''Spartacus'' is an American

historical drama A historical drama (also period drama, period piece or just period) is a dramatic work set in the past, usually used in the context of film and television, which presents history, historical events and characters with varying degrees of fiction s ...

television series filmed in New Zealand that premiered on

Starz Starz (stylized in all caps as STARZ; pronounced "stars") is an American pay television network owned by Starz Entertainment, and is the flagship property of Starz Inc. Launched in 1994 as a multiplex service of what is now Starz Encore, ...

on January 22, 2010, and concluded on April 12, 2013. The series was inspired by historical figure,

Spartacus Spartacus (; ) was a Thracians, Thracian gladiator (Thraex) who was one of the Slavery in ancient Rome, escaped slave leaders in the Third Servile War, a major Slave rebellion, slave uprising against the Roman Republic. Historical accounts o ...

, a

Thracian The Thracians (; ; ) were an Indo-European speaking people who inhabited large parts of Southeast Europe in ancient history.. "The Thracians were an Indo-European people who occupied the area that today is shared between north-eastern Greece, ...

gladiator who from 73 to 71 BC led a major slave uprising against the

Roman Republic The Roman Republic ( ) was the era of Ancient Rome, classical Roman civilisation beginning with Overthrow of the Roman monarchy, the overthrow of the Roman Kingdom (traditionally dated to 509 BC) and ending in 27 BC with the establis ...

departing from Capua. Executive producers Steven S. DeKnight and

Robert Tapert Robert Gerard Tapert (; born May 14, 1955) is an American film and television producer, writer and director. He is best known for co-creating the television series '' Xena: Warrior Princess''. Career Film Tapert first became involved with filmm ...

focused on structuring the events of Spartacus' obscure early life leading up to the beginning of historical records.Interview: Steven S. DeKnight and Robert Tapert from Spartacus: Blood And Sand
After '' Spartacus: Blood and Sand'', production for another season was delayed because lead actor

Andy Whitfield Andrew Whitfield (17 October 1971 – 11 September 2011) was a Welsh actor. He was best known for his leading role in the Starz television series '' Spartacus: Blood and Sand''. Early life and career Andrew Whitfield was born on October 17, 19 ...

was diagnosed with early-stage

non-Hodgkin lymphoma Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), also known as non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, is a group of blood cancers that includes all types of lymphomas except Hodgkin lymphomas. Symptoms include enlarged lymph nodes, fever, night sweats, weight loss, and tiredn ...

, so Starz produced a six-episode prequel miniseries entitled '' Spartacus: Gods of the Arena''. When the actor's cancer recurred and he later succumbed to the disease on September 11, 2011, Starz had actor

Liam McIntyre Liam James McIntyre (born 8 February 1982) is an Australian actor, best known for playing the lead role on the Starz television series '' Spartacus: Vengeance'' and '' War of the Damned'' and as Mark Mardon / Weather Wizard on ''The Flash''. He ...

take on the role of Spartacus in the second season titled '' Spartacus: Vengeance''. On June 4, 2012, Starz announced the third and final season, titled '' Spartacus: War of the Damned''. A sequel series called ''Spartacus: House of Ashur'' is in development at Starz, with DeKnight returning to write for the show.

Plot

''Blood and Sand'' (2010)

The story begins with an unnamed Thracian's involvement in a unit of

Roman auxiliary The (; ) were introduced as non-citizen troops attached to the citizen Roman legion, legions by Augustus after his reorganisation of the Imperial Roman army from 27 BC. By the 2nd century, the contained the same number of infantry as the ...

in a campaign against the

Getae The Getae or Getai ( or , also Getans) were a large nation who inhabited the regions to either side of the Lower Danube in what is today northern Bulgaria and southern Romania, throughout much of Classical Antiquity. The main source of informa ...

in the

Lower Danube The Danube ( ; see also other names) is the second-longest river in Europe, after the Volga in Russia. It flows through Central and Southeastern Europe, from the Black Forest south into the Black Sea. A large and historically important r ...

under the command of the ''

legatus A legate (Latin: , ) was a high-ranking Roman military officer in the Roman army, equivalent to a high-ranking general officer of modern times. Initially used to delegate power, the term became formalised under Augustus as the officer in comman ...

'', Claudius Glaber. In 72–71 BC,

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

general

Marcus Terentius Varro Lucullus Marcus Terentius Varro Lucullus (116 – soon after 56 BC), younger brother of the more famous Lucius Licinius Lucullus, was a supporter of Lucius Cornelius Sulla and consul of ancient Rome in 73 BC. As proconsul of Macedonia in 72 BC, he defeat ...

proconsul A proconsul was an official of ancient Rome who acted on behalf of a Roman consul, consul. A proconsul was typically a former consul. The term is also used in recent history for officials with delegated authority. In the Roman Republic, military ...

of the Roman province of

Macedonia Macedonia (, , , ), most commonly refers to: * North Macedonia, a country in southeastern Europe, known until 2019 as the Republic of Macedonia * Macedonia (ancient kingdom), a kingdom in Greek antiquity * Macedonia (Greece), a former administr ...

, marched against the Getae, who were allies of Rome's enemy,

Mithridates VI of Pontus Mithridates or Mithradates VI Eupator (; 135–63 BC) was the ruler of the Kingdom of Pontus in northern Anatolia from 120 to 63 BC, and one of the Roman Republic's most formidable and determined opponents. He was an effective, ambitious, and r ...

. The Getae frequently raid the Thracians' lands, so the Thracians are persuaded by Glaber to enlist in the Romans' service as auxiliaries. Glaber is persuaded by his wife Ilithyia to seek greater glory, and he decides to break off attacking the Getae, instead directly confronting the forces of Mithridates in Asia Minor. The Thracian, feeling betrayed, leads a mutiny against Glaber, and returns to find his village destroyed. The Thracian and his wife Sura are captured by Glaber the next day; the Thracian is condemned to die in the

gladiator A gladiator ( , ) was an armed combatant who entertained audiences in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire in violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild animals, and condemned criminals. Some gladiators were volunteers who risked their ...

arena for his crime, while Sura is taken away, condemned to

slavery Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...

. The Thracian is shipped to

Capua Capua ( ; ) is a city and ''comune'' in the province of Caserta, in the region of Campania, southern Italy, located on the northeastern edge of the Campanian plain. History Ancient era The name of Capua comes from the Etruscan ''Capeva''. The ...

in Italy, a center of gladiator training. Against all odds in the arena, he slays the four gladiators appointed to execute him and becomes an instant sensation with the crowd. Senator Albinius commutes the punishment from death to slavery. The prisoner's true name unknown, Quintus

Lentulus Batiatus Gnaeus Cornelius Lentulus Vatia (also called Lentulus Batiatus by Plutarch) was the Roman owner of a gladiatorial school in ancient Capua. It was from this school that, in 73 BC, the Thracian slave Spartacus and about 70 to 78 followers escaped. T ...

, the owner of a '' ludus'' in Capua, suggests to name him "Spartacus", because he fought like the ferocious Thracian king of that name. Noting well the Thracian's fierce raw talent and popularity with the masses, Batiatus purchases him for training within the walls of his ''ludus'' under the tutelage of Oenomaus, a former gladiator and fellow slave who is known to the gladiators as 'Doctore', meaning instructor. He is befriended by Varro, a Roman who sold himself into slavery in order to pay his debts and support his family. He is harassed by more senior gladiators, notably

Crixus Crixus (died 72 BC) was a Gallic gladiator and military leader in the Third Servile War between the Roman Republic and rebel slaves. Born in Gaul, he was enslaved by the Romans under unknown circumstances and trained as a gladiator in Capua. His ...

, an undefeated

Gaul Gaul () was a region of Western Europe first clearly described by the Roman people, Romans, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and parts of Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, and Northern Italy. It covered an area of . Ac ...

, and Barca, a

Carthaginian The term Carthaginian ( ) usually refers to the civilisation of ancient Carthage. It may also refer to: * Punic people, the Semitic-speaking people of Carthage * Punic language The Punic language, also called Phoenicio-Punic or Carthaginian, i ...

. Spartacus soon learns that Sura was sold to a

Syrian Syrians () are the majority inhabitants of Syria, indigenous to the Levant, most of whom have Arabic, especially its Levantine and Mesopotamian dialects, as a mother tongue. The cultural and linguistic heritage of the Syrian people is a blend ...

slave trader. Batiatus, who has been unable to control Spartacus during his first days of training, promises to find Sura and reunite them in exchange for the promising neophyte's cooperation in the arena. After many near-fatal ordeals and much more training, Spartacus kills Theokoles, The Shadow of Death. He attains the status of a living legend and is named the "Champion of Capua" and "The Bringer of Rain". Batiatus arranges the purchase of Sura, but she is delivered mortally wounded, supposedly having been waylaid by bandits en route. Her murder was secretly ordered by Batiatus to keep Spartacus loyal and focused. Spartacus casts off his heritage as a Thracian and forgets his dream of freedom, becoming content with life as champion. Meanwhile, Barca, wishing to buy his freedom, was slain by Batiatus with the help of slave and former gladiator, Ashur. Batiatus' wife, Lucretia, is conducting an affair with Crixus. She and Batiatus have been unable to conceive a child, though she later falls pregnant (a father remains unknown). The turning point comes when Spartacus is set to fight his only friend in the ludus, Varro, in an exhibition match celebrating the coming to manhood of the Capuan magistrate's son, Numerius. Ilithyia, who has hated Spartacus since he embarrassed her husband Glaber by his mutiny, seduces the young man and convinces him to demand death for the loser of the match. Spartacus wins (as expected), and when the young man gives the "thumbs down", Batiatus, wishing to ingratiate himself with the boy's powerful father, forces Spartacus to comply and kill Varro. While suffering from both his wound in this match and his remorse and sorrow over having to kill his friend, Spartacus has fever dreams that lead him to suspect that Batiatus arranged Sura's death. He is able to confirm this by forcing Batiatus' man, Aulus, to confess the act before killing him. Knowing that it is all or nothing when it comes to resisting his enslavement, he resolves to "kill them all" and lead a revolt against the ruling house he once fought for. In order to get his revenge, Spartacus enlists the help of Crixus and the rest of the gladiators to defeat the house of Batiatus once and for all. A battle to the death between Crixus and Spartacus is arranged for the Capuan elite at the ludus. Doctore (whom Batiatus refers to by his real name, Oenomaus) confronts Batiatus about Barca's death and Ashur's hand in it. Spartacus gains support from Mira, Batiatus' wife's new slave, who is tasked with opening the gate to the villa from the training area. Crixus resists aiding Spartacus in hopes of reuniting with his lover Naevia (who had been banished from the ludus by Lucretia after she discovers her affair with Crixus because of Ashur's trick to avenge Crixus), however, after learning he was weakened to ensure Spartacus' victory, at the last moment he joins with Spartacus. Doctore initially stops Spartacus from killing Batiatus. In the ensuing chaos of the gladiators' killing of the guards and some guests, Crixus persuades Doctore to join him with Spartacus, while Illithyia escapes and has her guards seal the door to the ludus from the outside. Doctore, making good on his word, tries to kill Ashur but his intended victim eludes him. Crixus grievously wounds Lucretia with a sword stab to her abdomen, piercing her womb and killing their unborn child. Varro's wife, Aurelia, kills Numerius after revealing to him that Varro was her husband, and Spartacus finally kills Batiatus in front of the seriously wounded Lucretia. After the massacre, Spartacus vows to make "Rome tremble".

''Gods of the Arena'' (2011)

The miniseries features the history of the House of Batiatus and the city of Capua before the arrival of Spartacus. The main story opens not long after Quintus Lentulus Batiatus becomes lanista, manager of the House's slaves and gladiators, when he takes over his father's ludus. Batiatus is quickly discovered to have grand ambitions, beginning with the stepping out from his father's shadow. As the story progresses, Batiatus continues to seek greatness for the House under ''his'' leadership, as well as recognition for his own name. By his side stands his devoted wife, Lucretia, who is willing to help her husband achieve his goals regardless of the cost. Batiatus soon places all of his fortunes on one man whom he believes will bring fame and glory to the House of Batiatus, his best gladiator, the

Celt The Celts ( , see Names of the Celts#Pronunciation, pronunciation for different usages) or Celtic peoples ( ) were a collection of Indo-European languages, Indo-European peoples. "The Celts, an ancient Indo-European people, reached the apoge ...

Gannicus. Gannicus is a skilled warrior almost without equal, who wields his dual swords in the arena with great prowess. However, Batiatus' opponents would not sit idly and allow his ascent to greatness without challenge. Purchased as an undisciplined and disheveled recruit in the first episode, Crixus the Gaul initially endures mockery and threats of death, before eventually rising to become a gladiator of skill and fame second only to Gannicus. As Batiatus fends off repeated attempts by his professional rival Tullius and his other archenemy Vettius to obtain Gannicus, his relationships with his father Titus and friend Solonius begin to suffer the strain of Quintus' relentless ambition. Former champion gladiator Oenomaus reluctantly retires from combat to become Doctore, while Syrian recruits Ashur and Dagan become fierce enemies as Ashur tries to prove himself worthy of being a gladiator. Veteran gladiators Barca and Gannicus accept the rising star of Crixus but fear that their own careers will suffer, as the machinations of Batiatus and Lucretia to court Capua's elite end in tragedy for several members of the household. Against all of this, the city's splendid new arena nears completion and with it the opening games that will make men into gods. When the arena opens Solonius' and Batiatus' gladiators compete with each other, Batiatus' gladiators prevailing in the contest. Gannicus again proves himself to be the champion of Capua and the god of the arena and by virtue of his win against Solonius' gladiators, becomes the champion of Capua and gains his freedom.

''Vengeance'' (2012)

After the bloody escape from the House of Batiatus that concluded ''Spartacus: Blood and Sand'', the gladiator

rebellion Rebellion is an uprising that resists and is organized against one's government. A rebel is a person who engages in a rebellion. A rebel group is a consciously coordinated group that seeks to gain political control over an entire state or a ...

begins to strike fear into the heart of the

in ''Spartacus: Vengeance''. Praetor Claudius Glaber and his Roman troops are sent to Capua to crush Spartacus' growing band of

freed slaves A freedman or freedwoman is a person who has been released from slavery, usually by legal means. Historically, slaves were freed by manumission (granted freedom by their owners), emancipation (granted freedom as part of a larger group), or self- ...

before they can inflict further damage. Spartacus is given a choice between satisfying his personal need for vengeance against the man who condemned his wife to slavery and eventual death, or making the larger sacrifices necessary to keep his budding army from breaking.

''War of the Damned'' (2013)

This final season of Spartacus began airing January 25, 2013, and concluded April 12, 2013. This season follows the final struggle between Spartacus and

Marcus Licinius Crassus Marcus Licinius Crassus (; 115–53 BC) was a ancient Rome, Roman general and statesman who played a key role in the transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire. He is often called "the richest man in Rome".Wallechinsky, Da ...

. Crassus pursues Spartacus as he struggles to feed his ever-growing army of former slaves. Spartacus wins several victories against Crassus' forces and continues to frustrate the Romans. The series culminates in a direct all-out battle between Spartacus and Crassus.

Episodes

Cast and characters

Gladiators and slaves

(season 1 and prequel) and

(seasons 2–3) as

– a

slave who becomes a gladiator in the ''ludus'' of Lentulus Batiatus before leading a slave uprising. *

Manu Bennett Jonathan Manu Bennett (born 10 October 1969) is an Australian-New Zealand actor. He is primarily known for portraying characters in epic fantasy works, such as Crixus in the TV series ''Spartacus'', Allanon in ''The Shannara Chronicles'', Sl ...

(seasons 1–3 and prequel) as

– a

, he was Batiatus' top gladiator prior to Spartacus. Love interest of Naevia, and secondary leader of the rebellion. *

Lesley-Ann Brandt Lesley-Ann Brandt (born 2 December 1981) is a South African-born American actress best known for the role of Mazikeen on the television series ''Lucifer'' (2016–2021). Early life Born in Cape Town, South Africa, Brandt is Cape Coloured of Afr ...

(season 1 and prequel) and

Cynthia Addai-Robinson Cynthia Addai-Robinson (born January 12, 1980) is a British-American actress. She is known for her roles as Naevia in the Starz television series ''Spartacus'', DC Comics character Amanda Waller in The CW TV series ''Arrow'', and Nadine Memphis o ...

(seasons 2–3) as Naevia – Lucretia's personal and loyal slave. Love interest of Crixus. *

Peter Mensah Peter Mensah (born 27 August 1959) is a Ghanaian-British actor, based in Canada. He is best known for his role as Oenomaus on the Starz television series ''Spartacus'' (2010–2013). He has also appeared in such films as ''Tears of the Sun'', '' ...

(seasons 1–2 and prequel) as

Oenomaus In Greek mythology, King Oenomaus (also Oenamaus; , ''Oinómaos'') of Pisa (Greece), Pisa, was the father of Hippodamia (daughter of Oenomaus), Hippodamia and the son of Ares. His name ''Oinomaos'' denotes a wine man. Family Oenomaeus' mother ...

– Batiatus' black

Numidia Numidia was the ancient kingdom of the Numidians in northwest Africa, initially comprising the territory that now makes up Algeria, but later expanding across what is today known as Tunisia and Libya. The polity was originally divided between ...

n ''doctore'' (trainer) of gladiators, and reluctant advisor to the rebels. The historical Oenomaus was a

. *

Nick E. Tarabay Nick Emad Tarabay (born 28 August 1975) is a Lebanese-born American actor. He is known for portraying Ashur on the Starz television series ''Spartacus'' and Cotyar on the Amazon Prime Video science fiction television series ''The Expanse''. E ...

(seasons 1–2 and prequel) as Ashur – a

former gladiator whose leg was crippled in the arena by

; later served Batiatus as a bookkeeper and henchman. *

Jai Courtney Jai Stephen Courtney (; born 15 March 1986) is an Australian actor. Born and raised in Sydney, Courtney started his career as a teenager with small roles in film and television, and studied acting at the Western Australian Academy of Performing ...

(season 1) as Varro – a Roman citizen who sold himself to the ''ludus'' to support his family. *

Antonio Te Maioha Antonio Te Maioha (born 1 February 1970) is a television and film actor from New Zealand. He came to international prominence playing a gladiator Barca, the Beast of Carthage, in the television drama '' Spartacus: Blood and Sand'' and its preque ...

(season 1 and prequel) as Barca – nicknamed the "Beast of Carthage", is one of Batiatus' most successful gladiators, serves as a

bodyguard A bodyguard (or close protection officer/operative) is a type of security guard, government law enforcement officer, or servicemember who protects an very important person, important person or group of people, such as high-ranking public offic ...

for his master. *

Erin Cummings Erin Cummings (born July 19, 1977) is an American actress and online film pundit. She has appeared in the television series, ''Charmed'', ''Dante's Cove'', ''The Bold and the Beautiful'', ''Cold Case'', ''Dollhouse'', '' Spartacus: Blood and Sa ...

(season 1) as Sura – the wife of Spartacus. *

Dan Feuerriegel Daniel Gregory Feuerriegel (born 29 October 1981) is an Australian actor who is based in Los Angeles, California, United States. He has acted in a number of Australian television series and first came to international notice with his role as a ...

(seasons 1–3) as Agron – a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

gladiator who was sold to Batiatus' ludus, he was the first to join Spartacus in his revolt. *

Katrina Law Katrina Law is an American actress. She is known for playing the roles of Mira on the Starz television series '' Spartacus: Blood and Sand'' and '' Spartacus: Vengeance'', Nyssa al Ghul on The CW television series ''Arrow'', Karen Beach on th ...

(seasons 1–2) as Mira – a slave girl sent under threat of death to seduce Spartacus and become his lover. She takes charge of logistical matters as a leader of the rebellion. *

Brooke Williams Brooke Williams (born 3 January 1984) is a New Zealand actress, best known for her role as Jennsen Rahl in ''Legend of the Seeker'', Aurelia in '' Spartacus: Blood and Sand'' and Eva in '' The Almighty Johnsons''. Early life and education Wi ...

(season 1 and season 2 premiere) as Aurelia – the wife of Varro. *

Dustin Clare Dustin Clare (born 2 January 1982) is an Australian actor. He is known for his starring role as Gannicus in the Starz series '' Spartacus: Gods of the Arena'', '' Spartacus: Vengeance'' and '' Spartacus: War of the Damned'', and as Riley Ward ...

(prequel, seasons 2–3) as

Gannicus Gannicus was a Celtic slave, who together with the Thracian Spartacus, Crixus, Castus and Oenomaus, became one of the leaders of rebel slaves during the Third Servile War (73–71 BC). In the winter of 71 BC, Gannicus, along with Castus, broke o ...

– champion gladiator of the Batiatus' ''ludus'' before the arrival of Spartacus. Later, as a free man, he joins old friends in the revolt. *

Marisa Ramirez Marisa Maguire Ramirez (born September 15, 1977) is an American actress, known for her work on television soap operas and for her role on the police procedural television drama series ''Blue Bloods'' as Detective Maria Baez. Early life Ramir ...

(prequel) as Melitta – Lucretia's personal slave and the wife of Oenomaus. *

Pana Hema Taylor Pana Hema Taylor (born 1989) is a New Zealand television actor, best known for his roles in ''Spartacus'', ''The Brokenwood Mysteries'' and '' Westside''. Early life Pana Hema Taylor grew up in the town of Wairoa, where he became involved with t ...

(seasons 2–3) as Nasir – a young slave liberated from a villa by Spartacus and his army of rebels. *

Ellen Hollman Ellen Hollman (born April 1, 1983) is an American actress. Biography Hollman was born in Detroit, Michigan, the oldest of four siblings. She eventually moved to Troy, Michigan, and was an all-star track runner, holding the Michigan State Unive ...

(seasons 2–3) as Saxa – a German slave rescued by the rebels. She later joins the rebels. * Heath Jones (seasons 2–3) as Donar – a prominent German rebel and former gladiator from the House of Batiatus. * Jenna Lind (season 3) as Kore – a loyal slave to Marcus Crassus the Roman tasked to bring an end to Spartacus and his rebellion. Her deep feelings for her master will be sorely tested by spiraling events. * Gwendoline Taylor (season 3) as Sibyl – a young slave rescued from Roman cruelty. Now free, she will embark on a journey. *

Anna Hutchison Anna Hutchison (born 8 February 1986) is a New Zealand actress and producer. Her roles include Delphi Greenlaw on ''Shortland Street'' (2002–04); Lily Chilman, the Jungle Fury Yellow Ranger on '' Power Rangers Jungle Fury'' (2008); Allison Di ...

(season 3) as Laeta – a privileged wife of a Roman dignitary who becomes entangled in the struggle against Spartacus. Her life and those of the ones she loves are forever changed by the conflict.

Romans

* John Hannah (season 1 and prequel) as Quintus

– a ''lanista'' and Spartacus' master. *

Lucy Lawless Lucille Frances Lawless (; born 29 March 1968) is a New Zealand actress and director. She is best known for her roles as Xena in the television series ''Xena: Warrior Princess'', as Number Three (Battlestar Galactica), D'Anna Biers on the re-im ...

(seasons 1–2 and prequel) as Lucretia – Batiatus' wife. * Viva Bianca (seasons 1–2) as Ilithyia – the daughter of senator Albinius and wife of Glaber. *

Craig Parker Craig Parker (born 12 November 1970) is a New Zealand actor, known for his roles as Guy Warner in the New Zealand soap opera ''Shortland Street'' (1992–96, 2007–08, 2020, 2023), Haldir in the ''Lord of the Rings'' films ''The Fellowship of t ...

(seasons 1–2) as

Gaius Claudius Glaber Gaius Claudius Glaber was a military commander of the late Roman Republic, holding the office of praetor in 73 BC. During his term he was defeated in the Battle of Mount Vesuvius against the forces of Spartacus during the Third Servile War. ...

– a

Roman army The Roman army () served ancient Rome and the Roman people, enduring through the Roman Kingdom (753–509 BC), the Roman Republic (509–27 BC), and the Roman Empire (27 BC–AD 1453), including the Western Roman Empire (collapsed Fall of the W ...

'' who is responsible for Spartacus' enslavement as a gladiator. * Craig Walsh Wrightson (season 1 and prequel) as Solonius – a rival lanista and former friend to the House of Batiatus. *

Stephen Lovatt Stephen Lovatt (born 27 May 1964) is a New Zealand actor, best known internationally for his portrayal of character Max Hoyland on the Australian soap ''Neighbours''. Career Since training as an actor at Toi Whakaari, the New Zealand Drama Sch ...

(prequel) as Tullius – Batiatus' business rival. *

Jaime Murray Jaime Erica Murray (born 21 July 1976) is an English actress. She is known for playing Stacie Monroe in the BBC series ''Hustle (TV series), Hustle'' (2004–2012), Lila West in the Showtime (TV network), Showtime series ''Dexter (TV series), ...

(prequel) as Gaia – a social climber and Lucretia's friend. * Jeffrey Thomas (prequel and season 2) as Titus Lentulus Batiatus – Quintus Batiatus' father and owner of the family's ''ludus''. * Gareth Williams (prequel) as Vettius – Tullius' young henchman and owner of a rival ''ludus''. * Tom Hobbs (season 2) as Seppius – a young Capua citizen of note. He wishes to strip the honor of capturing Spartacus from Glaber. * Hanna Mangan-Lawrence (season 2) as Seppia – younger sister to Seppius. *

Brett Tucker Brett Alan Tucker (born 21 May 1972) is an Australian actor and singer. He was a series regular in '' The Saddle Club'', '' McLeod's Daughters'', and '' Mistresses''. He is also known for his role as Daniel Fitzgerald in ''Neighbours''. He pla ...

(season 2) as

Publius Varinius Publius Varinius (born circa 110 BC) was a Roman praetor in 73 BC, proconsul in 72 BC, and a military commander who was unsuccessful during the Third Servile War. The historical account of his involvement in the ''Third Servile War'' is incompl ...

– Glaber's chief political rival and fellow ''

praetor ''Praetor'' ( , ), also ''pretor'', was the title granted by the government of ancient Rome to a man acting in one of two official capacities: (i) the commander of an army, and (ii) as an elected ''magistratus'' (magistrate), assigned to disch ...

''. *

Simon Merrells Simon Merrells is an English film, television and stage actor best known for his portrayal of Marcus Licinius Crassus in '' Spartacus: War of the Damned''. Early life Merrells was born in London, three years before his brother Jason Merrells. ...

(season 3) as

– the richest man in the Roman Republic. Envied and despised by the highborn among the senate, he craves the power and respect that defeating Spartacus and his rebel army would bring. *

Christian Antidormi Christian Antidormi (born 20 May 1992) is an Australian actor. He is known for his roles in several television productions, including ''As The Bell Rings'', ''Home and Away'', and the US television series, '' Spartacus: War of the Damned''. Ea ...

(season 3) as Tiberius Licinius Crassus – the eldest son of Marcus Licinius Crassus, and his father's "word, and will" in Crassus' army. *

Todd Lasance Todd James Lasance (born 18 February 1985) is an Australian actor, best recognised for his roles in Australian television including Aden Jefferies on ''Home and Away'', Cam Jackson on '' Rescue: Special Ops'', Ben McMahon on '' Crownies'' and M ...

(season 3) as

Gaius Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war. He ...

– a handsome young rogue from an esteemed lineage and his deadly intelligence and skill with a sword will be brought to bear against the rebellion as he begins his ascent towards the all-powerful ruler he will one day become.

Production

After filming in early 2009 and promoting for some time, it was announced that Starz would premiere ''Spartacus: Blood and Sand'' on January 22, 2010. On December 22, 2009, a month before it premiered, it was announced that the show was renewed by Starz for a second season. On March 9, 2010, IGN.com reported that production of Season 2 had been delayed due to Whitfield being diagnosed with early-stage non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Due to the delay, Starz announced in May 2010 that it would be developing a six-episode prequel series, entitled ''Spartacus: Gods of the Arena'', to allow Whitfield to seek medical treatment. The prequel featured both new and returning stars, headlined by John Hannah as Batiatus and Lucy Lawless as Lucretia. Whitfield also briefly appeared in a voice-over role. Production began in New Zealand in the summer of 2010 and the prequel aired beginning January 2011. In September 2010, Starz announced that Whitfield's cancer had returned and that he had decided not to return for the production of Season 2, then tentatively scheduled for September 2011. Starz announced that the show would nevertheless continue, and planned on recasting the role of Spartacus in the wake of Whitfield's exit. Whitfield gave his blessing for Starz to recast the role when he announced he would not return. He died on September 11, 2011, from complications of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. He was 39 years old. ''Spartacus'' series creator Steven S. DeKnight said in an interview, "There are a 'couple of very strong candidates' for the role of Spartacus, and season two should begin production in New Zealand in April 2011." DeKnight added that the ''Spartacus'' producers and Starz executives weren't always sure they would go forward without Andy Whitfield, who they said had brought "gravity and heart" to the role of the famous warrior. "It's unheard of to recast your titular character in a television show, and we did a lot of soul searching about whether we even wanted to try," DeKnight said. "And then Andy hitfieldsaid, 'I really think the show should go forward without me. I give you the blessing. I want this story told. On January 17, 2011, it was announced that Australian film and TV actor Liam McIntyre had been selected to replace Whitfield. On February 26, 2011, interview with ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...

'', DeKnight revealed that the second season was set to air "the end of January" 2012. Additionally, he revealed that

, the actress who portrayed the slave Naevia, would also not be able to return for season 2 due to the delay in production. On August 1, 2011, Starz released a trailer indicating that the long-delayed second season would premiere in January 2012, under the new subtitle, ''Spartacus: Vengeance''. Over two months before the premiere, on November 7, 2011, Starz announced that it was renewing ''Spartacus'' for a third season–a second year with Liam McIntyre in the titular role; and fourth year on the air overall. The second season eventually premiered on January 27, 2012. On June 1, 2012, Starz released a teaser video of the next season on YouTube. On June 4, 2012, Starz announced that the 3rd season of Spartacus (War of the Damned) will be the final one for the series. Starz released the first full trailer for ''Spartacus: War of the Damned'' on July 13, 2012.

Release

Broadcast

The series aired in Canada on TMN beginning on January 25, 2010.

RTL 5 RTL 5 is a Dutch free-to-cable television channel that was launched on 2 October 1993, during the 4th anniversary of its sister channel. It mainly broadcasts American films and hit series but also reality shows, comedy, travel, international show ...

announced in their January newsletter that ''Spartacus: Blood and Sand'' will debut in the Netherlands in March. In the United Kingdom,

Bravo Bravo(s) or The Bravo(s) may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music Groups and labels * Bravo (band), a Russian rock band * Bravo (Spanish group), represented Spain at Eurovision 1984 * Bravo Music, an American concert band music publishing compa ...

began airing the series on May 25, 2010. Following the closure of Bravo on UK television,

Sky1 Sky One was a British pay television channel operated and owned by Sky Group (a division of Comcast). Originally launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, it was Europe's first satellite and non- terrestrial channel. From 31 July 1989 ...

picked up the rights to the series and continued to air all subsequent seasons. In conjunction with the UK airings of ''Spartacus: War of the Damned'' on Monday nights at 10pm, a Tweet-a-long was held from the officia
Spartacus Twitter page
in which fans posted tweets during the episode, using the hashtag #SpartacusWarOfTheDamned. The series premiered in Poland on HBO Poland starting from June 19, 2010 and in Hungary o
HBO Magyarország
starting from June 1, 2010. The series aired in Ireland on

TV3 Channel 3 or TV 3 may refer to: Television *Canal 3 (Burkina Faso), a commercial television channel in Burkina Faso * Canal 3 Niger, a commercial television channel in Niger * Canal 3 (Guatemala), a commercial television channel in Guatemala * Can ...

. In Brazil, the show aired on

Globosat Globosat, was a Brazilian pay television content service, part of Grupo Globo. Established in 1991, after the Cable Television in Brazil, creation of subscription television services in Brazil, with 29 channels and over 1,000 employees, it is ...

HD. In Turkey, the show was released on CNBC-E TV, while in Italy, Sky Television was the broadcaster who gained the rights of the series. In India and Pakistan, the show aired on HBO. In Slovenia, the series started airing on

Kanal A Kanal A is the first Slovenian commercial television station. The channel, which operates within PRO PLUS d.o.o., has national coverage. Its primary target group are viewers 18–49 years. Viewers can watch news on Svet, which is broadcast on ...

on January 2, 2012, from Monday to Friday at 9.45 pm. In 2014, Syfy began to air an edited version of the series. Between 2016 and 2020 the series was available on

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

Home media

The DVD and

Blu-ray Disc Blu-ray (Blu-ray Disc or BD) is a Digital media, digital optical disc data storage format designed to supersede the DVD format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released worldwide on June 20, 2006, capable of storing several hours of ...

sets of each season were released in various regions after their television broadcast. These DVDs were released by

Anchor Bay Entertainment The revived Anchor Bay Entertainment is an American independent film production and distribution company owned by Umbrelic Entertainment co-founders Thomas Zambeck and Brian Katz. Anchor Bay Entertainment markets and releases "new release genre ...

, a division of Starz. Some international home media releases were distributed by

20th Century Fox Home Entertainment 20th Century Home Entertainment (previously known as Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, LLC. and also known as 20th Century Studios Home Entertainment) was a home video distribution arm that distributes films produced by 20th Century Stud ...

Reception

The premiere episode of the series set a record for Starz, with 553,000 viewers on their network, and another 460,000 on

Encore An encore is an additional performance given by performers at the conclusion of a show or concert, usually in response to extended applause from the audience.Lalange Cochrane, in ''Oxford Companion to Music'', Alison Latham, ed., Oxford Universi ...

, where the show was available only that weekend. For the rest of the season the show had an average of 1.285 million viewers. Critical reception of the first episode was mixed; the review aggregate website

Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...

which assigns a normalized average score out of 100 gave the show a score of 54% based on 22 reviews. Ken Tucker of ''

'' gave it the grade B+, saying it "might prove to be the not-at-all-guilty pleasure of the season." Barry Garron of ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

'' suggested that with "such thin stories... it's small wonder that sex and violence are used to take up the slack." Robert Lloyd of the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

'' wrote that John Hannah as Batiatus "keeps the show grounded with a persuasive portrait of a man engaged in a stressful daily business." Mark Perigard of the ''

Boston Herald The ''Boston Herald'' is an American conservative daily newspaper whose primary market is Boston, Massachusetts, and its surrounding area. It was founded in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States. It has been awarde ...

'' gave the season finale a positive review, rating it a B+. He commented on the improvement of the series throughout its first season.

Accolades

Other media

Board game

In 2012 Gale Force Nine announced the creation of licensed

board game A board game is a type of tabletop game that involves small objects () that are placed and moved in particular ways on a specially designed patterned game board, potentially including other components, e.g. dice. The earliest known uses of the ...

based on the Spartacus series. The English language release of the game ''Spartacus: A Game of Blood and Treachery'' had a limited release at

Gen Con Gen Con is the largest tabletop game convention in North America by both attendance and number of events. It features traditional pen-and-paper, board, and card games, including role-playing games, miniatures wargames, live action role-playing ...

2012 and a general release to game and hobby stores on September 28, 2012.

Comics

In 2009, Devil's Due published a four-part prequel comic series, titled ''Spartacus – Blood And Sand''. Each issue spotlighted a character from the upcoming television series, mostly the minor gladiator rivals of the main cast. The series was adapted as a 4-part motion comic adaptation called ''Spartacus – Blood and Sand – Motion Comic''.

Ray Park Raymond Park (born 23 August 1974) is a British actor, martial artist and stuntman. He is best known for physically portraying Darth Maul in '' Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace'' and '' Solo: A Star Wars Story'', along with a motion ...

and Heath Freeman were cast.

Kyle Newman Kyle Newman (born March 16, 1976) is an American filmmaker, actor and author. He is best known for directing '' Fanboys'' (2009), and has since directed '' Barely Lethal'' (2015), and '' 1Up'' (2022). Early life and education Newman was born i ...

was the director, and the producers were Andy Collen and Jeff Krelitz.

Novels

In 2012

Titan Books Titan Publishing Group is the publishing division of the British entertainment company Titan Entertainment, which was established as Titan Books in 1981. The books division has two main areas of publishing: film and television tie-ins and cine ...

announced the publication of a series of novels based on Spartacus: Blood and Sand. The first one, titled ''Spartacus: Swords & Ashes'', was written by J.M. Clements and released on January 3, 2012. The second book in the series, ''Spartacus: Morituri'' by Mark Morris, was released in August 2012.

Video game

In 2012,

Ubisoft Ubisoft Entertainment SA (; ; formerly Ubi Soft Entertainment SA) is a French video game publisher headquartered in Saint-Mandé with development studios across the world. Its video game franchises include '' Anno'', '' Assassin's Creed'', ' ...

announced that they would be publishing a video game based on the series. The game, titled ''

Spartacus Legends ''Spartacus Legends'' is a discontinued free-to-play video game based on the Starz television series ''Spartacus''. Developed by Kung Fu Factory and published by Ubisoft, ''Spartacus Legends'' was released on PlayStation Network and Xbox Live ...

'', has been developed by

Kung Fu Factory Kung Fu Factory is an American video game developer located in Los Angeles, California in the United States. History The company was formerly known as Just Games Interactive, which developed '' Mortal Kombat: Unchained'' and '' Mortal Kombat: ...

and was released on June 26, 2013, on

Xbox Live The Xbox network, formerly known and commonly referred to as Xbox Live, is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft Gaming for the Xbox brand. It was first made available to the origina ...

and the

PlayStation Network PlayStation Network (PSN) is a digital media entertainment service provided by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Launched in November 2006, PSN was originally conceived for the PlayStation video game consoles, but soon extended to encompass smartp ...

Sequel series

On February 9, 2023, Starz announced that they were developing a revival and sequel series to ''Spartacus'', with DeKnight returning to write for the series. On November 9, 2023, Starz greenlit a 10-episode sequel series titled ''Spartacus: House of Ashur''. DeKnight returning to serve as showrunner and executive producer and Nick E. Tarabay to reprise the role of the titular character. The show features an alternate history for Ashur, where he was not killed on Mount Vesuvius. Instead he is gifted the ludus formerly owned by Batiatus in return for aiding the Romans in ending the slave rebellion. In July 2024,

Graham McTavish Graham McTavish (born 4 January 1961) is a Scottish actor and author. He is known for his roles as Dwalin in ''The Hobbit'' film trilogy, The Saint of Killers in the AMC series ''Preacher'', Dougal MacKenzie and William Buccleigh MacKenzie in t ...

, Tenika Davis, Ivana Baquero, Jamaica Vaughan,

Jordi Webber Jordi Webber (born 25 May 1994) is a New Zealand actor and musician. He came to prominence as a member of the boyband Titanium, which was formed in 2012 as part of a competition run by The Edge radio station. The band's first single " Come On Hom ...

Claudia Black Claudia Lee Black (born 11 October 1972) is an Australian actress, best known for her portrayals of Aeryn Sun in ''Farscape'', Vala Mal Doran in ''Stargate SG-1'' and Sharon "Shazza" Montgomery in the film '' Pitch Black''. She has had promi ...

, India Shaw-Smith,

Cameron Rhodes Cameron Rhodes (born 1 August 1967) is a New Zealand film and theatrical actor and director. Life and career Rhodes graduated from Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School in 1987 with a Diploma in Acting. He has appeared in various TV shows (in ...

and Leigh Gill added to the cast.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Spartacus (TV series) 2010s American LGBTQ-related drama television series Gay-related television shows 2010 American television series debuts 2013 American television series endings American English-language television shows American action television series Saturn Award–winning television series Serial drama television series Television dramas set in ancient Rome Television shows filmed in New Zealand Starz original programming Epic television series Bisexuality-related television series Television series created by Sam Raimi Television series set in the 1st century BC Cultural depictions of Mithridates VI Eupator Cultural depictions of Marcus Licinius Crassus Depictions of Julius Caesar on television