Publius Varinius

Publius Varinius is a high-ranking Praetor in the Roman Senate, whose power and influence rival that of Gaius Claudius Glaber. This rivalry creates significant tension between them, as Varinius seeks to use Spartacus' rebellion to elevate his own status in the Republic. Knowing that capturing Spartacus would bring him great prestige, he pursues the rebel leader with ambition. He serves as the secondary antagonist of Spartacus: Vengeance.

Names	Publius Varinius
Gender	Male ♂
Race	Human
Occupation	Roman Praetor
Origin	Spartacus: Vengeance Episode 1: "Fugitivus" (January 27, 2012)
Alignment	Mixed
Age	30s
Created By	Steven S, DeKnight
Height	188 cm (6ft 2in)
Portrayed By	Brett Tucker

Appearance

Varinius is a tall man with short blonde hair and a lean yet well-toned physique. He is regarded as exceptionally handsome, drawing the attention of many women, including Ilithyia and Seppia.

Typically, he is seen wearing robes befitting his status as a Praetor, though he dons armor when called into battle by the Senate.

Personality

Varinius is highly ambitious, determined to advance his position, and sees figures like his fellow Praetor, Glaber, as beneath him. Despite his arrogance, he is charming and sociable, with a natural charisma that makes him well-liked among the Roman elite.

Wealthy, unmarried, and with a promising future, Varinius enjoys the affections of many desirable women, including Seppia—and even Ilithyia, the wife of his rival.

Biography

Spartacus: Vengeance

In Rome, Varinius accompanies Senator Albinius as they task Glaber with eliminating Spartacus and his rebels. Varinius informs Glaber that one of his units was recently defeated by Spartacus, with one of the fallen soldiers bearing Glaber's name carved into his chest. Varinius then pressures Glaber before excusing himself to speak with Cossutius. He apologizes to Albinius' daughter for his hasty departure, subtly angering Glaber. Varinius then takes his leave, allowing Albinius and Glaber to confer in private.

As Glaber departs for Capua to confront Spartacus, it becomes apparent that Varinius supports Seppius, a noble from Capua, in his pursuit of Spartacus. Should Seppius emerge victorious, Varinius will gain leverage to undermine Glaber.

Varinius later arrives in Capua to host games aimed at boosting the citizens' morale. The crowd warmly receives him, but their enthusiasm quickly turns to anger when Glaber's troops fail to appear for a scheduled presentation. Glaber intervenes, announcing that his troops are hunting Spartacus, which both humiliates Varinius and earns Glaber favor with the people.

The nobles reconvene at Batiatus' former ludus, now Glaber's base of operations. Albinius reprimands Glaber for insulting Varinius, but Glaber justifies his actions, citing the importance of capturing Spartacus. He reveals that he has captured some rebels after a mine attack, temporarily calming the situation. Ilithyia proposes a feast to appease Varinius, which he accepts, smiling as he notes Ilithyia's favor towards him over her husband.

The Capuan nobility gathers at the ludus for the celebration, where Varinius brings Seppius, Seppia, Mercato, Gallienus, and Cossutius. Varinius compliments the hosts before Glaber announces a tribute: four captured rebels, chained and offered to Varinius for execution. However, Varinius declines, stating that the prisoners will be executed in the arena for the people of Capua, not for his personal satisfaction. This move earns him favor with the crowd and subtly retaliates against Glaber. Seppius remains enraged, reminding the crowd of his cousin's death at the hands of the rebels. Glaber seizes the opportunity to revive the topic of executing the rebels.

Varinius returns to Capua after receiving a desperate letter from Seppia, who begs for his help and reveals that she knows Glaber killed her brother. She also claims that Spartacus has taken Ilithyia, but Varinius later discovers this to be a lie.

Varinius attempts to persuade Glaber to return to Rome and let his own army handle Spartacus, but Glaber refuses. During their conversation, Glaber inadvertently reveals Spartacus' location. Varinius then speaks with Seppia, but berates her for lacking evidence and storms off.

Using the information he obtained from Glaber, Varinius leads his army to Vesuvius to eliminate Spartacus and his rebels. As they engage in battle, Varinius is personally attacked by Spartacus and Gannan in the forest. After his men are killed, he tries to flee on horseback but is caught by Spartacus, who discovers that Varinius is not Glaber.

Captured and taken to the temple, Varinius watches as his men are slaughtered. He orders his remaining soldiers to surrender to the rebels, who have just achieved their first major victory over the Roman army.

As Crixus approaches Varinius, intent on killing him to avenge his fallen comrades, Spartacus intervenes and interrogates Varinius about Glaber's whereabouts. Varinius smirks, and in that moment, a flaming boulder from Glaber's army crashes down.

In the chaos, Varinius attacks Crixus, who pushes him out of the way to avoid another flaming boulder. Varinius is unable to dodge it and is set on fire. He falls to the ground, dead, with half of his face severely burned.

Historicity

Publius Varinius was one of the eight elected Praetors in 73 BC. As a Praetor, he would have been at most 39 years old. Historically, Varinius was known for his exceptional horsemanship.

After Glaber's defeat at Mount Vesuvius, Varinius was tasked with quelling the growing rebellion led by Spartacus. Despite leading armies of 2,000 and 4,000 men, Varinius suffered multiple defeats. He commanded three known Praetors: Lucius Cossinius, Lucius Furius, and Gaius Toranius.

Although the TV series depicts Varinius' death, historical records suggest that a "Publius Varinius" served as governor of Asia Minor from 65 to 64 BC. It is unclear whether this refers to the same individual who fought against Spartacus.

Trivia

• In the show, Varinius inaccurately claims that Hannibal died by a Roman sword. In reality, Hannibal poisoned himself to avoid capture.
• Unlike Glaber, Varinius is highly respected and admired by other nobles and the Senate.
• Historically, Varinius took over the fight against Spartacus after Glaber's defeat at Mount Vesuvius.
• Varinius was the seventh main character to be killed in the show.
• Publius Varinius lacks a cognomen, a distinguishing third name common among Roman elite members. This suggests that Varinius might have been a Novus Homo, or "new man," the first of his family to enter the Roman Senate.