Thenus

*Eunus was like you Spartacus, confident he could defeat any legion sent against him. But he fell, like so many others by his side, at the end of a Roman sword. A leader shows no doubt, like you, but a true leader shows no hubris. Someday your hubris will claim your life.*
— Thenus to Spartacus[src]
**Thenus** is a major character in the second, third, fourth and fifth seasons of ***Spartacus***. He was a slave from Greece who later joined Spartacus' rebellion against the Romans. He was among the only slaves in Spartacus' rebellion who also fought in the First Servile War under Eunus in 135 BC. In the rebellion, he aided Spartacus and his generals, and helped in deifying the rebel leader amongst his small group of followers.

Thenus ultimately died in 71 BC, after battling a long illness, shortly before the Battle of the Silarus River.

## Background

### Early Life

Thenus was born in the city port of Piraeus in southern Greece in 152 BC and taken into slavery at a young age after being captured by the Cilician pirates. After a few years at sea, he was brought to the slave ports of Sicily, and bought by a wealthy Roman named Gaius Opsius Nilius. He was taken to the city of Enna, and put to work as a house slave, a *Famulus*.

### First Servile War

Thenus was fifteen years old when Eunus and his slave army of 400 took the city of Enna in 135 BC. His

Thenus was a great help to Eunus like many others, but he eventually lost to a Roman legionary when Eunus was finally defeated by the Roman Republic in 132 BC. Instead of being executed or Crucified during his capture, he was instead taken to Italia, where he spent several years being bought and sold throughout Lucania. Thenus was fortunate enough to be purchased by another wealthy Roman, Tiberius Mallius in 128 BC, and was used as a house slave in his villa in the city of Forum Annii. Thenus mostly forgot about his life in Eunus' rebellion, and led an ordinary life as a slave.

### Third Servile War

At the age of 77, Thenus would learn of the rebel slave Spartacus and his growing rebellion. Eventually, Forum Annii came under siege by Spartacus, and Thenus was freed along with Mallius' other slaves, while Mallius himself was killed along with his wife and children.

For weeks afterwards, Thenus befriended both Angania and Digananus in their travels across Italy. As Thenus began remembering more about his past, Digananus eventually referred him to Spartacus, and eventually met the rebel leader. Thenus became a close confidant and friend to Spartacus, and always helped advise him where his generals could not, such as his dealings with the Cilician pirates and the prisoners he took from Gellius and Cornelius' legions in 72 BC.

## Traits and Skills

* **Combat skill**: In his youth, Thenus was accustomed to using a bow and arrow, and helped Eunus hold small Roman forces back, up until their final defeat in 132 BC. By the time of Spartacus' rebellion, he was too elderly to fight, but would aid in training the women and younger rebels how to use a bow and arrow in combat.
* **Bilingual**: Other than his native tongue, Greek, Thenus was also fluent in Sicilian, Latin and Germanic, having learned the latter from several of his fellow pastores over the years.

## Personality

Before joining Spartacus rebellion, Thenus had a quiet demeanour. Thenus felt inspired by Spartacus, and felt honoured that he could advise Spartacus with his own knowledge of a slave rebellion. He believed in Spartacus, having been a leader who did not fancy himself a king like Cleon and Salvius had.

## Appearance

Thenus was of average height, with greyed hair and brown eyes.