| “ | Lead me to Folkwin's village, barbarian. If you're lying I'll have you crucified. | „ |
| ~ Varus |
Publius Quinctilius Varus was the antagonist of the first season of the Netflix television show Barbarians.
He was portrayed by the Sicillian actor Gaetano Aronica.
Biography[]
A Roman Senator and military leader, Varus raised Arminius and Flavus, who were the sons of the Germanic Cherusci Chieftain Segimer. The two boys had been given to Rome as hostages by Segimer to ensure peace between Rome and the Cherusci tribe.
In about 9 AD the Roman Emperor Augustus appointed Varus as the new governor of Germainia. Traveling north to Germania with Arminius Varus had his forces inform the Cherusci that Rome would no longer waive tribute. The Cherusci Folkwin and Thusnelda infiltrated a Roman camp and stole the aquila (eagle) belonging to the legion under Varus's command. The eagle was one of the most sacred possessions of a Roman legion, and Varus was determined to get the one entrusted to his legion back. While the centurion Metellus advocated going through and burning each Germanic village in turn until the eagle was recovered, Varus realized that would prompt a rebellion, and desired a more measured approach. He instructed Arminius to take some Germanic mercenaries and ride out to find the eagle. Arminius rode out to the village of his birth and met with his birth father for the first time in many years in an attempt to retrieve the eagle before Rome began retaliating against the Cherusci.
Meeting with the pro-Roman Germanic leader Segestes, Varus rode out to the villages to intimidate them into giving the eagle back and also capture Folkwin. He crucified Folkwin's family and ordered that the bodies be left on the crosses until the eagle was returned and Folkwin handed over to them. After Arminius had recovered the eagle he returned to the village and allowed the villagers to give Folkwin's family a proper Germanic funeral.
That and other atrocities eventually convinced Arminius to turn against Varus, who he had come to see as a father figure. Ariminius worked with the leaders of various Germanic tribes to come up with a plan to defeat the Germans in the Teutoburg Forest. Despite being warned by Segestes, Varus refused to believe that his son planned to betray him and warned Segestes that he would meet with an unpleasant fate should he ever repeat what he repeat what he said about Arminius.
Soon after the Germanic tribes did in fact ambush the Roman legions led by Varus in the Teutoburg Forest, following the plans set down by Arminius. The resulting battle led to the defeat of the Roman legions. Realizing that Arminius had in fact betrayed him and that his forces had been defeated, Varus committed suicide by stabbing himself with his sword. A few minutes later Segestes came along and cut off Varus's head, declaring that "Rome has fallen!" In the days following the battle someone retrieved the head of Varus and took it on horseback for parts unknown.