Personality[]
Timon initially appears as little more than a cutthroat who carries out Atia's dirty work with a cheerfully mercenary attitude. However, as the series continues, his conscience and faith gradually catch up to him as guilt over his sins and lack of piety makes him more and more uncomfortable with his current lifestyle.
Season One[]
A Jewish horse trader, Timon performed guard duties and several other "services" for Atia, often in exchange for sex. When a mob of Pompey supporters attempted to storm Atia's house while Caesar was still marching on Rome, Timon and his men protect the house. Timon engaged in other tasks for Atia throughout the season, such as killing Glabius, hiring artists to draw graffiti intended to embarrass Servilia, escorting Octavian out of Rome, assaulting Servilia in the streets, and hiring a lawyer for Titus Pullo's defense.
Season Two[]
At the start of the second season, Timon's religious older brother Levi came to Rome on "business." Levi pointed out to the already-troubled Timon that his questionable means of earning a living had gotten out of control. Things reached a breaking point when he tortured Servilia mercilessly on Atia's orders. Finally disgusted by Atia's cruelty, he grabbed her by the neck and screamed "I am not a fucking animal!" He left a shocked Atia gasping for breath and walked out.
Timon rediscovered his Judaism under Levi's influence, and soon joined his brother in his revolutionary activities. When Levi intended to assassinate Prince Herod of Judea in Death Mask, Timon had a sudden change of heart. He realized that assassinating Herod would change nothing and that he must remain alive for the sake of his family. Levi spat on Timon and called him a coward, stating his intent to still carry out the attack. When Levi attempted to move in for the kill, Timon intercepted him and after a brief scuffle for the dagger, Levi was stabbed in the gut. As he slumped to the ground near death, Levi told Timon, "you are not my brother."
In A Necessary Fiction, he and his family packed up to leave Rome for Judea. Explaining Levi's sudden disappearance he told his family that Levi had left and Rome and that they might see him when they arrive in Judea. His wife Deborah, despite knowing about Timon's relations with Atia, told him as they are leaving, "you're a good man." He is not mentioned again in the series.
Trivia[]
- Timon is referred to by Levi by his Hebraic name, "Tevye", Timon appearing to be a Hellenisation. Such alterations of non-Roman names were common during the time period, with arguably the best example being the change of "Yeshua" to "Joshua," or the Greek variation, "Jesus."
- Had the series not been cancelled, Timon would have remained an integral part of the story, with plans for him to eventually meet up with the Messiah in the latter seasons.
- The first Jewish communities in the Republic of Rome may have appeared in the aftermath of the Maccabean Revolt in Judea in 161 BCE, as the Senate signed a treaty with the Judean Nasi (prince) and Kohen Gadol (high priest) Judah Maccabee. Though, many Jews in Rome were Greek-speakers and it is likely many were immigrants from what would become the Roman Province of Asia in western Turkey. Culturally-hellenized Jews frequently used Greek names and terminology to the point that the word synogogue would come to be used in place of the native Hebrew term beth knesset (house of assembly).
- Timon is seen murdering two people throughout the entire series.