered not to by Spartacus. During the finale battle, Agron slays many Romans and ultimately comes to Spartacus' aid when he is mortally wounded. He brings Spartacus to the foot of the mountain, where he eventually dies in a distraught Agron's arms. They have also received word that some of the rebels who set foot to the mountain before the battle began had been captured or killed by the Romans. In the end, Agron and Nasir are two of few warriors to survive, and lead the remaining non-combatant slaves to a new life. This makes Agron one of only a few gladiators from Batiatus' ludus, as well as the only prominent one from the first season, to have survived the rebellion.
Gannicus
A Celt slave who becomes Quintus' first champion, a position left vacant by the grave injury suffered by Gannicus' close friend Oenomaus at the hands of Theokoles. In an effort to win favor with Quintillius Varis, a man of much influence who is in Capua selecting gladiators for his games, Lucretia invites Varis to the ludus to get better acquainted with the Batiatus gladiators. During the visit, a depraved Varis requests to see Gannicus in action, and Gannicus is forced to have sex with Lucretia's personal slave and Oenomaus' wife, Melitta. Neither Gannicus nor Melitta enjoy having to perform for the Romans, and their relationship with each other and Oenomaus becomes strained (though Oenomaus is unaware of what has happened). Meanwhile, Gannicus' flashy style and cavalier attitude gain him much favor with the spectators and Quintus, but are met with indignation by Titus Batiatus upon the pater familias' return to the ludus. Titus, feeling pressure to mend social and political relationships scarred by Quintus' actions, agrees to sell Gannicus to Tullius. Before Gannicus can be sold, Lucretia poisons Titus and Melitta (by accident), killing both and framing Tullius. Now that Quintus is head of the household, he decides to keep Gannicus and gain revenge on Tullius. Quintus finally regains the social standing his father willingly parted with, and manages to enter his men into the opening games of the Capua arena. The winners of each round meet in the Primus, and Gannicus wins after defeating Solonius' best gladiators. In an act of betrayal, Solonius convinces Varis to award Gannicus his freedom, thereby robbing the house of Batiatus of their only proven champion. Gannicus returns to Capua during the events of Vengeance after being hired to execute the captured rebels in the arena. After Spartacus's attack on the arena, he helps the rebels get the wounded Oenomaus to safety. Despite pleas to join their cause, he returns to Capua and Glaber tries to force him to join his army against the rebels. In response, Gannicus kidnaps Ilithyia and delivers her to Spartacus, thinking that if Spartacus kills the woman of the man who killed his, the rebellion will end with no more bloodshed. However, Spartacus spares her and Gannicus, having given up everything, is forced to stay with the rebels. While cynical of Spartacus' cause at first, he is won over with the help of Oenomaus, who has forgiven Gannicus for his forced relationship with Melitta, and serves a vital role in the rebellion. After the rebels gain several thousand more freed slaves, Spartacus tries to groom Gannicus to become a leader, which Gannicus refuses time and time again. He is involved in a relationship with Saxa, but ultimately leaves her for Sibyl, a young slave he helped free after taking over the city of Sinuessa en Valle. When Crixus is chooses to separate from Spartacus and march on Rome for revenge, Crixus tries to persuade Gannicus to join him and his men telling him that it would be a blessing to them all if he did; but Gannicus declines, opting instead to stick with Spartacus and take the path over the alps to freedom with Sibyl. Crixus understands and they bid goodbye, reaffirming their brotherhood.
Hours before the final battle, Gannicus finally agrees to become a leader, so that the rebels may have a better chance. He approaches Crassus' army from behind with his own group, distracting him from Spartacus. Gannicus easily slays many Romans, and is horrified to see both Saxa and Naevia die in front of him. He is ultimately cornered by the Romans, and captured by Caesar. Gannicus is then crucified along with thousands of other rebels. In his final moments, Gannicus sees his old friend Oenamaus, and imagines being back in the arena again, with everyone cheering his name.
Gaius Julius Caesar
A younger version of famous Roman dictator Gaius Julius Caesar. Serves as Tribune in Crassus' army. Caesar's participation in this series is entirely fictional as there is no record of Caesar's involvement in the Third Servile War, although Caesar was indeed Tribune under Crassus at the time. Caesar is sent to Sinuessa en Valle to pose as a rebel slave and help bring the rebels down from the inside. He is ultimately successful and rejoins Crassus after the surviving rebels flee into the mountains. He loathes Tiberius and battles him for Crassus attention and favor. He becomes aware of Kore's rape by Tiberius and schemes to have Crassus made aware of the act, however Tiberius outmaneuvers and eludes him at almost every turn. He is nearly killed by Crixus before the gladiator is ambushed from behind by Tiberius in an attempt to steal glory; much to Caesar's anger, and is forced to watch as his adversary is executed. He manipulates Tiberius's capture by the rebels but is then forced to negotiate his release. In the final battle, he kills a dying Naevia and is almost bested by Gannicus before the rebel is overwhelmed by the number of Roman soldiers. He shares Crassus' victory in the end and reluctantly allows Pompey to usurp them.
Marcus Licinius Crassus
The main antagonist of War of the Damned; the richest man in Rome and a senator of the Republic tasked with bringing end to the rebellion. He is shown to be a skilled military strategist, manipulator and warrior. He is also shown to have significant disdain for the Roman elite who, despite his wealth, sneer at his lack of name. After being asked by the Senate to finance an army to take down the rebels, he is forced to share leadership. He artfully organizes the deaths of the other commanders and is given sole command. He takes his slave Kore as a lover and shows her great affection, even asking her to accompany him while he engages Spartacus and is devastated when she joins the rebellion to escape his son. Despite the harsh treatment he shows his son Tiberius after his defeat, he loves him and pushes him to succeed. Crassus shows great admiration for Spartacus, despite their opposing sides; and appears truly distraught when Spartacus is ambushed from behind by his dishonorable men, robbing Crassus the honor of killing him in fair contest. Despite his victory over Spartacus and his army, Crassus glory is stolen by Pompey; but it takes this in good stride, knowing that with Pompey as an ally, he and Caesar will form a powerful force in Rome.
Tiberius Licinius Crassus
The fictional son of Crassus who is desirous of his father's approval, which leads to him suffering an early defeat and losing his father's respect. After being forced to kill his best friend Sabinus, he rapes his father's slave lover Kore as revenge and secretly hopes to overthrow his father to take over. He becomes aggressively ambitious and a rival with Caesar for Crassus' attention. He kills Crixus while the former gladiator is distracted by Caesar. He is later captured by Spartacus and sentenced to be killed by Naevia. However, he is traded back to Crassus for 500 rebels captured when Crixus fell. Before this can happen, he is killed by a vengeful Kore.
