Hamilcar

Hamilcar
First appearance	S1E02: Sacramentum Gladiatorum
Last appearance	S1E13: Kill Them All
Profession	Gladiator (House of Batiatus)
Race	Sardinian and/or Phoenician
Relationships	Spartacus (Rival/Friend, deceased) Quintus Lentulus Batiatus (Dominus, deceased) Oenomaus (Doctore, deceased) Duro (Friend, deceased) Ortius (Friend, deceased) Varro (Rival/Friend, deceased) Rhaskos (Friend, deceased) Rabanus (Friend) Kerza (Friend, deceased) Gnaeus (Friend, deceased)
Status	Deceased (Killed by Roman Guards)
Actor/Actress	Siaosi Fonua

Hamilcar is one of several gladiators in Batiatus' Ludus. He was one of the first gladiators to rally to Spartacus's cause, but is ultimately the first rebel to die in the uprising.

Character Outline

Hamilcar is a gladiator who fights for the ludus of Batiatus. He is of average height for a gladiator, has tawny skin, and well-trimmed black hair with a small beard. He fights with a sword and shield, which could mean he fights as either a Murmillo, Thraex, or Samnite. His Punic name implies he is descended from Carthaginian colonists of Sardinia. While he seems to be respected by the other gladiators despite his lack of victories, he still makes friendships with new and lesser men like Kerza and Duro.

Blood and Sand

Hamilcar is one of many gladiators in Batiatus' Ludus. Upon the arrival of Spartacus and his recruitment class, he would mock them by shouting obsenities and treating them with contempt.

He can be seen sparring with several of the other gladiators, though he is usually defeated. His numerous friendships imply he has commands some degree of respect from his brothers, so although he is never shown to have won a match, it can be inferred that he is still a skilled and respectable warrior. When not training, he provides a helping hand around the ludus whenever needed, and relaxes by gambling with friends. He is often seen socializing with Rabanus, Ortius, Rhaskos and many other gladiators within the ludus, and seems to bond with Varro over their love of dice gambling.

When Spartacus expresses disbelief in Crixus' abilities, Gnaeus, Ortius, and Hamilcar approach Spartacus, with Gnaeus telling him he is of low-quality and must prove himself. Hamilcar and Ortius stand awkwardly behind Gnaeus and appear embarrassed or uncomfortable with his bravado, but they likely share the sentiment that Spartacus has no place to look down on seasoned gladiators.

Hamilcar is slain by a Roman.

When Spartacus returns from a day of deadly bouts in The Pits, Hamilcar shows clear disgust with the Thracian, calling him a dog and not a real gladiator. Varro tells him to hold his tongue and Hamilcar threatens to kill Spartacus as he sleeps, but is backed down by the determined Varro.

Despite their first tense encounter, he and Varro appear to develop a friendship. Following Varro's death, Hamilcar, along with Spartacus, Rabanus, and Rhaskos, acted as pallbearer to carry his body outside the ludus.

He was the third man to follow Spartacus' plan for escape after Agron and Duro speak with him. During the revolt in the Ludus, Hamilcar is seen fighting well but is ultimately ended by one of Glaber's guards.

Trivia

• Siaosi Fonua, the actor who plays Hamilcar is 183cm (6"0) tall.
  • Siaosi Fonua also appears in Spartacus: War of the Damned as an unnamed Cilician Pirate standing alongside Heracleo when Laeta is given over to them by Crassus. 
• Hamilcar has never won a single battle in the series.
• Upon witnessing Hamilcar's death, Duro is horrified and attacks the guard who killed him, suggesting that there was some friendship between the two.
• Hamilcar was a common name in Phoenician cultures, but likely the best-known historical figure with the name is the Carthaginian General, Hamilcar Barca, who fought in the First Punic War and proved a difficult opponent for Rome.
• Historically, the Phoenicians colonized many of the islands of the western Mediterranean since the end of the Second Millenium BCE. Sardinia was one such Carthaginian-ruled colony until the Romans captured it and the neighboring island of Corsica after the First Punic War, though there were still large Punic enclaves in the islands well into the Common Era. Hamilcar may have come from the Punic community in Sardinia.
• Hamilcar was the first named Rebel to die.

Quotes

• (To Spartacus) Hamilcar: "This is where gladiators sleep, not dogs."