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Family Tree

        Atrius =:= Cyrene                Hermia
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     +----------+--------------+           |
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   Toris      Xena ~ Borias  Lyceus      Flora = Diomedes
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      Livia/Eve  : Solan
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                Melvin Pappas
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               Melinda Pappas

Borias was Xena's lieutenant and lover, according to "Orphan of War". He was the father of Solan, Xena's son.

Lyceus was killed when Cortese attacked Amphipolis. Toris fled into the hills and spent roughly ten years tracking Cortese. He went back to Amphipolis after he and Xena defeated Cortese, but he has not been mentioned again (not even in "Remember Nothing", where the Three Fates gave Xena a chance to relive her life and Lyceus was still alive).

Hermia and Flora (from "The Black Wolf") are listed here just in case they should ever turn out to be Xena's cousins or something. Xena and Flora were apparently good friends in Amphipolis.

Eve is Xena's daughter "fathered by no man". The child is Callisto reborn and destined to help bring on the "Twilight of the Gods" (not the Norse Ragnarrok, but rather the decline of faith in all pantheons around the world). Eve has also become Eli's messenger on Earth, a sort of apostle-in-training, or prophetess.

Xena was born in Amphipolis, a village bordering on Thrace and Macedonia. Her parents were Cyrene and Atrius. Xena lead a simple life with her younger and older brother, Lyceus and Toris. Her father was a warrior dedicated to serving Ares, the God of War, and although he left the family when Xena was very young, she could still remember a tune he used to hum and the way he would ride across a field on his horse and sweep her up into his arms.

Sometime while Xena was still a child, perhaps when she was no older than six or seven, Atrius came home from the Temple of Ares in a drunken rage. He told Cyrene that he had to kill Xena. Cyrene later confessed to Xena that she had killed Atrius in order to prevent him from killing Xena. It was to be many years before Xena learned what became of her father. After Atrius left Amphipolis Cyrene supported the family by operating a tavern.

As a teenager, Xena's village was under siege by the forces of the warlord Cortese whose soldiers were metal masks (an image that would haunt Xena for many years). Xena and many of the villagers escaped as Cortese's raiders razed the entire town. Toris tried to persuade the villagers to run and hide in the hills, but Xena and Lyceus convinced some to follow their lead and defend their home valley against the raiders. Although successful in their campaign to run Cortese off, Lyceus lost his life.

But Xena had found a sense of power in war, and she realized that she could not return to the life she had known before Cortese's attack. Leaving her mother to operate the family tavern, Xena formed an army from among her village men and started conquering villages around Amphipolis in an effort to create a buffer zone against further attacks by Cortese and other warlords.

Raiders and mercenaries from across the world sought her out so that they might have a chance to join her ruthless and invincible army. She conquered kingdom upon kingdom, region upon region. In a short span of time, Xena had become the opposite of the innocent girl from a few years before - for the most part.

A still young and relatively naive Xena fell under the charms of another young warlord named Petracles who was interested in her as a conquest. Soon after agreeing to marry him, Petracles lost interest in her as a lover just as he lost interest in the spoils after the victory. Xena learned her first lesson about love, betrayal and conquest. It was a lesson is would soon learn again with much more disasterous results. Xena left Petracles and perhaps soon after this experience Xena may have met Helen (the wife of Menelaus who ran off to Troy with Paris).

Xena then took to open ocean. With a loyal band of sailors, Xena set sail raiding villages for pillage up and down the coasts of Greece, establishing a warning to any village who allied itself with the enemies of Amphipolis. Those who did not heed her warning paid a terrible price. Xena found herself drawn to a Roman nobleman (Julius Caesar) captured by her men. While awaiting the payment of a ransom demand, she entered into a relationship with Caesar.

At the same time, another important person entered Xena's life. A Gaelic slave girl named M'Lila who possessed the knowledge of pressure points (Destiny). It was a skill Xena picked up on. A bond was formed as M'Lila taught Xena how to fight with pressure points. Meanwhile, Xena's relationship with Caesar continued. Xena believed she could use her powers of seduction to secure her hold on Caesar as an ally.

After Caesar was freed he followed Xena's ship across the sea and captured it, taking Xena's army prisoner. Caesar took her men prisoner and crucified Xena, breaking her legs in the process. M'Lila rescued her friend, taking her to Mount Nestos where a healer, Nicklio, resided. But before she could heal properly, Roman soliders attacted the healer's hut. M'Lila sacrificed her own life to save Xena's stepping in front of an arrow meant for her. Dying in her arms, Xena snapped. Killing the soliders one by one, Xena made a vow for that night a new Xena was born with one purpose in life... death.

"...As you know Caesar left his mark on me. With shattered legs and crippled soul I headed East to loss myself in vengence, not against Caesar, but against the entire human race."

She formed a new army with another warlord named Borias and earned a reputation as a heartless butcher killing and carving her way to the Kingdom of Ch'in (The Debt I/II) where Borias intended to fleece to flock by pitting two dynasties, the Kingdoms of Lao and Ch'in, against one another. Xena, now lost in a haze of power, lust, greed and blood, demanded the simple and direct approach to getting the spoils they were after, but Borias intended on using diplomacy to get what he wanted. Too cocky and head-strong for her own good, Xena kidnapped the heir to the throne, Ming Tien, and randomed him to his father Ming Tzu.

With Borias' aid, Ming Tzu was able to capture Xena and intended to kill her for taking his soon. Xena was helped by the wife of the Emperor of Lao, Lao Ma. Lao Ma was a spiritual person with incredible powers and the ability to see inside the souls of others. She saw something good in Xena even if Xena didn't see it herself. As a trust was formed between the two women, Lao Ma began to teach Xena her spiritual philosophy and the ability to tap into power through the suppression of will and desire. She even healed Xena's legs. However, Xena could not suppress her will to avenge what Ming Tzu had put her through. She killed him while his young son, Ming Tien, watched. Seeing that she could not yet change her Warrior Princess, Lao Ma apparently drove Xena and Borias out of her kingdom. It would not be for another ten years that Xena would fully understand all the lessons Lao Ma tried to instill in her.

Xena and Borias moved further north to the Steppes (modern day Sibera) continuing their conquering ways, but they had reached an impass as Xena wondered where would they go from here. It was during this time that Xena became pregnant with Borias' child (Adventures in the Sin Trade I/II), and when Borias started to change and turn away from his old ways. Xena and Borias plotted to use the Amazons as allies in a war against the Centaurs. If the Centaurs were destroyed, all of Greece would stand open for conquest.

It was during this time that Xena encountered a power shamaness named Alti (cast out by the central Asian Amazons) and her apprentice Anokin. Xena formed a friendship with both women and formed a particular strong bond with Anokin, mourning for her when she died ( when Borias' army destroys a village on the border of Amazon territory) and visiting the Amazon Land of the Dead. Alti was interested in the dark side of life, the "sheer naked will that drives us all." Alti wanted to become "the face of death itself." And with Alti's help, Xena would become Destroyer of Nations.

Still destroying villages, Borias rescued a young girl named Otere. Alti took Xena into the spirit realm to visit Anokin, who told Xena she despised her. Hurt by Anokin's rejection but fascinated by Alti's power, Xena learned all she could from Alti despite Borias' dislike of the shamaness. Alti foresaw that one day Otere would take Xena's power away from her. When Borias concluded an alliance with Cyane, queen of the Amazons of Central Asia, Xena schemed with Alti to destroy them. Queen Cyane believed Xena could make a good Amazon and asked her to join their tribe.

Unaware she was but a pawn in Alti's plan to develop a great power, Xena lowered her guard and the shamaness cursed her unborn child, fOterelling he would know neither his mother nor his father. When Xena had won Cyane's trust, she followed the queen to a special funeral rite for a young Amazon Xena had killed. She surprised Cyane and the other Amazon leaders and killed them all. Bereft of their leaders, the Central Asian Amazons were soon defeated by an army Alti had raised. But she used her powers to trap them in the spirit world so they could not cross over to eternity. Otere, the young girl saved by Borias, stayed behind when the army moved on, and she was raised by a remnant of the Amazons who survived the slaughter.

Xena, The Warrior Princess and Destroyer of Nations, headed back west toward Greece with Borias still by her side and carrying his child. Xena heard about the Ixion Stone, a stone harnessing the wicked essence of the Centaurs and anyone who possessed had the potentional to become the ultimate evil Centaur. Xena, obssessed with power, wanted the stone as her own, even despite her "delicate" condition.

Fighting an army of Centaurs and humans led by Kaliepus, Xena would have stopped at nothing, but she soon gave birth to Borias' son and as Alti predicated he had his mother's eyes. Borias, himself, switched sides and allied himself with Kaliepus and the Centaurs realizing what Xena was about to do was pure madness. Xena ordered Borias captured unharmed, but one of Xena's lieutenants killed him by stabbing him in the back. Deciding that her child would best be raised by someone else, Xena agreed to pull back her army if Kaliepus would take her son and keep him out of harm's way. Xena's son, Solon, cursed by Alti would never know the love of either of his parents and would grow up believing Xena murdered his father and his mother was dead. It would be nine years before she saw Solon again.

With Borias dead, Xena continued raiding and looting alone, but now she was beginning to form a code. Xena demanded unwavering loyality from her men and did not allow the killing of women and children. With a bit of softening to her edges, Xena continued to make friends and enemies throughout Greece. Sometime during her first year without Borias, Xena made the fatal mistake of raiding a town called Cirra. This time, Xena's army was responsible for the death of women and children through a deadly fire. A young girl named Callisto witnessed the destruction first hand. Callisto's family, her mother and sister, were among the casualities (Destiny, Armgeddon II).

In the next ten years, Xena became friends with the giant Goliath in Palestine. Goliath saved Xena's life at the cost of losing his family by the hands of Gareth (a crime later avenged by Xena). At another point Xena was cared for by a group of villagers after being badly wounded during a battle. She later helped these people retrieve the Ark of the Convent containing the Ten Commandments. But even the kindness of strangers did little to turn Xena completely away from her evil ways. She still was full of vengance, lust, desire and violence.

Xena travelled north and eventually reached the lands of the Norse gods (The Rheingold, The Ring, Return of the Valkyrie). She found Odin hanging from a tree because he had lost his zest for life. Xena's dark nature tantalized Odin and her made her a Valkyrie, a woman warrior elevated above other mortals to be a chooser of the slain. The Valkyries escorted dead warriors to the hall of Valhalla. Xena competed for Odin's favor with Grinhilda, leader of the Valkyries. But whereas Grinhilda loved Odin Xena only wanted to learn the secret of the Rheingold, which she had learned about from the Viking peoples. Only a person who had forsaken love could safely touch the Rheingold. Anyone else would be turned into a monster. The Rheingold was guarded by the Rhein maidens.

Xena eventually learned the secret of the Rheingold from Odin, and despite Grinhilda's best effort to stop her Xena found the Rheinmaidens and seduced one into revealing the secret location of the Rheingold to her. Xena took the gold and made a ring from it. The ring would make Xena invincible, but Grinhilda strove to take the ring. Finding Xena as she was about to put on the ring, Grinhilda took it away from Xena. At first victorious over Xena, Grinhilda began to turn into a monster. Xena cut the ring from Grinhilda's hand and used its power to trap Grinhilda in a cave, but Grinhilda recovered the ring and Xena had to leave the northlands as she had arrived: mortal and alone.

Xena travelled to Gaul where she befriended the legendary Celtic Princess Boadicea. At this point, it seemed Xena did not have an army and had to resort to stealing Boadicea's army from under her. She ordered Boadicea captured and killed, but Boadicea married a king from Britain, Prasutagas. His army travelled to Gaul to challenge Xena and her army, but they were defeated. Xena eventually found her way back to Greece with her new army in tow.

Upon returning, she tried to take control of the Greek city of Corinth (Past Imperfect), but it was bravely and effectively defended by the Centaurs lead by Tyldus. Xena lost her half her army however, but still managed to fight Tyldus to a standstill. Perhaps it was also around this time that Xena become involved in a war with Bacchus, the god of wine, and his army. Xena apparently became friends with Eurydice, the wife of Orpheus. It seemed that her feelings of friendship were true in this case and offered her no advantage. Eurydice, however, was killed when she became caught between the warring armies. Orpheus blamed Xena for his wife's death and it was a blame he carried with him for many years.

After several more years of warring, Xena had her greatest battle in Torentz in which her army killed more than 10,000 men. Xena was constantly recruiting men and women, training them up as warriors. Walism, Glaphyra and Darnelle are a testiment to how many lives Xena touched and changed (in a completely negative way) during her journeys in and around Greece.

Xena was forever scarred by the experience she had during her travels west. Half of her army was trapped in a ravine and subsequently attacked by the savage, cannibalistic, axe-wielding barbarians known as the Horde. "The howling of the Horde and the screaming of my men." By the time Xena reached the ravine, her men were stripped of their skin and only piles of bones.

Xena sets out to kill because that's the only way she will ever be able to secure complete control of the region of Arcadian. With the help of her faithful love-struck lieutenants, Xena plans the mighty Hercules' downfall. She poses as a maiden in distress to lure away Hercules' best friend Iolaus. Enchanting him with sex and lies and preying on his loneliness, she uses him as bait for Hercules. When Hercules learns Xena's true identity, he goes to rescue Iolaus, falling into her trap. Blinded by Xena's guile, Iolaus turns on his friend and wears him down in an emotional confrontation. Finally, Iolaus realizes the truth and once again, joins Hercules to fight against Xena and her army. But when Iolaus is wounded, Hercules goes to his rescue rather than pursuing Xena for a fight to the finish. She vows to return and wreak her revenge on the reunited Hercules and Iolaus.

Xena continued marching onward as she continued to destroy the lives of thousands of families. During this time, she encounted warlords like Draco, who wanted to ride with her, and Marcus, who just wanted to love her. But it seems she started to grow tired of the Warrior Life.

Xena has a set chain of command with her right hand man Darphus at her side, she continues to kill and destroy, but she has begun to realize how empty the life has become. Darphus, perhaps seeing her softening and seeing an opportunity, raids a village and kills women and children under his own authority. Horrified by Darphus' act of defiance, she saves the only survivor of the village, a baby boy. And so, Xena's road to redemption begins with a child (perhaps seeing her own son, Solon, reflected in this child). Just as Xena stole Boadicea's army, Darphus takes control of her army and forces her to run the Gaunlet. Xena remains the only person ever to have survived this aspect of the Warrior's Code, during which two rows of warriors pummel the victim with clubs until she emerges from the corridor of torture. This ultimate act of violence awakens something long dead in Xena and just a new Xena was born through death, another Xena takes shape after surviving it. As she struggles to find a center (stripped of pride, her armor and her army), she joins Hercules to bring down Darphus.

Shortly thereafter, Hercules pointed her toward the path of the hero, and though hesitant at first, she finally began to understand and accept what M'Lila and Lao Ma had tried to teach her many years before.

She later teamed up with Gabrielle, who has not only become an invaluable asset to her, but a great friend as well.

Xena held a grudge against Gabrielle until the moment that they mended their relationship in the land of Illusia. Xena killed Callisto after she saw Gabrielle die while killing Hope. Gabrielle was not dead, but Xena was able to save her from the other world with the help of the Amazons.

Xena and Gabrielle have continued their adventures and journeyed to several new lands. At one point they were crucified at the hands of the Romans, but were brought back to life with the help of Eli and "angel" Callisto. After her miraculous recovery, Xena found herself mysteriously with child and gave birth to her daughter, Eve. Callisto's spirit is the lifeforce within Eve and will be the life that Callisto would have had if Xena had not taken away her family in Cirra.