The early episodes of Starz’s Spartacus: House of Ashur have already established that this season will feature both heavy emotional choices as well as brute force. One standout moment so far is Korris’ (Graham McTavish) decision to spare Achillia’s (Tenika Davis) life. It goes without saying that the move quietly shifts the story’s direction. Picture this: your whole life’s work is about to go up in flames as your star gladiator limbs are scattered and desecrated in the arena. Well, that’s Ashur’s (Nick E. Tarabay) plight.
With Logas (Joe Davidson) dead and the 1% of Capua cracking jokes at the House of Ashur’s expense, the ludus has no one left to restore its former glory. Truth be told, Achillia’s violent retaliation against her attackers should have ended with her head rolling, especially with the house already in chaos. In Korris’ case, holding back instead of killing her where she stood could be mistaken for mercy. But things are a bit more layered than that this season. It was, in fact, a calculated move to ensure that the House of Ashur wouldn’t lose any more assets. The result? Korris indirectly defies Ashur while simultaneously forcing Achillia into the structure she openly detests. From that moment, it’s established that there’s a bit of a power shift within the ludus. Gone were the days when survival hinged on Ashur’s ambition, it became about keeping the house afloat.
The Titular House of Ashur Learns That Strength Alone Doesn’t Cut It
Right from the start, it’s embarrassingly evident that muscle is great, but it doesn’t always win. Logas, Ashur’s star fighter, is thrown into a rigged match against the Ferox Brothers. Even worse, he was subdued by three dwarves, a clear joke set up by a group of Roman nobles. The combat was as brutal as it was unfair, and even worse, beyond Logas’ death, his limbs were scattered across the arena in a bid to further humiliate Ashur. It’s a loud and clear message: having the best fighters is not a guarantee for respect, let alone survival.
Soon after, Korris spares the defiant and wilful Achillia, and she joins the House of Ashur as their newest gladiator. The decision to not end her isn’t borne out of mercy, but from a moment where she proves she’s as tough as nails. After killing a fellow gladiator, she’s challenged to a fight to the death by Korris, and gets her behind handed to her. Her saving grace? She manages to draw his blood.
It’s that one act allows him to finally see her as a worthy fighter and someone who can restore the House’s glory. In the very next episode, that decision to spare her causes a bit of tension between Ashur and Korris. Ultimately it paints a precise picture of how differently they see power and loyalty. It’s from that exact moment that things begin to get more interesting. What this immediately proves is that running a ludus needs as much brains as it does brawn because things like strong leadership, restraint and timing are needed to make levelheaded decisons. No doubt, Achillia’s plight reinforces this lesson all the more. Sure, she’s as strong and determined as they come, but that’s not what her survival hinges on. She has to tap into her smarts and wits to navigate rivalries, earn Korris’s respect, and stay within the confines of Ashur’s over all plan, for her freedom.
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Arena Tensions Rise as New Alliances Shake Things Up in the ‘House of Ashur’
Achillia’s entry into the ludus is one of the wildest products of chance. Ashur, who’s suddenly in need of a new gladiator spots her fighting off Roman soldiers at the dock. Her willpower, strength and tact shines through impressively, considering she’s chained. He takes her off their hands and changes her name from Neferet to Achillia, and that’s when her training as a gladiatrix kicks off.
Having her form of female energy in the ludus is no easy feat, and it makes her even harder to train. Most of Ashur’s gladiators have tons of experience under their tunics, it also helps that the’ve been molded into a special brand of submission that Achillia is a stranger to. She constantly pushes back, against authority which causes Korris to consider changing his approach to her training. Asher on the other hand is eager to turn her into the killing machine that will restore the House’s reputation.
While all this unfolds, Achillia’s arrival also tests Ashur’s leadership. The male gladiators, not accustomed to having a female fighter among them and as such, it becomes a play of egos. At some point, Ashur has to step in to manage situations, while his fighters manage alliances. Perhaps the most striking change the Nubian gladiatrix initiates is altering how Ashur plays the arena. He’s no longer solely thinking like a fighter, in fact, he starts talking calculated risks with the knowledge that her victory could turn the tides for the House’s battered reputation. Things are pretty fresh right now, but it’s already clear that what transpires in the arena is a small part of a bigger picture in this season of the House of Ashur.
Want to see how this plays out? Stream Spartacus: House of Ashur on Starz.
