Lucius Vorenus is a central character in Rome. He begins the series as centurion of the 13th Legion, under the command of Caesar.
Personality
A professional soldier by trade, Vorenus is a stoic Catonian ( Bellieving in the divinity of the Republic ). The rare times he shows much emotion usually occur when he is irritable or angry. Vorenus is extremely correct and honorable in his acts ( In contrast to Pullo who is rebellious and troublesome ). following his duties, even against his own will as when marching to Rome for caesar and antony. Vorenus is a very religious man in the first season, always honoring the gods and fearing them and always considering acts and words of Pullo, Antony and Caesar sinful. But after losing his family in the second season Vorenus changes drastically. Becoming a Colegian chief or a " Gangster ", he doesn't care about respect, honor, or political or religious views anymore. On the contrary: he does everything possible to maintain control including comanding his men to steal and kill people and obeying directly to Antony or Octavian without caring about anything else. Vorenus becomes more hopeful and happy after saving his children. Feeling like rebuilding his family. Vorenus' heart becomes twisted a second time. because of his childrens' hatred for him which makes him more unhappy and hopeless than he already was. and after fleeing to Egypt alongside Antony. He becomes Antony's right hand and drinking companion (Both always talking about the good times in Gaul). Both of them now seem highly desiluded with life. at one point vorenus talk with Antony about a " Moral " sickness he has in his heart. When Antony asks how he knows about this Vorenus says he " Know the symptoms because he too has it ". One of the few things that makes Vorenus a little happy in Egypt, is the boy Caesarion (Son of Pullo) and of whom the boy reminds him of. making him always reminds the Cheerfull behavior and the old " Troubles " Pullo used to cause and involve him in. Vorenus is actually the third person to know about this secret making him a sort of responsible for the boy because of Pullo. After being rescued and brought back home Vorenus is finally forgiven by his children making him able to ask forgiveness and die in peace.
Vorenus principal emotional traits are.
Vorenus is Stubborn specially to admit things, like his friendship with Pullo, His love for Niobe, and to Accept proposals like Antony and Caesar's ones. But in the end he always hardly does it. Vorenus does not forgive easily. as Pullo one time says that Vorena inherited this from him.
Season One
Aside from the fact that he was born into the plebian class of Roman society, little is known of the early life of Lucius Vorenus. In the pilot episode, he says that his mother's people raised horses in Mutina, and in the third episode of the first season, when sacrificing at the altar of Venus, he identifies himself as of the tribe of Stellatina. Given this information, it seems likely that his distaff forebears were small landowners and that his paternal line came from the tribes in the area of Etruria, thus making him of the non-urban Cives romani. We infer that his family was not rich. (At one point when talking to vorena about her future, Vorenus says that " At her age he was biting bones at the culvert " showing that his family passed trough miserable times once). but they seem to have had sufficient means to give Lucius an education. (At one point, we see him trying to explain aspects of Roman Natural philosophy to Titus Pullo in An Owl in a Thornbush). We know that Lucius married Niobe when she was "young", by "special dispensation" from the Legion but Lucius does not seem to be much older than she is. Given the age of their elder daughter (Vorena the Elder) when Lucius returns to his family in "How Titus Pullo Brought Down the Republic", we can infer Lucius and Niobe previously shared some years together as a married couple.
When Julius Caesar began his Gallic Wars, Lucius was forced to leave his family to serve in the 13th Legion (Legio XIII Gemina); he does not see his wife and daughters again for another eight years. Lucius reveals that he is a competent and respected soldier and rises through the ranks. When the series begins, we see him as a centurion (centurio secundi pili), at the Siege of Alesia, fighting in the front lines with his men, including Titus Pullo. Events do not bode well for the relationship between the two men, as in that battle, a drunk and crazed Pullo charges into the ranks of the Nervii, in violation of orders and military discipline. Despite the fact that Vorenus leads the men to retrieve the encircled Pullo – an action during which Pullo decks Vorenus with a right hook – Vorenus is furious, and has Pullo flogged and condemned to death. (Note: This scene has parallels with the chapter in Julius Caesar's De Bello Gallico, in which the story of Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullo is told, but it is not a direct re-enactment of historical events.)
When "blue Spaniards" (actually agents of Pompey) steal Caesar's battle standard (or Aquila, the eagle of "The Stolen Eagle"), Mark Antony details Vorenus to find and retrieve it. Vorenus grants Pullo a reprieve to aid him, reasoning that as he was directly ordered to make the attempt he must, but the mission was a doomed failure.
Despite their differences, and setbacks, they surprisingly succeed not only in retrieving the standard, but in rescuing Octavian, nephew of Caesar, who had been captured by Gauls while travelling to visit his uncle with the gift of a magnificent white stallion. Favored by Caesar, Vorenus, now promoted to primus pilus (literally "first file", a senior centurion), and Pullo are detailed to accompany Mark Antony back to Rome, where Antony is to be invested as a Tribune of the People (tribunus plebis) – giving Vorenus the opportunity to see his wife for the first time in nearly eight years. When Vorenus first sees Niobe he is angered to see her holding a baby, which he assumes is hers, though Niobe insists it is his own grandson, child of his elder daughter. Vorenus grudgingly accepts the lie. Vorenus is promoted to praefectus evocatorum before being asked to stand for election as a civic "minor" magistrate by Julius Caesar. In the Kalends of February, he is promoted to Senator by Caesar, both due to his newfound popularity resulting from his rescue of Titus Pullo from the arena and as a bodyguard for Caesar. This story arc completes Vorenus' compromising of his strong Republican principles in Caesar's service.
On the Ides of March, Vorenus is told the truth about Niobe and his "grandson" as part of the conspiracy against Caesar; the information is intended to make him leave Caesar's side and go home, so as to leave Caesar vulnerable to the ambush awaiting him in the Senate house. This truth is that his grandson is really Niobe's illegitimate son, born of an affair while Vorenus was in Gaul. (Due to a clerical error, Niobe had been informed that Vorenus was dead). Along with Mark Antony's delay outside the Senate, the fact that Vorenus does dash home gives the conspirators their chance to assassinate Caesar. When Vorenus arrives to confront Niobe, she commits suicide, throwing herself off their second story balcony.
Season Two
Enraged by his discovery, Vorenus curses his family and storms off in a bewildered rage, leaving his children behind to prepare their deceased mother for her funeral. Before Vorenus can return, Erastes Fulmen abducts the children as "repayment for [Vorenus'] many slights" against him. Not long after returning, Vorenus learns of the abduction and tracks down the gangster, confronting him about the abducted relatives. Erastes claims that he's raped and killed them all, which results in Vorenus decapitating him. Lucius keeps the head because it pleases him to look at. After Lucius refuses to get out of bed for several weeks, Pullo is able to convince Mark Antony to visit. On Antony's orders, Vorenus assumes Erastes' position as head of the Aventine and becomes a ruthless and cold gangster.
This leads to a falling out with Pullo, who leaves with Eirene and comes back after three months, finding that Vorenus has gone north with Mark Antony when his alliance with Octavian went sour. Pullo, while in Rome, discovers that Vorenus' children are alive. Pullo tracks Vorenus down in the aftermath of the Battle of Mutina, and together they rescue Vorenus' children from a slave camp.
Vorenus resumes a more enlightened control of the Aventine on his return but leaves for Egypt with Antony when he learns of his children's hatred of him for causing their mother's death and cursing them. In Egypt, he appears to be the only Roman who does not descend into the debauchery and vice seemingly ubiquitous in Antony's court. His life is simple (if empty) in devotion to his duty to serving Antony. Later, he assists Antony in committing suicide after Cleopatra fakes her own. In the aftermath of Octavian's victory, he flees Egypt with Caesarion (whom Octavian wished to murder) and meets up with Pullo (who in the story is Caesarion's real father). Octavian had dispatched Pullo to find them and to kill Caesarion, which he has no intention of doing. Vorenus is badly wounded while fighting Octavian's soldiers with Pullo at a military checkpoint. Pullo brings him home to his children, who tearfully reconcile with him on his death bed. Pullo later states to Octavian that Vorenus "didn't make it." Ostensibly, Vorenus dies off-screen shortly after reuniting with his family, though his fate is intentionally left ambiguous to allow for his return in possible future seasons of the series or a movie sequel.
Trivia
- Vorenus' character possesses a quality that the Romans called "pietas", which was the willingness to place duty above all other considerations.
- Though Vorenus' death is never shown, Titus Pullo tells Octavian that Vorenus "didn't make it." It remains unclear whether Pullo was telling the truth to Octavian or merely lying to keep Vorenus free from any reprisal for his part in assisting Antony.
- Lucius Vorenus may have partial Gaulish ancestry. While standing for election as magistrate, Vorenus commented that he had a "Gallic look about me" in response to a heckler. In an earlier episode, he mentioned to Titus Pullo that his mother's family were from Mutina (modern Modena). Mutina was once ruled by the Etruscans but later on conquered by the Boii tribe
- Vorenus is seen killing 20 total people throughout the entire series.
Quotes
" Pullo Formation ! Pullo Formation, get back to formation you drunken fool "
" Sons of dis "