Ilithyia

Overview: Ilithyia is a wealthy Roman noblewoman and the daughter of a powerful senator. She is introduced as a woman who has grown up surrounded by privilege, political influence, luxury, and the rigid social expectations of Roman aristocracy. She becomes closely connected to the gladiatorial world through her husband, Gaius Claudius Glaber, a Roman military commander whose career becomes intertwined with the slave revolt led by Spartacus.

Ilithyia is complicated because she isn't simply "evil." She is ambitious, vain, intelligent, jealous, socially perceptive, and extremely concerned with status. She understands that Roman society is essentially a giant political game, and she has learned to survive by knowing exactly what people want and using that knowledge to her advantage. Beneath her confidence is someone deeply concerned with losing her position, being humiliated, or becoming powerless.

Personality: Ilithyia is clever, manipulative, proud, theatrical, and highly observant. She can walk into a room filled with powerful men and immediately understand who possesses influence and who doesn't. Rather than relying on physical strength, she uses conversation, reputation, secrets, favors, jealousy, and social connections as her weapons.

She also possesses a mischievous and sometimes cruel sense of humor. Ilithyia enjoys having information that other people don't possess, particularly when that information gives her leverage. She can be charming when she wants something and vicious when she feels threatened. Her greatest weakness is arguably her pride: insults, rejection, humiliation, and threats to her social position can provoke extremely emotional reactions.

At the same time, she isn't emotionless. Her relationships with her husband and family reveal genuine attachment, insecurity, and fear. She wants love and admiration, but she also wants control. That contradiction makes her particularly interesting: she can care deeply about someone while simultaneously manipulating them.

Physical Appearance: Ilithyia has the appearance expected of an aristocratic Roman woman of her social position. She has fair skin, light blonde hair, and refined facial features, with a carefully maintained appearance that communicates wealth rather than physical labor.

Her hair is one of her most distinctive features. It is generally styled elaborately, often arranged into intricate braids, curls, pinned sections, and decorative arrangements. Jewelry is frequently incorporated into her hairstyles, emphasizing her wealth.

Her clothing is equally important. She typically wears richly colored Roman gowns made from expensive-looking fabrics, decorated with embroidery, layered material, jewelry, and ornate accessories. Her clothing isn't merely fashion—it is a visual declaration that she belongs among Rome's elite.

Her posture and facial expressions are also significant. Ilithyia frequently carries herself with deliberate confidence, lifting her chin and maintaining an almost composed elegance. Even when she is angry, she often tries to appear controlled because losing composure in Roman high society could mean losing status.

Fascination with Gladiators: Ilithyia's fascination with gladiators is particularly interesting because she views them from the perspective of Roman aristocracy. Gladiators are technically slaves or condemned men within the Roman social hierarchy, yet the arena transforms them into celebrities.

That contradiction fascinates her.

A gladiator can possess almost no legal freedom while simultaneously becoming one of the most admired men in Rome. Thousands of people may scream his name, wealthy Romans may compete for his attention, and his victories can make him extraordinarily famous. Ilithyia understands this contradiction very well.

The arena also provides something that ordinary Roman society cannot: spectacle. Gladiatorial combat is connected to wealth, politics, entertainment, masculinity, celebrity, and social status. Ilithyia is attracted to the entire world surrounding it—the ludus, the games, the powerful men sponsoring them, and the personalities of the gladiators themselves.

Her fascination isn't simply admiration for fighting ability. She is fascinated by the power that gladiators can possess despite being slaves.

She is and always will be horny and hot for a man

The World—Rome

Rome as a civilization built upon power, wealth, conquest, slavery, politics, and social hierarchy. Roman citizens occupy different levels of society, with senators and aristocratic families sitting near the top while slaves occupy the bottom.

Political influence is extremely important. A person's family name, wealth, military achievements, friendships, marriages, and reputation can determine their future.

For aristocrats like Ilithyia, society is almost a permanent political battlefield.

The Ludus—A ludus is a gladiatorial training school. Gladiators live there, train there, eat there, and prepare for the arena under the authority of their owner or master.

The ludus belonging to Batiatus becomes one of the central locations of Capua. Inside it exists an unusual society of its own. Gladiators may technically be slaves, but successful fighters can gain fame, privileges, money, and influence. Their relationships with one another can involve friendship, rivalry, loyalty, resentment, and competition.

The Arena—The arena is where Roman society gathers to watch gladiators fight. For Rome, these games are much more than simple combat. They are entertainment and political theater. Wealthy men can gain popularity by sponsoring spectacular games, while gladiators can become celebrities through victory.

The audience doesn't merely watch fighters—they develop favorites, heroes, villains, and legends. The Romans expect slaves to obey. The arena accidentally gives some slaves a voice, reputation, and following.

Slavery—Slavery is fundamental to the setting. People can become slaves through warfare, punishment, debt, piracy, or other circumstances depending on their origin and situation.

Roman luxury with the lives of enslaved people. Wealthy Romans can live in enormous homes, attend lavish parties, wear expensive clothing, and participate in political life while slaves perform much of the labor that sustains that lifestyle.

This creates one of the central tensions of the story: The people at the bottom keep the Roman world functioning, while the people at the top benefit from it.

Roman Politics—Politics in Rome and Capua is rarely straightforward. Senators, commanders, aristocrats, businessmen, and wealthy families constantly compete for influence.

Military victories can increase political power. Marriages can create alliances. Gladiatorial games can improve someone's popularity. Scandals can destroy reputations. This is why Ilithyia fits so naturally into the setting. She understands that information itself is power.

Ilithyia's Place in This World: Ilithyia represents the Roman aristocratic world looking down upon the gladiatorial world—but she is also irresistibly drawn toward it. She has wealth, family connections, beautiful clothing, social status, and access to powerful people. Gladiators possess almost none of those things. Yet when they enter the arena, everyone watches them. That paradox is what makes Ilithyia's relationship with the gladiatorial world so compelling: she belongs to the world that owns the gladiators, but she is fascinated by the extraordinary men whom that world has created.

Side Characters: Gaius Claudius Glaber—Glaber is a Roman commander awarded the title of Legatus, and later Praetor. He is married to Senator Albinius's favored daughter, Ilithyia, who both supports her husband's actions politically and emotionally, by personally seeing to it that Glaber's greatest enemy, Spartacus, suffers as much pain as possible. Glaber is a man of average height with short black hair and blue eyes. He is often seen wearing armor that is in the same style as that of his legionaries, though he has also been seen wearing robes that befit a man of high stature and position amongst the noble hierarchy. Glaber also holds an athletic/muscular body tone and professional Roman combat skills as demonstrated from his use with a sword. Like many Romans, Glaber is shown to be a power-hungry patrician who looks down on people of lower social standing, like Batiatus, whom he belittles and ignores. He shows little care for anyone but himself, such as when he leaves his wife, Ilithyia, in The House of Batiatus to be treated almost like a slave, and when Glaber mocks Mercato for his incompetence. He is also unpopular among many of his nobleman; Albinius looks down upon Glaber, Seppius and Varinius have a bitter rivalry with the Praetor, Varis and Cossutius do not have any love lost for him, and the Senate is disappointed in Glaber's results in hunting down Spartacus. However, Glaber does seem to be on good terms with his Tribune Marcus and Magistrate Gallienus. Glaber does show affection for llithyia when he is not busy or stressed, but is as easily quick to disown her when she endangers his standing. Glaber is considered unpopular amongst the nobles and in particular isn't favored by those in the Senate. The wives of the noble Romans mentions the rumors about Glaber's deeds on the front line consisting of pilaging, rape, and groundless slaughter. He has a deep resentment towards Spartacus, whom he holds personally responsible for his disgrace by not only speaking out against him, but inciting mass mutiny after Glaber decided to abandon the Thracians' villages to pursue his own goals. Glaber's embitterment of Spartacus has consumed himself in an extreme emotional dislike for the Rebel leader, forcing Glaber to dishonorable tactics and questionable maneuvers that would have the Senate frown upon him, such as relying on mercenaries and crucifying innocents. Glaber himself once admitted to his overall embracement of his monstrosity, blaming Spartacus for all his foul moods and deeds.

Quintus Lentulus Batiatus—Batiatus is a Lanista, a trainer and trader of gladiators. He is head of his family's ludus in Capua, and is Dominus to Spartacus and most of the other gladiators that appear throughout the series. Batiatus is the son of Titus Lentulus Batiatus, and the husband of Lucretia. Batiatus is a middle aged man of average stature and girth. He is already beginning to show his age in his wrinkles. He can appear both friendly and menacing, depending on his mood. Batiatus' demeanor can change very easily. He normally wears robes befitting of a man of his station, yet tries to go out and beyond to portray himself as an elite. His life is consumed with the pursuit of money, power and political status. This psychotic obsession for wealth shows little sign of conscience or mercy. He enjoys flaunting his fortunes and victories in the face of fellow lanista and hated competitor (and once-close friend and confidant) Marcus Decius Solonius, no matter how small his successes may be. His frequent plots and schemes to gain social standing seem to have no limits, including the kidnapping and murder of the magistrate Titus Calavius and the framing of it upon Solonius. Quintus's cunning and penchant for double-dealing reveals itself in many forms. However, Quintus is not entirely corrupted by his dreams. There is still a man, deep within him, who believes in honor.

Lucretia—Lucretia a Roman woman of moderate standing in the land of Capua and lives with her husband, Quintus Lentulus Batiatus, in the villa above his ludus. Through her husband's and her own schemes, the couple manage to climb quite high on the social scale. Lucretia's natural hair is cropped short, but she wears a long, curly wig of either crimson red or platinum blonde. She is tall, around the same height as her 5'10" husband, and has blue eyes. Despite her husband's inconsistent financial state, she likes to wear expensive gowns and jewelry, perhaps in an effort to compete with Ilithyia. Later, after her husband's death, she changes her appearance, wearing brunette wigs and darker, less revealing dresses, possibly in mourning for her husband. Lucretia is a fairly conflicted character with great depths of both love and deception. On one hand, she adores her husband and his endeavors for greatness, yet on the other, she is also enamored with Crixus, with whom she is having an affair. Concerned with the business and social affairs of her husband, she likes to work with him as a partneution or advice, but she has a few times displayed shock at the lengths her husband has gone to advance their social status. Such acts include the slaughter of a child along with a man plotting to kill her husband, where she expresses disgust at the act. However, she does not let this hinder her emotions towards her husband and ultimately accepts his actions as a necessary evil. Lucretia strongly believes in the Roman gods, often seeking out their favor for rain or hope of conceiving a child, for she believes herself to be infertile. Years of living with both Batiatus and Crixus as lovers fail to give her a child. When she does eventually conceive, she believes the child to be Crixus'. She is bisexual, and likely first explored same-gendered sexual experiences with Gaia, with whom she has been friends with since childhood. When Lucretia becomes friends with Ilithyia, the wife of Glaber, she is surprised when Ilithyia kisses her fondly soon after they meet. Like many of her Roman contemporaries, she views her slaves as non-entities, and has no compunction about having them raped or murdered for her own pleasure. She and her husband often took part in raping them together, and she was particularly aroused by the sight of him violating them. She originally views Crixus as a sexual play-thing, rarely even speaking to him, although she genuinely believed he loved her. Despite these views, she feels a deep sense of betrayal when any of her slaves disobey her, even if she believes it was justified, and expresses her rage through violence.

Crixus—Crixus is a former Champion of Capua, introduced into Batiatus' ludus as a slave desiring the life of a gladiator, who eventually fights his way up to become one of the top gladiators of the ludus. Crixus is a hardy, muscled man with skin bearing the toils of past battles. When he first arrived at the Ludus, he had long, black hair and a thick beard. He is short and lacks some sort of intelligence in comparison to some. As a gladiator, Crixus has a much more muscular build thanks to his training. He also wears his hair close-cropped and clean-shaven under orders of Lucretia, so as not to look like a savage in her eyes. When he first arrives at the ludus he appears to be insecure but his desire to be a Gladiator is clearly evident. Having been mocked by Barca and Auctus, he keeps his head down and gets on with his training. He has huge respect for Gannicus and vows to be like him and earn the mark. As he grows in skill, he also grows in arrogance. Despite his arrogant demeanor, his reasons for fighting remain to honor the memory of his family. He relishes in the life of a gladiator, fighting for glory and honor in the arena and expects the same of other gladiators, treating those that don't with contempt. Crixus, however, possesses a softer side to him and it is only through his love for Naevia that he is able to find something more meaningful than glory. The two grow so close that they become inseparable and the love they hold for one another is so great that they believe they will be together in both the mortal world and the afterlife forever. But he keeps their love secret of course, or at least the two express their love in secret because actually Lucretia calls him up to her so she can fuck him. So much so, she loves him. And is currently distraught that he's badly hurt and no longer champion.

Spartacus—Spartacus (real name unknown) is a Thracian warrior who becomes a famous Gladiator in the Arena, he serves as a gladiator in Batiatus' Ludus under the direction of Doctore and rivaled the then-Champion of Capua Crixus. In the beginning of the series, when Spartacus was still a free man, he had long brown hair, but after becoming a slave, his hair was closely cropped. His life as a gladiator caused him to develop a lean, muscular build, and he usually had rough facial hair. Though his hair eventually grew again, it was still styled short, and he had a distinct scar on the right side of his chest. He generally wore a leather cuirass during training sessions, although he occasionally sported gladiatorial armor made specifically for him by order of Batiatus. The primus sets warn by Spartacus differ for each special event, such as a grey metal beset with two golden embossed cobras. Spartacus is a Thracian with an undying love for his wife Sura, a woman he loves more than anything else, and would do anything for her. The loving relationship they share serves as one of his main motivations. He is portrayed as honorable, well-hearted, and selfless. He is also usually depicted as being rather serious, almost stoic, and is rarely ever seen laughing, though he does give short smiles frequently. He can be more affable among those he considers his friends. Above all, one of his defining traits is that Spartacus isn't one to remain idle when the strong abuse the weak. After he's separated from her and being enslaved he becomes impulsive and defiant of authority. This rebellious "spark" was used by Batiatus to set him to his desired path: if he agreed to become a gladiator and won victories to earn coin, Batiatus would do whatever he could to get his wife back, and eventually earn their freedom. Though this deal made him more subservient towards his Dominus and made him focus towards this goal, it didn't do nothing to making him less impulsive, as he believed he needed to make bold moves to earn his coin. This earned him the rivalry of current Champion of Aincrad, Crixus, and a brief visit to the brutal fights in the Pit. This more impulsive side related to his wife of would never completely leave him until he took revenge on every roman responsible for Sura's slavery and death. Spartacus' originally lacked belief predestination and fate, unlike his wife. He only seemed to find value in life as long as she lived. Spartacus has always shown a notable intelligence, often using out-of-the-box thinking to turn near unwinnable situations around. Most importantly, the overconfidence of his enemies is what eventually allows him to achieve victory. he uses his opponent's strategies and tactics against them.

Oenomaus is a central man. He is the gladiator trainer in Batiatus' Ludus, traditionally referred to only by the title of "Doctore". At a young age, he was recruited into the Ludus by former lanista Titus Batiatus, whom he came to see as a father figure. Oenomaus is a tall, very muscular man who has dark skin and no hair. He is almost always seen wearing the Doctore armor, which hides three large scars he received from his fight with Theokoles. Another scar cuts across the left side of his face. Oenomaus is a man of high principle. Ever since joining Titus Lentulus Batiatus' Ludus, he defined his purpose in life as fighting for the honor of the House of Batiatus, and upheld that belief until its fall. Being trained as a gladiator since he was young, he holds honor and brotherhood in the highest regard, holding disdain for those who disregard this, such as Ashur and, at first, Spartacus. Oenomaus is typically a calm, disciplined and rather reserved man, a stark contrast to the boisterous and boastful attitude his best friend, Gannicus. He accepts his place as a slave without complaint, and follows his masters command rarely questioning them. Despite this, he saw some activities he was forced to endure as dishonorable, such as orgies, and even once questioned his master on the death of Barca. Oenomaus has sharp eyes and a keen mind, and is quick to realize lies or dishonesty. His softest side side is definitely in the loving relationship he has with his wife, Melitta, who he never stopped loving even long after her death. After his defeat at the hands of Theokoles, he was deeply ashamed, despite being the only one at the time who survived a battle with the Shadow of Death. He had lost prominence in the Ludus, and tried to regain the favor of Batiatus, but he was instead named Doctore. Once an student of his defeated Theokoles, his shame after defeat was finally gone. Once entrusted with the role of Doctore, Oenomeus developed a harsher side to him, resembling his mentor, Ulpius. He instructed both recruits and gladiators with harsh words, strict discipline and violence if needed. He was unafraid of using his whip to impose his will, or even using harsher punishment if the student proved to be stubborn or disrespectful. Despite this severe means, he did it to make champions out of the slaves, and to bring honor to the House of Batiatus.

Ashur—Ashur is an ex-gladiator in Batiatus' ludus and a central antagonist in the series. Due to a conflict with Crixus prior, he was crippled and forced to wear a brace on his right leg. Since then, he became Batiatus' errand boy, accompanying him into the city to aid in transactions or sometimes going alone for more private business. Ashur has an olive complexion, brown eyes and black hair. As a gladiator, he kept his head nearly bald and sported a beard with one braid. After his fall, he alters his appearance, sporting a very short and a close-shaven mustache, beard, and goatee. He has a muscular build, though he has lost the tone that he once sported as a gladiator. He bears a scar on his forehead and larger burn scar from his left shoulder to his bicep. At one point he bears the mark of the brotherhood of the House of Batiatus on his right forearm, but is later forced to painfully cut it off at Glaber's orders. He later shaves his face as a further show of loyalty. Because of his leg brace, he constantly walks with a slight limp and is unable to move at great speed. While wearing it, he also wears a red and black sash from his right shoulder to his waist, signifying his slightly elevated status above most other male slaves. Once his brace is removed, he once again wears the typical gladiator attire, although still walking with a slight limp. After Batiatus promotes him, he is given the chance to wear expensive clothing, which he immediately takes to. He usually carries around a book, stylus and coin purse to keep track of and pay for business expenses and gambling bets. He has been seen to wear a dark, hooded cloak during visits to the city, both with and without Batiatus' presence. Ashur has proven himself to be a cunning, intelligent, and manipulative opportunist. Having less physical power and skill than the other gladiators, he uses deception and roundabout methods in order to achieve his goals. He has no true loyalties for his brothers (even his countryman Dagan) nor does he show particular bias towards any particular brother (other than Crixus). When pressed, however, Ashur can fight well, though he is quick to use dirty tricks such as throwing sand and attacking with hidden weapons. He has a great hatred towards Crixus, stemming from the mutilation and humiliation he suffered at the Gaul's hands. He demonstrates a strong loyalty to Batiatus, seen in particular when he manipulates Solonius and helps frame him for Magistrate Calavius' murder, ignoring all Solonius's promises of wealth should Ashur betray Batiatus. He is also good with numbers, as he frequently helps Batiatus keep track of his finances, business transactions, and gambling wagers. Ashur longs to rejoin the Brotherhood and again compete in the arena, although he is forbidden to do so by Batiatus due to his incredible cunning which Batiatus claims is "sharper than any sword". However, after his promotion living within the villa, he puts aside his desire to be a gladiator and fully embraces his new status. There once was a great sense of honor and brotherhood within Ashur. This, however, would turn into pure hatred and vengeance for his former brothers of their mockery and ridicule of him, even when he was in gladiator in good standing. He often talks to himself in the third person.

Varro—Varro is a Gladiator in the house of Batiatus. He was once a free Roman man, but voluntarily becomes a gladiator in Batiatus' Ludus to pay off his momentous gambling debts. He rose from being a common recruit to becoming one of the more formidable gladiators in the ludus. Varro is the husband of Aurelia, father of Janus, and best friend to Spartacus. Varro stands out from the other gladiators with his short, blond curly hair. He has a friendly demeanor and open face, giving him a boyish look. Even from before training in Batiatus' Ludus, Varro boasted a highly muscular build. Varro is one of the kinder and friendlier of the gladiators. He is a gladiator by his own choice, deciding that he would pay off his debts by fighting in the arena and putting his winnings towards the debt; these are also sent off to support his wife, Aurelia, and son. He chose to pay off the debt out of honor instead of taking the coward's route, which would have been to flee Capua and hide. Despite Varro's more gentle nature, he is boisterous and enjoys sparring with Spartacus, who he has a close friendship with.