| Mors Indecepta | ||
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| Season | 3 | |
| Number | Episode 07 | |
| Date Aired | March 15, 2013 | |
| Writer | David Kob & Mark Leitner | |
| Director | Jesse Warn | |
| Guests | ||
| Previous | Spoils of War | |
| Next | Separate Paths | |
"Mors Indecepta" is the seventh episode of Spartacus: War of the Damned. It is the thirty-sixth episode of the Spartacus series overall.
Plot Outline
Pinned in on a snowbound, impassable ridge, Spartacus and Crixus fight over the method of escape. Crassus discovers it increasingly difficult to control the actions of those closest to him.
Synopsis
The Rebels fail in an attempted assault on Crassus' wall, resulting in the death of many Rebels.
Spartacus tries to out think Crassus after he and the rebellion are stranded on a mountain ridge in harsh weather. He dismisses Crixus' urging's to attack the Romans head on, stating that a child should be able to understand that such a tactic would result in the deaths of all involved in the rebellion.
Spartacus, Gannicus, Crixus and Agron eventually lead a small attack on the Roman's camp, attempting to reach Crassus' tent and cut the head off the snake. When they reach the tent however, they find the
Donar's dead body.
crucified body of Donar with the words 'Mors Indecepta' carved into his chest. Crassus had anticipated Spartacus attack and set up a fake tent to lure the rebellion.
Naevia is wounded as the Rebels flee leading to a violent confrontation between Crixus and Spartacus. The Gaul still wants to wage a frontal attack, something which Spartacus disagrees with strongly which leads to fist fight. Their fight is broken up by Agron and Gannicus, who are more concerned with the approaching storm.
Meanwhile, Kore desperately tries to find a way to tell Crassus about his son's rape of her. Tiberius attempts to threaten her into silence, but she turns to Caesar for aid. With Tiberius once again elevated in his father's eyes, Caesar is only too eager to help and smuggles Kore to Crassus' tent on the battlefield. Unfortunately, Crassus makes a passionate speech about how he believes he could now forgive his son anything and Kore loses her nerve. After sharing one last passionate encounter she has defects to the rebellion and is seen trying to avoid notice amongst the others.
At the Rebel camp, Castus is little more than a hostage. While he is eating, Brictius appears calling him a traitor and mentions the deaths of Donar, Nemetes, and other rebels because of the Cilicians betrayal. He criticizes the injustice of this by saying how Castus, a Cilician himself, is taking meal. As Castus attempts to eat, Brictius takes and spills the stew. Castus sarcastically thanks him causing Brictius to get angry and begin to beat Castus senselessly. Nasir appears and stops him telling the Gaul to leave. Brictius tells Nasir if he wasn't Agron's lover he'd be as bloodied as Castus but the Syrian tells him to place Agron from mind and make good on his threats leading to a stare down. Brictius (intimidated) leaves and Castus thanks Nasir for coming to aid and says "Brictius is a dim brute, yet he holds right in this. I stand a Cilician and by tether of name a traitor". Nasir says that Castus shouldn't be blamed for Heracleo's actions and Castus replies he is where the fates have led and calls it a blessing to see Nasir there the Syrian remarks that even when a hostage, Castus still tries to flatter. Castus tells Nasir that he attempts to live life to the fullest and says he wants to fight the Romans. Nasir contemplates but looks to nearby Agron and states he cannot but will put in consideration.
During a snow storm all those who were in the medicus' tent when it was stuck down have been to another
Castus as a prisoner.
area (castus among them) Agron and Nasir walk in and talk before Agron notices a freezing Castus. He asks if he is to ever be free of him, but Nasir tells Agron not to stray from their purpose. Agron calls out Castus who says Spartacus commanded him there and the choice is moved from his hand. Agron says "Yet not from mine" he takes out a knife and cuts Castus' ropes to which the pirate is confused on why Agron would free him. Agron says that it was an act born of Nasir's plea and tells him without it his knife would be slick with Cilician blood. Castus thanks Agron who gets up to see a smirking Nasir. Agron tells him not to cast that look. Laeta slowly recovers from the wound she received while fleeing the city. At first she despairs over her
losses, but later reiterates her will to live. Spartacus is eventually moved to share a blanket with her as they shelter from the storm. Gannicus is seen helping prepare for the storm. When Saxa attempts to entice him to bed, he declares that they currently have other concerns, but his eyes drift to Sibyl who is sat close by. Later, she and a group of others go to pray by an altar they have built, asking for help from the gods. Sibyl offers her own blood as a sacrifice and collapses to the ground Gannicus finds her lying in the snow and carries her away from the group, telling them they should all seek shelter or die in the storm. Unable to make it back to the camp, Sibyl and Gannicus hide under a large, overturned cart. He dresses her wound and comforts her until she impulsively kisses him. He reminds her of his earlier warning about men like him, but when Sibyl refuses to
be deterred they make love in the snow.
The following morning the rebels count up their losses and approximate that a thousand have died in the storm. Although obviously moved by the deaths, Spartacus sees an opportunity and uses the bodies to form a bridge across the trench. Once across, they discover only a small force waiting for them the rebels then engage in a fierce battle against the Romans. During the fight Agron kills a Roman and is about to be struck down from behind when Castus appears and saves him. Agron acknowledges Castus with a nod and the two continue to the fight. With the Rebels having the upper-hand Spartacus then tells Lugo and Brictius to take men and make a hole in the wall so the other Rebels can get through the wall. The combat forces then proceed to slay the remaining Romans on the other side of the wall.
Rufus awakes Crassus and tells him the Rebels have breached the walls. Crassus orders him to command
the Legion into formation as Rufus leaves Crassus looks around and does not see Kore he asks another soldier if she was escorted back to Sinuessa but the soldier says no one left his tent. Crassus looks at a part of the tent and finds a murdered soldier buried in the snow. Crassus later goes to the wall with Tiberius and Caesar who is shocked that Kore joined the Rebels which Crassus remarks that she wouldn't have if Caesar hadn't brought her to the ridge. Caesar, noticing a smirking Tiberius, says to Crassus he thought she had a just cause Crassus however, shirks it off and tells Rufus to give report Rufus says that there is no sign of Spartacus or his army. Tiberius questions how Spartacus was able to get across the trench the Romans then find that the rebels used their own dead to make a bridge Crassus then tells orders the soldiers to fall in formation and kneels to inspect the trench. As he does an arrow is shot into Rufus' shoulder the Romans look up and see that this was a trap set by the rebels who begin throwing spears and shooting arrows at the Romans who lose many soldiers. The Romans then form around Crassus to protect him as they do Crassus notices a smirking Spartacus.
Spartacus Planing their next move.
The Romans are forced to retreat as Crixus taunts them on their cowardice and the rebel cheer at this. Agron says Crassus will return with rams and ballista but Spartacus replies, "And find his monument of illusion destroyed lending opportunity to place distance between us. Let us see ourselves far from here and honor the fallen with future victories and the blood of Marcus Crassus."
Historical Context
After Crassus had defeated Spartacus and his army somewhere near the city of Potentia, Spartacus was forced to retreat southwards towards the region of Bruttium, known as the tip of Italy. Following this, Crassus ordered a wall to be built from coast to coast to trap the rebels inside, knowing they would eventually surrender from starvation, the same tactic Glaber had used at Mount Vesuvius.
However, under the cover of night, Spartacus managed to breach the wall, enabling him and his army to escape. It is known that most of his army managed to escape.
Characters in Order of Appearance
- Crassus
- Caesar
- Tiberius
- Kore
- Rufus
- Agron
- Nasir
- Brictius
- Castus
- Donar
- Saxa
- Sibyl
- Spartacus
- Laeta
- Naevia
- Crixus
- Gannicus
Trivia
- Mors Indecepta means Death is Indeceivable.
- It is revealed that the Romans had Donar's dead, naked, body crucified and placed in a tent.
- Usually Crixus would get in a fist fight with Agron or Gannicus and Spartacus would break it off. But here Spartacus himself would fight Crixus and Agron and Gannicus break it up. This would explain why Gannicus is laughing; due to the irony.
- Crixus saying he would not die with a Roman sword in his back foreshadows his manner of death in the next episode.
- When Crixus attacks the six romans alone after they mock him, there is two continuity goofs. When Crixus charges at them, he has his shield. But when he kills the first roman, his shield is gone. Then when he attacks the third roman, who is armed with a sword. he lifts the roman up by the neck. A shield suddenly appears in the romans hand as he is lifted up the air.
- Gannicus and Sibyl become lovers in this episode.
Quotes
" And I will not die with a Roman sword in my back !" -Crixus to Spartacus
"You are not a fucking god ! And I do not heed to voice upon high" -Crixus before starting a fight with Spartacus
"The mighty Crassus shows fucking ass as he flees from us !"' -Crixus taunting the Romans escaping
Preview
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