- "With an excellent head for strategy, nerves of steel, and a commanding presence, he'd quickly climbed the ranks."
- —Description of Crassus Snow[src]
Crassus Xanthos Snow was the father of Coriolanus Snow and a general during the First Rebellion. He passed away not long after his wife, Coriolanus's mother, who died in childbirth. He was honored on December 15, National Heroes Day, along with around a dozen other citizens of the Capitol. Coriolanus remembered him for his deep voice and uncompromising words against the districts.[1]
Biography[]
Snow attended the Academy and the University with Casca Highbottom, who would later go on to become the Dean of the Academy. The two were best friends and would go to Pluribus Bell's nightclub every night.[2] However, their friendship only lasted until the end of their time in the University, when they had a major falling-out.[3] Both of them studied under Dr. Volumnia Gaul, a cruel scientist. Highbottom was failing Gaul's class due to his loathing of her, which made it impossible for him to willingly participate in her classes. She assigned a final project for the students of her class: to create a punishment for one's enemies so extreme that they would never be allowed to forget how they had wronged them. Snow paired up with Highbottom for the project, getting him more and more drunk to draw out his darkest impulses - which led to the idea of the Hunger Games. He assured Highbottom that the whole thing was just a private joke, but then turned in the project to Dr. Gaul while Highbottom was sleeping off the alcohol. Having heard his idea had been submitted by Snow, Highbottom confronted his best friend in Bell's nightclub. Snow, instead of admitting his mistake, told Highbottom that he should be grateful because he did them a big favor. Irritated by Crassus' betrayal, Highbottom never forgave him for it and later tried to take out his grudge on his son, Coriolanus.[4]
Stained glass set piece of Crassus with soldiers lined up behind him.[5]
Snow later enlisted as a Peacekeeper, believing that military service enhanced his legitimacy in the family business. He quickly climbed the ranks and was visited by his family at the station when he returned from his duty. However, he was killed by a rebel bullet[6] and left his son an orphan, as Snow's wife had died in childbirth shortly before.[7]
Snow also owned a dress shirt, which he wore along with a suit and various medals he had won.[8]
Legacy[]
Crassus's old mess dress shirt was later altered by his niece, Tigris, so his son Coriolanus could wear it to the reaping for the 10th Hunger Games.[8]
During the Games, Coriolanus exposed snake mutts to the scent of his tribute, Lucy Gray Baird, by dropping his father's handkerchief into their tank. He knew they would not attack a familiar scent,[9] so this saved her life when the snakes were released into the Capitol Arena the following day.[10] The handkerchief was one of three pieces of evidence used to condemn Coriolanus for cheating to help Lucy Gray win.[11]
Physical description[]
Coriolanus standing below a stained glass portrait of his father.
The Grandma'am said Coriolanus had his father's pale blue eyes.[12]
In The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, he was depicted in stained glass portraits with short, slicked-back platinum blond or gray hair and blue eyes. A photograph on his son's desk showed him wearing a dark, double-breasted blazer[13] that may have been his military uniform.
Personality and traits[]
Crassus Snow was known to have an excellent head for strategy and nerves of steel. He was also remote and strict, which was why Coriolanus never felt great love for him, but he had always felt protected.[6] However, Pluribus Bell described him and Casca Highbottom to be "a pair of wild things" while at the nightclub in their university years.[2] Highbottom sees Crassus as morally corrupt, as he cared about his grade far more than he cared about the cruelty and carnage the Hunger Games would bring. It is possible that similar to his best friend Highbottom, he was also failing Gaul’s class due to their wild attitude, leading to his ruthless decision in their final project.[4]' His niece Tigris said that what she remembered most about him was the hate in his eyes.[13]
Family[]
Stained glass set piece of Crassus with his wife and infant son.[5]
Crassus Snow was the son of the Grandma'am, the husband of Mrs. Snow, and the father of Coriolanus Snow and an unnamed infant daughter.[7]
Etymology[]
Crassus is the name of a Roman politician and general who was a member of the “First Triumvirate”, alongside Pompey and Caesar. He was also known as the richest man in Rome.
His middle name, Xanthos, means yellow, blond, or fair-haired.
References[]
- ↑ The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Chapter 12
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Chapter 11
- ↑ The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Chapter 23
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Epilogue
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 https://twitter.com/panempropaganda/status/1724142612217762008
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Chapter 3
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Chapter 5
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Chapter 1
- ↑ The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Chapter 18
- ↑ The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Chapter 19
- ↑ The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Chapter 20
- ↑ The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Chapter 6
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes