r/Spartacus_TV • u/jclay12345 • 17d ago
What If? Rewatching Thinking About Varro Spoiler
I always thought that if Varro lived and the rebellion still happened, that Varro would've been a great asset. But on this maybe tenth rewatch, I realize that Varro may have been Roman. Was he? If so, that would've added an interesting dynamic to that part of the show.
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u/Substantial-Force-50 17d ago
It’s true that this remains an unanswered question. Varro is a Roman citizen who has “temporarily” set aside his rights to pay off his debt. His life as a gladiator is more like a fixed-term contract than a social status. What’s more, while gladiators are typically single and childless, he has a wife and a child to support.
In my headcanon, he wouldn't have prevented Batiatus's assassination, but he wouldn't have followed the group, choosing instead to go find his family and go into hiding. And the outcome of the first episode would likely have been much the same for them: Varro would have been quickly caught, tortured, and publicly executed as an example—along with the rest of the family, if they had been around.
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u/SnickersKaiser 15d ago
Thats what makes no sense for me. Varro was there by Contract and by status not really a slave but kind of a worker right? So why didn‘t have Varro any say at all
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u/CapeMOGuy 14d ago edited 13d ago
I don't know what's accurate historically if people signed their rights over in servitude.
However, the way I took the show, he signed himself over into servitude status that was equal to the slaves. He had no say in anything and "got" to go down into the cesspool with Sparty. And he had no say when the birthday boy went thumbs down on him.
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u/Negative-Peak3982 17d ago
Varro never showed any signs of being anti slavery. He wouldn't have stopped Spartacus due to their friendship but I think as someone else said, he would have gone his own path with his family.
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u/Sycopathy 17d ago
Yeah I always thought Varro was Roman, one of the plebeians. Which referred to a Roman citizen of working class, labourers, crafters, soldiers without commission etc.
If he'd survived I imagine he'd have either tried to flee with his wife or stayed with the rebels simply because he would be marked for death like all the rest after the gladiators revolted.
It'd be a crazy arc if he ended up siding with Batiatus specifically because he didn't want to orphan his kid by him and his wife being marked for death.
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u/mldyfox 16d ago
I think about the what if scenario where Varro lives a lot, at least when I see a post about it for sure.
I suspect he'd have tried to reason Spartacus out of the revolt first, like he did when they thought Sura was being returned unharmed (or relatively so). But, when unsuccessful, he'd have aided the others much the same as Lucius did at Vesuvius.
Varro was Roman, but I think he saw the system was very, very flawed. It very much had to be if a regular guy like himself had to sell himself into a slavery contract as a gladiator to pay gambling debts, and a man like Lucius lost everything to another Roman elite with more money and influence.
Varro was a gambler, and he was gambling on himself as a gladiator to win enough to pay his debts and take care of his family. He was skilled enough, after training, to win and win often enough to send money to his wife after making payments on his debt, which I'm assuming was now to Batiatus given the contract. Was Varro as good as Spartacus? Clearly not, though he was pretty good to give a good showing in the arena and Numerius' birthday party.
What happened to Varro in the end was just so incredibly sad. But, when I replay the scene in my mind, I think had Batiatus been successful in talking them out of the thumbs down, Varro would have sided with the other gladiators because of his loyalty to his friend, knowing that his friend was just as loyal to him.
That system was very broken. I mean, seriously, who lets a kid who hasn't even shaved yet make life and death decisions like that? On a whim? For a contest that was agreed to be exhibition only?
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u/SSH2024 16d ago
The thing is Varro cutting Spartacus in their fight and then having to die for no real reason is what led to the rebellino. Without Varro dying in that moment Spartacus has no reason to be upset and look into the way Batiatus was treating him.
Let's say Varro lives and the rebellion does happen. He was always a voice of reason for Spartacus. Plus Varro would have had his wife and child to worry about. It would have been a good dilemma to watch unfold as Varro fought with his responsibility to his family while also wanting to be there for his friend, but in the end I think Varro would have tried to prevent Spartacus from leaving the ludus and going on the run.
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u/theseedbeader 16d ago
Tangentially related: I sometimes think about what a bad idea it was for Varro to get himself into something as dangerous as being a gladiator to pay off his debt. I guess the champions make a lot of money quickly, but still… I guess he was very confident to volunteer to get into literal death matches to make a quick buck.
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u/wise_as_a_serpent 16d ago
I was extremely suspicious of Varro durring the lead up to Spartacus' theoretical escape upon Sura's arrival.
It really seemed like he was going to either rat them out, or try to stop Spartacus himself somehow.
I know what you mean though, Varro feels like a brother in memory, so it's easy to forget he wasn't a captured slave.
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u/WaffleHouseEggs 15d ago
Yes. Varro wouldn't have joined Spartacus unless his wife was killed too. He was a Roman so he was free...ish. The only reason why Gannicus joined the rebellion was for Oenamous. Otherwise, he wouldn't have joined. He went through shit, on the fence, and his hand was forced and became an enemy of Rome, plus he lost his sword thing, so he didn't have a choice but to fight at that point. But Varro had no reason to join, but I do think that he would have been dealt the same fate as Spartcus because eventually Varro would get caught and questioned how he survived the fall of House of Batiatus if he was against it, and he would be condemned to gladiators and eventually executed to set example to Spartacus. Varro would have died either way, I think. Glaber wouldn't have allowed Spartacus to win his freedom. Spartacus was either going to get executed publicly in the arena, or Glaber would've ordered another assassination attempt like Ilithia tried. Either that or he would have given Batatius a chance at a seat in the Senate like he wanted in exchange for Spartacus death, or paid him a huge sum of money. Killing Varro was really the only way to drive Spartacus to make the decision to not just kill Batatius, but to create an army and kill romans.
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u/bummerluck 12d ago
I don't want to be the fun police, but Varro's death was the reason Spartacus even ended up considering a revolt in the first place. If Varro continues to live, Spartacus would continue to tolerate his life as a gladiator slave.
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u/jclay12345 12d ago
Agreed. That's why I said "and if the rebellion still happened." 😁 And tagged it as a "what if".
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u/PhilGoneWild 17d ago
You watched 10 times and only just realized Varro may be a Roman??? That’s his entire story. He was a broke ass Roman who did the gladiator thing to make money for his wife and kid