Spartacus: War of the Damned Preview: The Patriarchs of Rome

With Spartacus: War of the Damned being the final season of Spartacus starting at 9 PM on January 25, 2013 on Starz network, the villains, the patriarchs of Rome, will define this show much like Quintus Lentulus Batiatus and Gaius Glaber did in Blood and Sand, Gods of the Arena, and Vengeance. The conniving and contrivances will continue in the Roman senate as Marcus Lucinius Crassus and his young Julius Ceasar make their political and military moves. With the death of Oenomaus in Vengeance, it is up to Spartacus to carry the mantle in the slave rebellion without a mentor. With Gannicus, Crixus and Agron by his side, Spartacus will have to face the Roman might of Crassus and his armies in DeKnight’s retelling of the Third Servile War that lasted from 71 to 73 B.C.

Marcus Lucinius Crassus

Marcus Lucinius Crassus

Marcus Lucinius Crassus is the ultimate manipulator within commerce — and the Senate — during the time of the Roman Republic. He was shrewd, calculating and charismatic and amassed a gigantic fortune — that is, before entering the political arena. Crassus accumulated much of his wealth through acquisition of properties, mining silver and trafficking of slaves. The latter two have already been encountered by Spartacus before, but these won’t necessarily force Crassus and Spartacus to initially meet. On the other hand, Crassus volunteered to crush Spartacus with legions of the Roman army to further his political ambition and surpass his rival, Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus or otherwise known as Pompey the Great. In the theater of war, Crassus was absolutely brutal with his own army — and with his enemies. Spartacus and his rebellion has met his match not only in terms of numbers but in terms of brutality and tactics as well.

Tiberius Lucinius Crassus

Tiberius Lucinius Crassus

In the world of DeKnight’s Spartacus, Tiberius Lucinius Crassus, the son of Marcus Crassus, is the rival of Julius Caesar for his father’s affections, Marcus. Historically, though, Tiberius never existed so whatever presumptions may be misconstrued concerning his “history.” In light of this, I wouldn’t put it past that Tiberius is related to Spartacus in some fashion since he appears younger than he actually is. If this is the case, he may disruptive for Crassus and Caesar.

Gaius Julius Caesar

Gaius Julius Caesar

Most have heard of Julius Caesar for his military and social changes in the Roman Empire. He made his political moves under the hospices of Marcus Crassus and ultimately confront and kill Pompey the Great eventually. Prior to the formation of the First Triumvirate with Marcus Crassus, Pompey and himself, he conquered the Gaul. In the world of the television series Spartacus, one has to imagine that Crixus and Agron will confront Julius Caesar for overtaking their land with the might of his legions. Whether both will remain alive after confronting Caesar remains in doubt.

Other Notes

Given that this is the conclusion of the wonderful television series Spartacus, I wish that Steven DeKnight revitalize either Hercules or Xena or both in this manner, if he chooses to depart from Spartacus altogether. With realism, brutality and less campiness, either Hercules or Xena in his hands would benefit and perhaps evolve into a television series that lasts much longer than Spartacus.