Top 10 Deaths in Spartacus
All through the three series and one mini-series of Spartacus (Blood and Sand, Gods of the
Arena, Vengeance and War of the Damned), there have been some gruesome and memorable
despatches of people from this world to the next, both in and out of the arena. Here are the
top ten.
10. Gannicus
The short-ass half-pint who occasionally lapses into a broad
Aussie accent, Gannicus loomed large in the mini-series
Gods of the Arena. I thought he would make it to the end,
but alas…After the rebels gain thousands of more freed
slaves, Spartacus tries to groom Gannicus to become a
leader, which Gannicus refuses time and time again. 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 tops a load of Romans before finally being captured
by Caesar. Gannicus is then crucified along with hundreds of other rebels. Nasty. In his final
moments, Gannicus sees his old friend Oenamaus, and imagines being back in the arena again,
with everyone cheering his name. A long journey from nothingness to glory in the arena, to
freedom, to a painful and lingering death.
9. Naevia
She the actress everyone seems to like the least.
Whether it’s because her predecessor was infinitely
prettier, or that she uses too much botox and makeup, she racks up the irritation factor whenever on
screen, gazing lovingly at Crixus’ lump. Anyway,
having despatched many a Roman to the next
world, in the final battle against Crassus and his
army, she bravely fights off the Romans with Crixus'
sword, until she comes across Caesar, who easily
bests her, and then kills her with her own sword.
8. Some Captured Roman Soldier Non-entity
After the death of Crixus, Spartacus hold
games in his honour, except this time, it’s
Roman captives who have to fight in the
arena. The gladiatorial battle was great to
see and the perfect tribute to Crixus. The
best kill of course goes to Spartacus in a very
one-sided match. Spartacus delivers a twinsword strike through the back of a Roman’s
head and out through the eyes. Loverly-Jubbly!
7. Tullius
Tullius, a very rich and influential Roman and enemy
of Batiatus. A really odious creep, he arranges for
Batiatus to be brutally beaten up. Tullius is
responsible for the construction of the grand arena in
Capua (seen in both seasons 1 and 2). He gets his
come-uppance though when he is tortured and
eventually sealed up, still alive, within the walls of
the very arena he built by Batiatus and his group of
vengeful gladiators. Nice touch Quintus!
6. Glaber
A nice exit as this Roman General who has dogged
Spartacus’ footsteps from the outset eats steel.
Remember that he was the Roman army legatus
who is responsible for Spartacus' enslavement as a
gladiator. In the season 2 finale, Spartacus and his
followers escape the mountaintop that Glaber had
trapped them on, and began bombarding the
temple Glaber now occupied 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.
5. Varro
Varro volunteered to become a
gladiator and sold himself into slavery
so that his wife would want for
nothing. He was even going to support
the baby his wife was carrying even
though he knew it was not his. A
thoroughly decent chap, it was pretty
obvious he wasn’t going to survive for
long. But he makes the top ten for two
reasons. Firstly he has to be killed by
his best mate, Spartacus himself.
Secondly it is the textbook despatch
method of execution; A downward
thrust by the side of the neck into the vital organs. What starts out as a non-lethal exhibition
bout turns into something much darker when the little shite Numerous stabs his outstretched
thumb downward, turning the combat into an execution. In fact Varro actually grabs Spartacus’
hand and pulls his arm and sword down… and there we have it, the blonde bimbo burbles blood
and bobs off to the after-life.
4. Theokoles
Without a doubt the most exciting arena fight, even if
the Shadow of Death’s despatch is a little rudimentary
(Spartacus beheads him with a double sword scissor
action).
Theokoles is an albino Celt towering above all of his
opponents (the actor who plays him stands 6' 10"). He
was unbeaten prior to the Shadow Games episode. Oenomaus is the only man to survived a
battle with Theokoles (and still bears the scars of the match). Crixus and Spartacus are chained
together to fight Theokoles but Crixus refuses to fight with Spartacus, wanting glory for
himself, and subsequently pays the price by getting pretty chewed up. There is a trademark
Spartacus/Crixus move whereby one uses the shield of the other to gain elevation. This same
trick is used in the final episode of Blood and Sand (Kill them all) when the gladiators at the
Ludus turn on Batiatas and his chums. Spartacus is ever after known as the “The Slayer of the
Shadow of Death and bringer of Rain” (there has been a drought that ends with Theokoles’
death).
3. Sabinus
Tiberius’ mate, Sabinus is unlucky enough to draw a white
pebble and there fore is one of the one in ten who must be
“decimated” as ordered by Marcus Crassus because the Romans
ran from a battle with Spartacus and the Silesian pirates.
Sabinus encourages Tiberius to follow the command of his
father, and is brutally clubbed to death by his fellow soldiers
including Tiberius. With no quick despatch by a sword, the
scene is actually quite hard to watch as it takes some time
before Sabinus departs this world. It marks a turning point for
Tiberius who becomes cruel and single-minded after thiseventually getting the privilege of removing Crixus (see below).
2. Sedullus
Sedellus is a Germanic Tribe leader and quickly
becomes the big cheese (or is that Black Forest
Gateaux?) for the Germans in Spartacus’ growing
army. There is no love lost between Sedullus and
Spartacus but the straw that breaks the camel’s
back is when during festivities, Sedullus tries to
rape Naevia, who was out to fetch wine, in the
middle of the temple hallway, but is stabbed by
her in his attempt. He strikes Naevia across the
mouth and threatens to cut off her face, but not
before Sedullus is stopped by Agron, as the two begin to fight. Sedullus easily overpowers
Agron into the ground and repeatedly punches him in the face. Crixus initially watches them in
amusement, however, he discovers the true nature of the fight when Navia tells him what
Sedullus did to her, and comes to Agron's aid. This spurs a brawl between the rebels and the
Germanics. Spartacus saves Agron from death and very briefly tangles with Sedullus in a sword
fight. It’s a one-sided fight; after getting slashed across the stomach, Spartacus slices the
Germanic leader's face in a clean upward slash. Sedullus brain then slips out. Yuk-erama!
1. Crixus
Perhaps not the goriest of deaths, but very memorable. The Gaulish
Champion of Capua finally meets his maker on the field of battle.
Wounded, the runty little son of Marcus Crassus, Tiberius, gets to
decapitate him and we see Crixus’ spinning head captured in Naevia’s
eyes. I always rated Crixus above a lot of the other actors in the Series
because he did seem to bring some genuine acting skills to his role- he
wasn’t just a six-packed moron. I even named my cat Crixus!