Spartacus was a heroic, rebel gladiator.
According to legend, Spartacus fought for his freedom as a gladiator. After falling in love and conceiving a child, Spartacus and his army were captured. In a show of unity, Spartacus' men all claimed to be Spartacus, costing all of them their lives and dooming them to be crucified. Before he died, Spartacus learned that his son was born a free man.
Homer's tale of Spartacus convinced the judges to admit him into the Athens Academy.
Background information[]
- Spartacus was portrayed by Kirk Douglas in clips shown from the 1960 film Spartacus.
- Spartacus was a real-life figure whose life and command in the Third Servile War would serve as the historical basis of the Sam Raimi-Rob Tapert series Spartacus: Blood and Sand. That series stars Manu Bennett, Lucy Lawless, Antonio Te Maioho, and Craig Parker. Joseph LoDuca is the musical director and Michael Hurst has directed several episodes, as has Rick Jacobson.