In 2005, the historical television series Rome was released. He talked about the period of the transformation of Rome into an empire. Despite the fact that Julius Caesar, Octavian Augustus, Atia, Cleopatra and other historical figures were in the center of the plot, a lot of screen time was devoted to the fate of two legionnaires known as Titus Pulo and Lucius Varen.
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Like many other characters in the television series, Titus and Lucius had real prototypes.
However, their name was somewhat different: Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullon. The fate of these valiant men is mentioned in the Notes on the Gallic War, written by Caesar himself.
These heroes were centurions, claiming the same position. Because of this, they constantly clashed. During the next battle, when Pullon was in mortal danger, Lucius came to his aid. Titus later retaliated to Voren and saved him. Despite the bloody battle, both heroes survived, and their valor and nobility delighted Caesar himself.
Lucius Waren: biography in season 1
In the television series, the fate of the hero was changed and supplemented by events. By birth, the hero was a plebeian. His father was from Etruria, and his mother was from the herd family in Modena. Although the parents were not rich, they were able to educate their son.
It is not known at what age Lucius married Niobe, but, apparently, it was very early. After a couple of years, the couple had 2 daughters.
When Caesar began the Gallic campaign, Varen was forced to leave his family and go to serve in the 13 legion. He did not see his relatives for 8 years, during which, due to a bureaucratic error, Lucius Varen was declared dead.
At the beginning of the events of Rome, the Gallic war was already over, and in the Senate a riot against the triumphant Caesar ripened. Spies of Pompey stole regimental banners. In search of the loss were sent two legionnaires who did not get along among themselves - the centurion Lucius and the soldier-bullish Titus. By the will of fate, the heroes manage to return the theft and save the great-nephew of Caesar Octavian. In the process of these events, Lucius and Titus become friends.
Together with Mark Anthony, Varen returns to Rome, where he meets with his family. He finds out that his young daughter gave birth to a son, and his wife considered him dead and did not receive appropriate payments. Despite the fact that Lucius Varen is a staunch supporter of the republic, he is drawn into Caesar's uprising and civil war against his will.
Throughout the season, the hero is trying to establish relations with his wife, and also constantly pulls his bad friend Titus out of various troubles. Thanks to his personal acquaintance with Caesar and several services (one of them returned the stolen treasury of Rome), Lucius Varen established himself as a loyal person, so he was soon appointed magistrate, and then senator of Rome.
Being a faithful bodyguard of Guy Julius, Varen prevents the conspirators from carrying out his murder. However, the mother of Brutus Servilius learns the truth about Niobe and on the eve of the assassination of Caesar through servants informs her himself Lucius. The fact is that during his absence, his wife had an affair with another, from whom she gave birth to a child, introduced to Varen as his grandson.
Upon learning of the deception, the hero throws Caesar and hurries to Niobe. But a woman, fearing reprisal, ends up with herself. And Caesar, left without the protection of Varin, perishes at the hands of senators-conspirators.
The fate of the hero in season 2
Being in a state of affect after the death of his wife, Lucius Varin leaves his children and leaves home.
His long-standing enemy abducts the children of Varen, and then reports that he killed them. In frustrated feelings, the hero returns to the service of Mark Anthony.
Titus Pulo, who serves Octavian, accidentally discovers that his friend’s children are alive and, together with Lucius, saves them from slavery. There is no happy reunion with the children, because Varen learns that the children hate him and consider him guilty of the death of his mother and all subsequent troubles. Disappointed, Lucius Waren leaves for Egypt with Mark Anthony for a long time.
When the confrontation between Octavian and Mark Anthony is nearing the end and Cleopatra and her lover are ending, Lucius takes Caesarion and goes to meet Titus. However, old friends are attacked by a patrol, and in the battle, Varen is seriously wounded. Seeing that his friend is dying, Pulo brings him to the children to say goodbye. The last minutes Varen spends with his family and puts up with them.
Lucius Waren: actor Kevin McKidd
Honest, but unlucky Varin was played by Scottish artist Kevin McKidd.
Prior to Rome, he starred in supporting roles in projects such as On the Needle, Fairy Land, Sixteen Years of a Hangover, Kingdom of Heaven, and Hannibal: Ascension. However, it became really popular thanks to the role of Lucius.
After the success of the television series, Mackidd began to be invited to small roles in the high-budget films Last Legion, Friend of the Bride, Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief. However, interest in him gradually decreased.
Today, Mackridd starred in The Anatomy of Passion as Dr. Owen Hunt, and is also involved in voice acting for cartoons.
Tit Pulo
Varena's best friend is the unlucky strong man, drunkard and womanizer Tit Pulo. Despite his nearness, this man is very sincere and ready for anything for the sake of his dear people.
This hero did not know his father at all, and his mother was a slave. She died when Titus was still very tiny. The only family the hero knew was 13 legions. Unlike the educated Varen, Pulo was not versed in culture and politics, but in life he was wiser than his companion.
Seeing the problems of a friend with his wife, Pulo gives Varen advice, and then, together with Octavian, conducts an investigation and finds out about Nyoba's betrayal. Killing her lover, Titus does not tell the truth to a friend, sparing his feelings.
Throughout the series, Tit Pulo often helps Varen. In turn, the more sober-minded Lucius often pulls a comrade out of the problems that he falls into because of his exuberant temper. It is Lucius who persuades Titus to return the gold of Rome to Caesar, and also saves Pulo when he becomes a gladiator due to the murder of his lover's bridegroom.
Titus is the indirect culprit of the death of a friend. The fact is that when Caesar was in Egypt, Cleopatra wanted to conceive a child in order to gain influence on the great conqueror. However, the woman was afraid that she would not be able to conceive, so she asked one of the soldiers who escorted her to spend the night with her. This good Samaritan turned out to be Tit Pulo, and Caesarion is actually his son. In addition to Titus and Cleopatra, only Lucius Varen knew about this. The story was kept secret by friends for many years, but after the suicide of the Egyptian queen, Pulo asked a friend to save his son. Fulfilling this errand, Warren was mortally wounded.
If in the war, in friendship and with finances, Titus was lucky, then with personal life is not particularly. Being an avid womanizer, Pulo did not miss a single whore, but, having met a slave named Irina, he falls in love with her for real.
Upon learning that she secretly started an affair with another, Titus cannot restrain herself and kills her opponent, for which she loses everything, turning into a gladiator.
Varen helps him to get out of this situation, however, being seriously wounded, Pulo remains in a friend's house, where Irina takes care of him and gradually forgives him and falls in love. Having married, the couple are initially happy, Irina becomes pregnant. However, soon she and her child die from an unknown illness.
Having seriously suffered the loss, Tit Pulo gradually converges with the maid, but later finds out that it was she who poisoned his wife and child in order to achieve Pulo's love. In desperation, he kills a vile woman.
Having received orders from Octavian to kill Caesarion, Pulo rescues his son, and after lying to the new emperor, he leaves the service and leaves with the guy.
Ray Stevenson - Performer Titus Pulo
The namesake of the author of Treasure Island, in contrast to Kevin McKidd, is British.
At first he dreamed of becoming an artist, but later became interested in the profession of an actor.
Before "Rome", Stevenson starred very little, but thanks to the role of Dagonet in "King Arthur", the aspiring actor managed to attract attention.
After the closure of the Rome project, Stevenson was often invited to play minor characters in such famous films as The Book of Eli, Tor 1, 2, Divergent 1-3 and others. Also, the artist today plays a major role in the television series Black Sails.
Most of the adventures of Titus and Lucius are fiction by the scriptwriters. Despite this, the characters with their difficult characters and destinies fit perfectly into the plot, and thanks to the wonderful play of Ray Stevenson and Kevin McKidd, they became the favorites of viewers around the world.