Spartacus: 5 Best (& 5 Worst Couples)

Starz hit show Spartacus was known for its stylish action sequences, explicit scenes, and well-crafted dialogue. The series told the story of Thracian gladiator Spartacus who led fellow slaves in a major rebellion against the Roman Empire between 75 BC and 71 BC.

Spartacus wasn’t the only hero of the show. There were a number of compelling male and female characters and as a result, plenty of relationships and flings were born. Some were toxic, some were perfect while some blossomed before being terminated by tragedy. Here are the best and worst couples on the show.

10 Best: Aurelia And Varro

Varro loved Aurelia and their son Janus so much that he voluntarily became a gladiator in order to make enough money for him. Sadly, while he was in the Ludus, Aurelia was raped by a Roman man and became pregnant. Varro was angry at first but he agreed to take care of the child as his own.

Unfortunately, he met his demise when Spartacus was given an order to execute him during an exhibition match. Aurelia was heartbroken and in order to pay off Varro’s debts, she offered to work as a slave for Batiatus. She developed a deep hatred for Spartacus at first before she came to understand why he killed Varro.

9 Worst: Crassus And Kore

Despite Crassus—the richest man in Rome—being madly in love with Kore, he couldn’t protect her from his son Tiberius who was sexually assaulting her on a frequent basis. Crassus failed to keep her loyal to him too, given that she made the decision to be on the side of the slaves during the rebellion.

When Crassus found out that she was the one who killed Tiberius, he didn’t forgive her despite the fact that circumstances led her to do it. He allowed her to get crucified with the other rebelling slaves yet he had all the power to spare her life.

8 Best: Barca And Pietros

Barca fell in love with the young slave named Pietros and their relationship kept on blossoming. Since Pietros was weak, Barca protected him from the other gladiators. He had dreams of purchasing their freedom using his winnings from a bet he made with Asher so that they’d settle for a normal life as farmers.

Sadly, the relationship ended tragically. To avoid paying up, Asher ratted on Barca to Batiatus. Barca hadn’t killed the son of Ovidius as instructed and when Batiatus found out, he stabbed the towering gladiator to death. Unable to survive without Barca, Pietro decided to commit suicide.

7 Worst: Saxa And Gannicus

The two started out strong and even had an open relationship but a bigger test came in the name of Sibyl. Saxa felt threatened by the younger woman who was relentlessly pursuing Gannicus. The fierce gladiator was not being interested in her at first but he soon began taking notice.

This caused Saxa to become insecure and overprotective. She would constantly confront Sibyl and warn her to stay away from her man. This only created the reverse effect. Gannicus began ignoring Saxa and eventually dumped her for Sibyl who he stayed with until the time of his death.

6 Best: Batiatus And Lucretia

Lucretia was quite hedonistic and lustful but she loved no other man but her husband Batiatus. She adored him for his ambition and for how he wielded his authority. She strategized with him and supported him in all his evil schemes.

Batiatus loved her equally too. He confided in her and never raised his voice on her as he did with other people. Titus—the father of Batiatus—didn’t like Lucretia one bit but going against their relationship was a mistake as it eventually cost him his life.

5 Worst: Oenomaus And Melitta

The relationship between Oenomaus And Melitta was the kind that no man ever wants to find himself in. Despite Oenomaus being madly in love with his wife Melitta, she went on to secretly have an affair with his best friend Gannicus. The sad part is that he never found out about it.

Oenomaus lost her after she drank the same wine that Lucretia had used to poison Titus. What’s even worse is that she died while she was making love to Gannicus when she died. Lucretia and Gannicus then lied to him about what had really happened

4 Best: Crixus And Naevia

Crixus and Naevia constantly reminded us of teenage love when they’d both sneak to get intimate. They could have been caught many times but the gods were on their side. The fact that Naevia understood that Crixus had no choice but to also please the wife of his boss made her a perfect partner.

However, their relationship was threatened when Naevia was handed over as a gift to Asher who had proved to be a loyal henchman to Batiatis. He got angry and beat Asher, thus exposing the secret relationship. Naevia was then banished from the villa, thanks to a jealous Lucretia.

3 Worst: Glaber And Ilithyia

Glaber And Ilithyia’s marriage was doomed from the start. He was only concerned with conquests and crashing rebellions. He never really wanted her around him and liked it more when she stayed at the house of Batiatus. And when he learned about her she did to Licinia, he was violent towards her.

While Glaber was busy hunting Spartacus and the other slaves after the escape. Lucretia grew tired of his absence and the constant mistreatment. She thus told her father of her intentions to dissolve the marriage. She then went on to sleep with the Roman senator Varinius.

2 Best: Spartacus And Sura

Spartacus adored Sura. At the beginning of the series. it was clear just how close the two were. She even warned him in participating against the war with the Getae and Mithridates of Macedon but his confidence made him believe everything would be alright.

Spartacus was later captured and taken to be trained as a gladiator while Sura was taken to an unknown location. While in the Ludus, Spartacus kept thinking about Sura and even sought to earn both his freedom and hers. However, Batiatus betrayed him by killing her so that he’d remain a gladiator.

1 Worst: Lucretia And Crixus

Lucretia had a long and secret affair with Crixus. At first, she only wanted to use Crixus to get pregnant and save her marriage since childbearing was proving to be the only source of arguments between her and Batiatus. Soon, she found herself falling in love with him.

The relationship was doomed because it was one-sided. Crixus loved Naevia and only felt compelled to please Lucretia as part of his duty as a slave. The absence of love became more clear when Crixus stabbed her in the stomach yet she was carrying his child.

About The Author

Philip Etemesi
(1215 Articles Published)

Philip Etemesi is an author, journalist, screenwriter and film critic based in Nairobi. Kenya. As a child, he preferred watching movies like The Goodfellas instead of Home Alone. His girlfriend constantly has to pull him from the front of the TV but he just keeps returning. Stubborn dude! An animal lover, Philip also has a pet giraffe called Refu.

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