“This is but glorious beginning.” – Batiatus
Quintus Batiatus (gloriously performed by John Hannah) tells the gladiators of his ludus that in two days, “our champion will take to the sands to face another of Vettius’ s—-eating dogs. Not in the streets, but in the f—ing primus!”
It’s to be Gannicus (Dustin Clare) who will represent the ludus and all of Batiatus’ pride, dreams, and greed and not, importantly, Oenomaus (Peter Mensah), recently appointed as Doctore, who looks on the proceedings stoically.
“This is but glorious beginning,” Batiatus continues.
The relationship between Oenomaus and Gannicus is fascinating. On one level, they are fellow slaves and also fellow gladiators. And yet each is highly respected within their relative stations in life – incredibly talented and skills practitioners in the art of killing opponents and thrilling crowds in the arena.
Yet they are also quite different from one another in some respects. Whereas Gannicus is flashy and enjoys uh… the lifestyle of wine, women, and song upon victory, Oenomaus is more stoic, and is clearly deeply in love with Melitta, played by Marisa Ramirez (as she is in love with him in return).
They are both friends and rivals who have clear and deep respect for one another, and their dynamic is one of so many wonderful dynamics percolating underneath a series that could have so easily been a cheap sex and violence spectacle, but is instead a far more interesting and compelling undertaking.
And of course, the events of “Missio” hang heavily here: Gannicus and Melitta were forced to have sex for the pleasure of a drunken bacchanalia, all relating to Batiatus’ ambitions to elevate the status of both his ludus and personal fortunes.
Meanwhile, it’s the best of times for Batiatus as he exults at the prospect of Gannicus triumphing in the primus. “Has a man ever been so blessed?” he drunkenly cries out before settling into the loving arms of Lucretia (an incredible performance by Lucy Lawless). Oh, and also Gaia (Jaime Murray). When in Rome, or Capua, I suppose?
But those best of times are literally cut short when Battiatus’ father, the titular paterfamilias, shows up right in the midst of, er, things happening. It’s a great and surprising moment, and shows off the patience of the storytelling within this Spartacus prequel limited series in holding back this moment until the third episode.
The bacchanalia has ended: pop pop (Titus, played by Jeffrey Thomas) quickly puts sonny boy Quintus in his place, and Lucretia scrambles to make the appearance of a (more) demure and respectable daughter-in-law.
The dynamic between Quintus and Lucretia continues to be one of my favorite things about a show for which I adore so many things. The below exchange shows off the lived in dynamic between the two, as Batiatus vents about the return of his father.
“He takes over my house, my gladiators. My f—king bed!”
“Did he give voice toward length of stay?”
“He gives voice only towards considerable faults of un-f—ing worthy son.”
The above dialog also shows off how delightfully unique the language is on Spartacus, something that the show’s writers reportedly had to work extremely hard at to get just right.
Meanwhile, Batiatus’ humiliation tour continues as poppa drags him to the house of Tullius Severus (Stephen Lovatt), who had only recently bashed up his face and body in a mafia-style ambush-meets-beatdown. Quintus Batiatus is sent outside while the “real men” are left to discuss “diplomacy” over Vettius’ (Gareth Williams) beef over being left out of the primus*.
* This was thanks to a nifty con worthy of The Sting, whereby Gaia, Lucretia, and Batiatus conspired to first waylay and then sweet talk Quintilius Varis (Peter Feeney) into inviting Gannicus to participate in the primus… which also involved other unintended consequences, of course.
Titus’ diplomacy yields a disaster in the eyes of his son, Quintus: Gannicus will be forced to fake an injury to bow out of the primus, while the Batiatus ludus’ gladiators will be paired off against each other in a non-primetime slot.
Crixus’ storyline – we meet him as a slave from Gaul with no formal training in fighting – has been brought along nicely over the course of Gods of the Arena, and now his first true test will be in having to fight the more seasoned (and haughty) Auctus (who also happens to be Barca’s lover, who is also tasked with a lower billing fight slot).
Back at the house-meets-ludus (or gladiator school), Varus makes a return visit with “good Cossutius,” who is town to “celebrate the Vinalia.” It seems he had such a good time getting wined and dined and… other stuff last time round that he’d like to sample more of what Lucretia’s household has to offer. And by “he’d like to sample,” what that really means is that if he doesn’t get precisely what he wants exactly when he wants it, all bets are off on Batiatus’ plans for glory and riches at the primus and beyond*.
* Which, as it turned out, all bets WERE off at that point, though they did not yet know it.
Finally, it’s time for gladiator battling action in the arena, if not the bright lights (sans electricity, as these are Ancient Roman times, of course) of the primus. Batiatus pulls Crixus (Manu Bennett) aside, and tells him that he sees great things for him, and goes even further in putting themselves in the same boat of seeking glory and vindication – Crixus in the eyes of his fellow gladiators (he is desperate to feel worthy of the coveted Mark of the Brotherhood, cementing his status as a fearsome gladiator), and Batiatus in the eyes of his father.
“Then seize f—ing glory, and see us both proven worthy,” Batiatus tells him as the music soars, and it’s in these moments when Spartacus becomes far more than just a swords and sandals story with a penchant for violence and T&A: it ascends to be a truly compelling and worthy drama in its own right.
Finally, after an undercard bout, Crixus and Auctus (Josef Brown) face off on the sands of Capua. As we know from training sequences back at the ludus, Crixus is a skilled fighter against swordsmen but quite weak when facing a spear, which Auctus specializes in. After a pretty well designed and executed fight sequence, Crixus proves victorious, piercing his sword through Auctus’ chest.
“Barca has taught you well,” Auctus croaks, before sliding to the sands.
“I swear to be burned, chained, beaten, or die by the sword in pursuit of honor in the arena,” Crixus says, as we see him proudly getting branded by a “B” on his arm, the Mark of the Brotherhood now his for life.
Barca (Antonio Te Maioha), Auctus’ lover, tells Crixus, “You fought well, brother,” though his eyes are full of pain, and perhaps hate. And later Titus admits to Quintus Batiatus that he underestimated both Crixus and his own son, a huge admission from the stern old man.
However, Quintus is stunned – and not in a happy way – that his father will be staying on at the House of Batiatus instead of returning to Sicilia.
Some stats and info about Spartacus: Gods of the Arena – “Paterfamilias”
TV SHOW – Spartacus: Gods of the Arena
SEASON/EPISODE – Season 1, Episode 3
AIRED ON – February 4th, 2011
NETWORK/STREAMING SERVICE – Starz
GENRE – Drama, Period Show, Historical Epic, Swords & Sandals
CREATED BY – Steven S. DeKnight
CAST – John Hannah, Manu Bennett, Peter Mensah, Dustin Clare, Nick E. Tarabay, Lucy Lawless, Craig Walsh-Wrightson, Lesley-Ann Brandt, Antonio Te Maioha, Stephen Lovatt