Summary
In Peacock’s show about ancient Rome,Those About to Die, the famed charioteer Scorpus has won an astonishing number of races.Those About to Dietells the story of the Flavian dynastyand focuses on a very specific period in history, about 10 years after Nero’s death and the Year of Four Emperors. As befitting of an immersive historical drama,the new series has a blend of fictional characters and ones based on real-life historical figures.
One of those real historical figures inThose About to Die’s cast of charactersis Scorpus (Dimitri Leonidas), a renowned charioteer in ancient Rome who won an astounding number of races in his lifetime. At the time,Scorpus would have been the Roman equivalent of F1’s Lewis Hamilton, or soccer/football’s Lionel Messi. He was that big.Peacock’sThose About to Diemakes him not a sidenote, but a major character in the show, and it doesn’t downplay his greatness in the chariot.
Scorpus Won 86 Four-Horse Chariot Races Before The Events Of Those About To Die
He Was The Most Famous Charioteer Of His Lifetime
A quick line inThose About to Dieepisode 1reveals how many chariot races Scorpus won before the events of the series. Two Roman citizens, fans of Scorpus, are discussing their favorite athlete before an event andone mentions to the other that Scorpus has won an eye-popping 86 races, and by the end of the series, that number is well into the 90s.It’s not clear if they mean he’s won 86 races in total, a number that would be impressive in its own right, or 86 races in a row. Considering Scorpus' extreme overreaction when he uncharacteristically comes in third for the first time a few episodes later, it can be surmised the 86 wins were indeed in a row.
What’s even more impressive is that Scorpus races a four-horse chariot. In ancient Rome, there were different kinds of chariot races: two-horse, four-horse, and, more rarely, six-horse. Four-horse, as Gavros (David Wurawa) explains in a later episode, is basically a suicide race before revealing that he also used to be a charioteer but got tired of seeing his friends die. That Scorpus has not only survived but won so many is unheard of.Both the Scorpus ofThose about to Dieand in reality were paid extraordinarily well for their efforts,making them rich men.
The Real Scorpus Was Even More Impressive
Unfortunately, He Died Young
Unlike the series, which has Scorpus racing for the Blue faction before switching to Tenax’s (Iwan Rheon) new Gold faction, Flavius Scorpus actually raced for the Green faction. That’s not the only change to history, either. Astoundingly, the Scorpus of antiquity won almost 25x what the Scorpus of the show won by the time the series starts. According to records,the real Scorpus notched 2,048 wins on his belt, a number that’s even more impressive when one considers that Scorpus died at just 27 years of age.
While his wins were recorded, and poets of the era wrote verse about Scorpus, who was a slave before later buying his freedom, it’s not actually known how Scorpus died. However, considering his young age and his career,Scorpus likely died while racing: the death toll was high. The chariots were as light as possible for speed, making it all the more dangerous for charioteers, who regularly died after being thrown from the chariot.
Even more dangerous was when they couldn’t get clear of the chariot at all. Charioteers would wrap the reins around their bodies to use their body weight to help control the horses. While they had knives to cut themselves free, they often couldn’t cut themselves free in time, anda crash meant being crushed under the weight of their horses or trampled to death by other chariots.While some charioteers retired, many others died young in brutal fashion, just asThose About to Dieshows.
Those About To Die
Set in the year 79 AD in Rome, “Those About to Die” dives into the brutal and complex world of gladiatorial combat. The series explores the dark underbelly of Roman entertainment, where the promise of free food and blood-soaked spectacles keep the restless population in check. The narrative focuses on various characters from all corners of the Roman Empire, whose lives intersect in the grand arena.
