| Salvius | ||
|---|---|---|
| ||
| First appearance | S2E03: The Greater Good | |
| Last appearance | S2E10: Wrath of the Gods | |
| Profession | Soldier Tribune | |
| Race | Roman | |
| Relationships | Claudius Glaber (Praetor, deceased) Ashur (Rival, deceased) Marcus (Primus Centurion, deceased) | |
| Status | Deceased (Killed by Spartacus) | |
| Actor/Actress | Paul Glover | |
Salvius is a soldier, and later Tribune, who serves as one of Gaius Claudius Glaber's most trusted high-ranking commanders and right-hand men.
Appearance[]
Salvius is of average height yet bulkier than other characters. He has short brown hair, blue eyes and generally holds a serious look on his face. He is normally seen wearing his legion armor and carries a sword at all times.
Personality[]
Initially a ranking soldier (probably a centurion) in Glaber's forces, Salvius is a trusted high-ranked commander of Glaber. Salvius is fiercely loyal to his leader, devoting all of his energy to ensure Glaber defeats Spartacus. His deep dedication and determination for Glaber is most evident during his rivalry with Ashur, and the fact he courageously fights alongside Glaber in the midst of heated exchanges with the rebels.
Vengeance[]
Salvius is first seen with Marcus in Batiatus' Ludus. Salvius is then seen accompanying Marcus and Ashur to the mines, in order to capture Spartacus during his attempt to rescue Naevia. He was among the Roman soldiers who captures Acer, Rhaskos, and Crixus.
Salvius, at left
He is seemingly promoted to the position of tribune following Marcus' death, as from that point on he serves as Glaber's second-in-command.
Salvius is present at the arena when the rebels bring it down in flames, he orders them to attack the rebels but is easily knocked unconscious by Spartacus during the battle though survives at the destruction of the arena.
Although Salvius is a more competent fighter than most Romans soldiers, he and two of his men are bested by Ashur in a demonstration fight, which results in Glaber permitting Ashur to form his own band of criminal assassins. From this point forward, Salvius develops a great dislike for Ashur, which appears to be mutual. The two are then constantly at odds over who gets to be Glaber's right-hand man.
Salvius recovers and is seen accompanying Glaber (along with Tarsus) to a negotiation with Spartacus. While Tarsus is killed during the ensuing fight, Salvius survives, saving Glaber's life in the process, and retreats after summoning back-up forces with a call from his flute-horn.
He takes part in Glaber's attack on the rebel's temple base, alongside Ashur's group of thugs, and they succeed in forcing the rebels to retreat up Mount Vesuvius.
Mira's death by Salvius.
Later, while besieging the mountain, Salvius gets into a spat with Ashur over positions within the army, right before a small group of soldiers at the foot of the path are ambushed by Nemetes, Saxa, Lugo, and Harudes. Salvius and the Roman soldiers are almost overrun but, with the assistance of Ashur and The Egyptian, they manage to hold their position. When Spartacus shows up with reinforcements, Salvius throws an axe at the retreating rebels, missing their leader but hitting Mira who later dies of her wounds.
Salvius' death by Spartacus.
When the dust settles, Salvius captures the injured Harudes (knocked out by him and left behind during the fight) and brings him before Glaber. Unable to understand the man's language, Glaber kills the prisoner personally. Salvius stays at Glaber's side for the remainder of the siege. After Ashur's death the next day, the satisfied Salvius assumes the uncontested mantle of being Glaber's right-hand-man. In the night, he assures an insomniac Glaber victory is all but a foregone conclusion. As they talk, the pair notice a light in the forest and alert the men.
When Spartacus and the other Rebel Generals surprise attack forces the Romans to regroup, Salvius joins his leader in confronting the four rebels before Glaber orders them to kill them. He takes part in the Battle of Vesuvius, before the rebels' overwhelming attack forces them to retreat to their command post at the captured temple, though the rebels swarm the area. Salvius guards Glaber with his life, valiantly fighting against a charging Spartacus who after gaining the upper hand, stabs him in the stomach and repeatedly bashes Salvius' head against a stone column, killing him and avenging Mira's earlier death.
Trivia[]
- There is a running joke throughout the series that Salvius frequently receives blows to the face.
- Salvius was possibly a fairly senior Centurion of the grade Primus Ordines (First Cohort officer), immediately outranked by a Primus Pilus (Chief Centurion). Since he was the ranking tactical officer of what was essentially a small ad-hoc militia taskforce rather than a fully-instituted Roman legion under the command of the Praetor Gaius Claudius Glaber, the chain of command may not have been so complex.