Kore (Spartacus)

Kore is a slave in the House of Crassus, having served the family since Tiberius's birth. Over the years, she has become a maternal figure to him in many ways.

Names	Kore
Gender	Female ♀
Race	Human
Occupation	Body Slave
Origin	Spartacus: War of the Dammed Episode 1 (S3E1): "Enemies of Rome" (January 25, 2013)
Alignment	Good
Age	20s
Created By	Steven S, DeKnight
Height	158.75 cm (5ft 2in)
Personality Type	ISFJ
Portrayed By	Jenna Lind

Appearance

Kore is a slender, strikingly beautiful young woman with long, dark brown hair and warm brown eyes. She possesses a gentle, nurturing presence, which contrasts with her status as a slave. Though still dressed and treated as one, she shares a deep sense of loyalty and affection with her masters. She wears a dark yellow outfit, open at the chest, and bears a tattoo of her master's full name as her slave mark, unlike the branded symbols given to Spartacus and his men.

Personality

Kore is a kind and dignified woman with a deep devotion to those she serves. She has cared for Tiberius since his birth and harbors a profound love for Crassus, who reciprocates her affection. Despite her status, she speaks to Tiberius as an equal and, at times, addresses Crassus with similar confidence. Her unwavering loyalty earns her Crassus's respect, and over time, their bond develops into a passionate and intimate relationship.

Biography

War of the Dammed

Kore is introduced in the first episode of War of the Damned, silently observing as Crassus and his trainer, Hilarus, spar within the villa. The match unsettles Tiberius, who believes such activities are beneath his family's status. Though Kore is treated well by both Crassus and Tiberius, and they trust and confide in her, she remains a slave—a fact neither man hesitates to remind her of. When Tiberius is injured by Hilarus during the fight, Kore tends to his wound and advises him that to earn his father’s favor, he must learn to think as he does.

As Crassus finalizes his strategy to confront Spartacus on the battlefield, he enlists the aid of Julius Caesar, offering him promotions and wealth to settle his debts from costly foreign campaigns.

One evening, while Caesar bathes, Kore enters to refill his wine, only for him to mistake her as a gift for his pleasure. As he begins undressing her, Crassus intervenes, ordering her to leave. Shaken, Kore flees in tears, only to be met with a harsh warning from Crassus’ wife, Tertulla, and sincere concern from Tiberius.

Later that night, Crassus asks Kore to accompany him on his campaign—not as his servant, but as a woman. Unlike his wife, whom he denied the same request, Kore accepts, and it is implied they consummate their relationship. Though she cannot reside within the legion’s camp, she is well cared for in the nearby followers' encampment. With Tertulla absent, she and Crassus share passionate nights together.

Kore frequently attempts to mend the growing divide between Crassus and Tiberius, particularly after Tiberius is forced to execute his closest friend, Sabinus, as part of the legion’s Decimation punishment. Sabinus, despite being the only soldier who remained loyal, is killed alongside the deserters. Kore watches in anguish as Tiberius descends into a deep depression, his grief festering into bitterness. Crassus, however, tells her that his son must find his own way—lest he be lost forever.

Kore later invites Tiberius into her tent in an attempt to comfort him. As he arrives, she appears to break through his grief over Sabinus’ death, and he collapses in her arms. However, Tiberius sees this moment as an opportunity for revenge against his father and violently rapes Kore. Despite her desperate protests, he coldly reminds her that she is still a slave and must obey his every command.

In the aftermath, Tiberius privately threatens her into silence. Tearfully, Kore asks if the years she spent caring for him meant nothing, causing him to hesitate briefly before callously dismissing her and demanding she keep their encounters secret. Over time, as his threats continue, Kore becomes unable to endure his cruelty. Desperate for escape, she secretly approaches Caesar, hoping to neutralize Tiberius. Though she refuses to reveal the rape, she pleads for him to take her to the mountain camp. Before she departs, Crassus informs her that she must remain in Sinuessa with Tiberius, prompting Kore to share one final night with him. Later that night, as Crassus sleeps, she kills a guard and flees, secretly joining the rebels in their escape from Melia Ridge.

Within the rebel camp, Kore keeps a low profile but assists Laeta in delivering a baby. When Agron and Spartacus arrive, they praise her skillful hands, which she attributes to her years of service under her dominus. Laeta, curious, asks who her former master was, believing she may have heard of him. Kore lies, claiming it was Pompo, but Spartacus notices the slave mark of Marcus Licinius Crassus II on her arm, exposing her deception. Suspicious, Spartacus initially accuses her of being a spy. However, when Kore reveals her true reasons for fleeing, Laeta sympathizes and reminds Spartacus that they should offer aid to any slave seeking freedom, regardless of their past. Calming down, Spartacus entrusts Kore’s safety to Laeta.

One evening, Kore is approached by a recovering Naevia, who inquires about her past connection to Crassus. When Kore confirms the depth of their relationship before her escape, Naevia challenges her, asking why she did not seize the chance to kill Crassus before leaving. Had she done so, Crixus might have survived the siege on Rome. Kore, visibly shaken, denies responsibility for the outcome, but Naevia sternly reminds her that everyone is accountable for their choices—including the ones they failed to make when it mattered most. Kore insists that the past cannot be changed, but Naevia counters that while the past is fixed, the future remains uncertain. She urges Kore to seek balance and retribution when the time is right. The conversation lingers in Kore’s mind, leaving her deep in contemplation for the rest of the night.

Later, Spartacus and his rebels capture Tiberius along with a group of Roman soldiers. Though he initially hoped to seize Crassus, Spartacus decides to lift the spirits of his men by hosting his own gladiatorial games, using the captured Romans as entertainment. Kore visits the imprisoned Tiberius and his men, taunting them by comparing their suffering to what he inflicted upon her. Desperate, Tiberius tries to manipulate Kore, filling her mind with thoughts of Crassus and insisting that his father still loves and longs for her. Though momentarily moved, she sees through his deception and coldly tells him that she eagerly awaits his execution.

As the sun sets, Spartacus' brutal games begin, with each Roman captive meeting a bloody end. Naevia faces Tiberius in combat, but before she can finish him, Spartacus is called away with news of an offer—Caesar has come to negotiate a trade: Crassus will release 500 captured rebels in exchange for Tiberius. Spartacus halts the fight and gives Naevia the choice to decide Tiberius' fate. Reluctantly, she spares him, allowing him to stagger toward Caesar. However, recalling Naevia’s earlier words, Kore rushes forward and stabs Tiberius in the stomach. As he dies, she smirks down at him, savoring his final moments of realization. Caesar, furious, berates her, but Kore calmly asserts that the deal will still be honored—offering herself as part of the exchange instead.

Crassus mourns his son's death, seething with anger as he scolds Caesar for releasing the rebels. When Caesar departs, he reveals that Kore has returned. She fabricates a story, claiming that an unknown "man long in years" among Spartacus' army killed Tiberius. Crassus moves to embrace her but then coldly informs her that she is no longer permitted to call him "Marcus"—she must now address him only as dominus. Pressing her for the name of Tiberius’ killer, Kore maintains the lie, aligning her story with Caesar’s fabrication.

Before the final battle, Crassus and Spartacus meet in a parley. During their conversation, Spartacus inadvertently lets slip that it was "a woman, moved by vengeance" who killed Tiberius. Enraged, Crassus returns to his camp and furiously demands the truth from Caesar, who refuses to break his cover story despite being manhandled. At last, Kore confesses. Crassus, stunned and deeply wounded, grabs his knife and presses it to her throat. Caesar intervenes, revealing that Tiberius had raped Kore, using it as a twisted means of revenge for his lost friend during the Decimation. Shattered, Crassus lowers his blade, overcome with grief and shame for having been blind to his son's cruelty. He pleads for Kore’s forgiveness and promises that her suffering will end once Spartacus is defeated. They embrace, sharing a final moment of affection.

However, after his ultimate victory over Spartacus, Crassus fulfills his promise in the cruelest way possible—by crucifying Kore along the Appian Way with the rest of the defeated rebels. Though visibly heartbroken, he justifies his decision to Caesar, stating that she was "known to be of the rebellion." Yet it is clear that he acted out of obligation rather than desire, still loving and mourning her even as he condemns her to death.

Trivia

• Though Kore is a Gaul, her name is of Greek origin. This could be due to the popularity of Greek names among the Roman elite, or she may have come from the region of Massalia (modern-day Marseille), the largest Greek colony in Gaul. Another possibility is that Kore was a Galatian—Celts who settled in the Balkans and Asia Minor in the early 3rd century BC and underwent partial Hellenization.
• The name Kore means "maiden" in Greek and was also used as a title for the goddess Persephone, the daughter of Demeter and queen of the underworld. In Roman mythology, Persephone's consort Hades was known as Pluto, the god of wealth—paralleling Kore’s relationship with the immensely wealthy Marcus Crassus.
• As Crassus’ personal body slave, Kore would have been considered an Amanuensis, meaning "within hand’s reach." A more literal Latin term for a female body slave is Serva Corporis.
• In the episode Mors Indecepta, Kore was set to become Tiberius’ Vilica at his residence in Sinuessa. A Vilica was a female steward responsible for managing a noble’s rural estate, a position of significant authority among household slaves.
• She was the twenty-second main character to be killed in the series.
• Like Gannicus, her death is not shown, but it is confirmed—her final appearance is on a cross along the Appian Way.
• Kore killed two people in the series: Tiberius and a Roman soldier guarding Crassus’ tent, whom she slew while escaping to join Spartacus and the rebels.
• Her character parallels Antoninus from the 1960 Spartacus film, as both were body slaves to Crassus who defected to the rebellion and ultimately died by his orders. Antoninus was killed in a forced gladiatorial fight against Spartacus to spare him from crucifixion, whereas Kore was crucified in the series finale.
• Like Naevia and Diona, Kore was initially a loyal slave to her household but developed a violent side after enduring sexual abuse. All three women ultimately met tragic fates as a result of rebelling against their oppressors.
• Kore is the only slave in the series to become the lover of her Dominus.