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Marcus Constantine was born in Rome in 441 BC. He grew up in one of the biggest empires in world history, and became a soldier for the Roman army, eventually rising to the rank of general.
Early History[]
He experienced his First Death during the Sack of Rome when he was killed by Gauls in 390 BC. He then revived as an Immortal, and met Flavius Sulla, who taught him all about being Immortal. The teachings he acquired with Sulla were eventually transmitted to his first pupil, Marconus. Even as an Immortal, Constantine remained a Roman general for generations.
Marcus in ancient Egypt in 30BC
He led his armies into Egypt, falling in love with Nefertiri, Cleopatra's hand maiden, who was also an Immortal. When the Egyptians were conquered by the Romans and Cleopatra committed suicide, Nefertiri felt betrayed by Constantine, never forgiving him for destroying everything she cared about. Constantine pleaded with her to come with him so they could live together, but instead, she decided to be closed inside a sarcophagus forever with her queen.
In AD 35, while in Rome, he became acquainted with Methos, who was then the using the alias Remus, and it was that name Constantine knew him by, "a slave in the household of one Valerius Petronius, Senator, and the horrifying force of nature that was his wife, Drucilla." Drucilla, who had 6 inches and 150 pounds on Remus, was furious at his rejection of her advances and cried rape in revenge. He was crucified immediately, and Constantine "...heard about the incident and rescued young Remus from the cross before he died too many times and helped him out of the country." (Highlander: Zealot) Constantine was never taken into Methos's confidence far enough to know his real name.
In the year AD 60, as a general in Britannia, he found a young Celt named Ceirdwyn, to whom he taught the rules of the Immortals. He left the military for her, and settled with her in Rome. They were very fond of each other, but Ceirdwyn decided to leave him in the year AD 73.
After their separation, he returned to his military career, and in that same year, he commanded the Roman troops besieging the Israeli city of Masada, controlled by the Zealots. Realizing they couldn't win, the Zealots decided to commit suicide rather than submit to the Romans. When the Romans conquered the city, the only person they found alive was Avram ben Mordecai, who had awakened as an Immortal, and whom Constantine took as his student.
When the Goths conquered Rome, Marcus met Immortal Darius, the Goth general who would later become a priest. Marcus, like Darius, eventually turned his back on war and became a man of peace, befriending Father Darius.
Modern History[]
In 1994, Marcus was living in Paris, married to a mortal woman, Angela.
Angela & Marcus Constantine
He was a museum curator, trying to preserve history so people could learn from it and not make the mistakes Rome and other empires did. Marcus was about to receive Nefertiri's sarcophagus, who had been in it for over 2,000 years. Marcus never told anyone about the contents of the sarcophagus, but his assistant, unknown to Marcus, was a Watcher, and suspected otherwise. While the sarcophagus was being transported across Paris by truck, when passing by the vehicle in traffic, Duncan MacLeod sensed the presence of another Immortal. He followed the truck to a warehouse. As soon as the men left, he opened the sarcophagus and saw a mummy. He unwrapped it, and Nefertiri emerged. Marcus, angry that the sarcophagus was stolen, confronted his assistant. He then met Duncan at the museum, who was showing Nefertiri historical monuments. She wanted to leave, but Marcus told MacLeod that he intended no harm. Nefertiri didn't believe him. Later, Marcus and Duncan met and they got to know one another. Hoping to convince Nefertiri that he was a better person, Marcus invited MacLeod and Nefertiri over to his home for dinner. They had dinner and as soon as Marcus' wife, Angela, was alone, Nefertiri killed her.
Marcus confronts Nefetiri over the body of his wife
She couldn't let go of her 2,000-year-old grudge with Constantine. In the cemetery, at Angela's grave, Duncan met Marcus and gave his condolences. He told he didn't expect Nefertiri's reaction, to which Marcus replied that he wouldn't go after Nefertiri because it wouldn't bring Angela back. As soon as Duncan and Marcus stepped off Holy Ground, Nefertiri appeared and tried to challenge Marcus.
When Marcus refused, she tried to take his head, but Duncan stopped her. Duncan and Nefertiri fought, and the Highlander took her head. Although saddened for Nefertiri, Constantine was relieved that their history was over, and he tried to comfort Duncan.
Weapon[]
Marcus' weapon of choice was a Roman short sword.
Trivia[]
- Marcus was the Highlander: The Series producers' first attempt to create a new mentor for Duncan MacLeod during the second season in the wake of Darius's death, but due to various behind-the-scenes reasons, that role eventually fell to Methos in Season Three.
- According to the novel, Highlander: Zealot, two years after the events of the episode, "Pharaoh's Daughter," Marcus was challenged and defeated by his former pupil, Immortal Avram ben Mordecai.