Spartacus: Blood and Sand
Encyclopedia
Spartacus: Blood and Sand is a Starz television series that premiered on January 22, 2010. The series is inspired by the historical figure of Spartacus
(played by Andy Whitfield
), a Thracian gladiator
who from 73 to 71 BC led a major slave uprising
against the Roman Republic
. Executive producers Steven S. DeKnight
and Robert Tapert
focused on structuring the events of Spartacus' obscure early life leading up to the beginning of historical records. The show has been rated TV-MA for graphic violence, strong sexual content, and coarse language.
The show was initially renewed for a second season but production was delayed because Whitfield was diagnosed with early-stage non-Hodgkin lymphoma
. Due to the delay, Starz produced a six-episode prequel
series, entitled Spartacus: Gods of the Arena
. Pre-production of season 2 began following the announcement that Whitfield was cancer free, however his cancer recurred so Starz replaced Whitfield (with his consent) with actor Liam McIntyre
, who will play Spartacus for season two, to be titled Spartacus: Vengeance
. Andy Whitfield died on September 11, 2011.
in a campaign against the Getae
(Dacian
tribes that occupied the regions south of the Lower Danube
, in what is today northern Bulgaria
, and north of the Lower Danube, in Romania
) under the command of the legatus
, Claudius Glaber
. In 72-71 BC, Roman
general Marcus Terentius Varro Lucullus
, proconsul
of the Roman province of Macedonia
, marched against the Getae, who were allies of Rome's enemy, Mithridates VI of Pontus
. 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, decides to break off attacking the Getae and directly confront 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
arena for his crime, while Sura is taken away, condemned to slavery
. The Thracian is shipped to Capua
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, Lentulus Batiatus
, 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 Doctore, a former gladiator and fellow slave. 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
, an undefeated Gaul
, and Barca, a Carthaginian. Spartacus soon learns that Sura was sold to a Syrian
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 further training Spartacus attains the status of a living legend and is named the "Champion of Capua". 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.
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 discover that Batiatus arranged Sura's death. Knowing that it is all or nothing when it comes to resistance of 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 (who 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 who is tasked with opening the gate to the villa from the training area. Crixus resists aiding Spartacus in hopes of reuniting with Naevia. 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 the guards and some guests, Crixus persuades Doctore to join him with Spartacus, 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 ends up being eluded, Crixus grievously wounds Batiatus' wife, Lucretia, with a sword stab to her abdomen piercing her womb and killing their unborn child, 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".
and the look from Gladiator
.
It also contains many unusual traits purportedly intended to convey a sense of authenticity. In English, the sentence structure seems archaic, as it follows something closer to Latin rules. For example, the definite and indefinite articles ("the" and "a", in English) are avoided in many situations, and the word "yes", which is absent in classical Latin, is replaced by affirming phrases, such as "that is my desire".
The program is preceded by a very specific warning, that it purports to portray a "historical portrayal of ancient Roman society that contains graphic violence and adult content". Incidental nudity and scenes of a sexual or of a violent nature are present throughout.
However in September 2010, Starz announced that Whitfield's cancer had returned and he had decided not to return for season 2, then tentatively scheduled for September 2011. Starz said that the show would nevertheless continue, and planned on recasting the role of Spartacus in the wake of Whitfield's exit. Whitfield also gave his blessing for Starz to recast the role when he announced he would not return. Whitfield died on September 11, 2011, from complications of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
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 [Whitfield] said, 'I really think the show should go forward without me. I give you the blessing. I want this story told.
On Jan. 17, 2011, it was announced that Australian film and TV actor Liam McIntyre had been selected to replace Whitfield.
On Feb. 26, 2011 interview with Entertainment Weekly
, DeKnight revealed that the second season was set to air "the end of January" 2012. Additionally, he revealed that Lesley-Ann Brandt
, the actress who portrayed the slave Naevia, would also not be able to return for season 2 due to the delay in production.
On Aug. 1, 2011, Starz released a trailer indicating the new series will premiere in January, 2012.
Critical reception of the first episode was mixed; the review aggregate website Metacritic
which assigns a normalized average score out of 100 gave the show a score of 54% based on 22 reviews.
Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly
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 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
wrote that John Hannah
as Batiatus "keeps the show grounded with a persuasive portrait of a man engaged in a stressful daily business" and called Whitfield as Spartacus "handsome and buff and smart and beastly."
Mark Perigard of the Boston Herald
gave the season finale a positive review, rating it a B+. He commented on the improvement of the series throughout its first season.
beginning on January 25, 2010. RTL 5
announced in their January newsletter that Spartacus: Blood and Sand will debut in the Netherlands in March. In the United Kingdom, Bravo began airing the series on May 25, 2010. Following the axe of Bravo on UK television, Sky1 has now picked up the rights to the series and will air all subsequent seasons. The series is also scheduled to premiere in Poland on HBO Poland starting from June 19, 2010 and in Hungary on HBO Magyarország starting from June 1, 2010. The series airs in Ireland on TV3. In Brazil, the show airs on Globosat HD. In Turkey the show releases on CNBC-E TV, while in Italy Sky Television is the broadcaster who gained the rights of the series. In India and Pakistan, the show is currently airing (as of June 2011) on HBO.
, began production in August 2010 and consisted of six episodes. It premiered on January 21, 2011. It tells the story of Batiatus' struggle to revive the fortunes of his family's ludus in the face of strong opposition from his father and from Capuan rivals. Gannicus is his champion gladiator.
Spartacus
Spartacus was a famous leader of the slaves in the Third Servile War, a major slave uprising against the Roman Republic. Little is known about Spartacus beyond the events of the war, and surviving historical accounts are sometimes contradictory and may not always be reliable...
(played by Andy Whitfield
Andy Whitfield
Andy Whitfield was a Welsh actor and model. He was best known for his leading role in the Starz television series Spartacus: Blood and Sand during 2010, a year before his death at the age of 39.-Career:...
), a Thracian gladiator
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 legal and social standing and their lives by appearing in the...
who from 73 to 71 BC led a major slave uprising
Third Servile War
The Third Servile War , also called the Gladiator War and the War of Spartacus by Plutarch, was the last of a series of unrelated and unsuccessful slave rebellions against the Roman Republic, known collectively as the Roman Servile Wars...
against the Roman Republic
Roman Republic
The Roman Republic was the period of the ancient Roman civilization where the government operated as a republic. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, traditionally dated around 508 BC, and its replacement by a government headed by two consuls, elected annually by the citizens and...
. Executive producers Steven S. DeKnight
Steven S. DeKnight
Steven S. DeKnight is an American television screenwriter, producer, and director. He is best known for working on Smallville, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Angel. He has also written "Swell", a story in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer season eight comic series, and served as a consulting producer...
and Robert Tapert
Robert Tapert
Robert Gerard Tapert , sometimes credited as Rob Tapert, Robert G. Tapert, or Rip Tapert, is an American film producer, best known for his co-founding of, and his subsequent work with, the Renaissance Pictures company....
focused on structuring the events of Spartacus' obscure early life leading up to the beginning of historical records. The show has been rated TV-MA for graphic violence, strong sexual content, and coarse language.
The show was initially renewed for a second season but production was delayed because Whitfield was diagnosed with early-stage non-Hodgkin lymphoma
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma
The non-Hodgkin lymphomas are a diverse group of blood cancers that include any kind of lymphoma except Hodgkin's lymphomas. Types of NHL vary significantly in their severity, from indolent to very aggressive....
. Due to the delay, Starz produced a six-episode prequel
Prequel
A prequel is a work that supplements a previously completed one, and has an earlier time setting.The widely recognized term was a 20th-century neologism, and a portmanteau from pre- and sequel...
series, entitled Spartacus: Gods of the Arena
Spartacus: Gods of the Arena
Spartacus: Gods of the Arena is a Starz television mini-series and prequel to Spartacus: Blood and Sand, which premiered January 21, 2011. The series follows the character Gannicus , the first gladiator to become Champion of Capua representing Lentulus Batiatus...
. Pre-production of season 2 began following the announcement that Whitfield was cancer free, however his cancer recurred so Starz replaced Whitfield (with his consent) with actor Liam McIntyre
Liam McIntyre
Liam McIntyre is an Australian actor most known for his work in several short films and guest starring roles in Australian TV series...
, who will play Spartacus for season two, to be titled Spartacus: Vengeance
Spartacus: Vengeance
Spartacus: Vengeance is a Starz television series and the second season and sequel to Spartacus: Blood and Sand, and is scheduled to premiere on January 27, 2012...
. Andy Whitfield died on September 11, 2011.
Plot
The story begins with an unnamed Thracian's involvement in a unit of Roman auxiliaryAuxiliaries (Roman military)
Auxiliaries formed the standing non-citizen corps of the Roman army of the Principate , alongside the citizen legions...
in a campaign against the Getae
Getae
The Getae was the name given by the Greeks to several Thracian tribes that occupied the regions south of the Lower Danube, in what is today northern Bulgaria, and north of the Lower Danube, in Romania...
(Dacian
Dacians
The Dacians were an Indo-European people, very close or part of the Thracians. Dacians were the ancient inhabitants of Dacia...
tribes that occupied the regions south of the Lower Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
, in what is today northern Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, and north of the Lower Danube, in Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
) under the command of the legatus
Legatus
A legatus was a general in the Roman army, equivalent to a modern general officer. Being of senatorial rank, his immediate superior was the dux, and he outranked all military tribunes...
, Claudius Glaber
Gaius Claudius Glaber
Gaius Claudius Glaber was a Roman praetor and legatus in 73 BC. He tried but failed to hem in Spartacus and his fellow slaves on Mt. Vesuvius during the Third Servile War. The rebels were trapped by a narrow passage, the only way leading up. Without the Roman cohorts knowing, Spartacus and his men...
. In 72-71 BC, Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
general Marcus Terentius Varro Lucullus
Marcus Terentius Varro Lucullus
Marcus Terentius Varro Lucullus , 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 defeated the Bessi in Thrace and advanced to the Danube and the west coast of the...
, proconsul
Proconsul
A proconsul was a governor of a province in the Roman Republic appointed for one year by the senate. In modern usage, the title has been used for a person from one country ruling another country or bluntly interfering in another country's internal affairs.-Ancient Rome:In the Roman Republic, a...
of the Roman province of Macedonia
Macedonia (Roman province)
The Roman province of Macedonia was officially established in 146 BC, after the Roman general Quintus Caecilius Metellus defeated Andriscus of Macedon, the last Ancient King of Macedon in 148 BC, and after the four client republics established by Rome in the region were dissolved...
, marched against the Getae, who were allies of Rome's enemy, Mithridates VI of Pontus
Mithridates VI of Pontus
Mithridates VI or Mithradates VI Mithradates , from Old Persian Mithradatha, "gift of Mithra"; 134 BC – 63 BC, also known as Mithradates the Great and Eupator Dionysius, was king of Pontus and Armenia Minor in northern Anatolia from about 120 BC to 63 BC...
. 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, decides to break off attacking the Getae and directly confront 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
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 legal and social standing and their lives by appearing in the...
arena for his crime, while Sura is taken away, condemned to slavery
Slavery in ancient Rome
The institution of slavery in ancient Rome played an important role in society and the Roman economy. Besides manual labor on farms and in mines, slaves performed many domestic services and a variety of other tasks, such as accounting...
. The Thracian is shipped to Capua
Capua
Capua is a city and comune in the province of Caserta, Campania, southern Italy, situated 25 km north of Naples, on the northeastern edge of the Campanian plain. Ancient Capua was situated where Santa Maria Capua Vetere is now...
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, Lentulus Batiatus
Lentulus Batiatus
Gnaeus Cornelius Lentulus Batiatus was the Roman owner of a gladiatorial school in Capua , in southern Italy. It was from this school that in 73 BC, the Thracian slave, Spartacus, and about 70 to 78 followers, escaped...
, 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 Doctore, a former gladiator and fellow slave. 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
Crixus was a leader of the slave rebellion in the Third Servile War, along with Spartacus and Oenomaus.He was a Gaul , and had been a slave for several years before the revolt. Crixus had fought for the Allobroges against the Romans and had been captured. Like his companions, Crixus had trained as...
, an undefeated Gaul
Gaul
Gaul was a region of Western Europe during the Iron Age and Roman era, encompassing present day France, Luxembourg and Belgium, most of Switzerland, the western part of Northern Italy, as well as the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the left bank of the Rhine. The Gauls were the speakers of...
, and Barca, a Carthaginian. Spartacus soon learns that Sura was sold to a Syrian
Seleucid Empire
The Seleucid Empire was a Greek-Macedonian state that was created out of the eastern conquests of Alexander the Great. At the height of its power, it included central Anatolia, the Levant, Mesopotamia, Persia, today's Turkmenistan, Pamir and parts of Pakistan.The Seleucid Empire was a major centre...
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 further training Spartacus attains the status of a living legend and is named the "Champion of Capua". 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.
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 discover that Batiatus arranged Sura's death. Knowing that it is all or nothing when it comes to resistance of 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 (who 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 who is tasked with opening the gate to the villa from the training area. Crixus resists aiding Spartacus in hopes of reuniting with Naevia. 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 the guards and some guests, Crixus persuades Doctore to join him with Spartacus, 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 ends up being eluded, Crixus grievously wounds Batiatus' wife, Lucretia, with a sword stab to her abdomen piercing her womb and killing their unborn child, 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".
Cast and characters
- Andy WhitfieldAndy WhitfieldAndy Whitfield was a Welsh actor and model. He was best known for his leading role in the Starz television series Spartacus: Blood and Sand during 2010, a year before his death at the age of 39.-Career:...
as SpartacusSpartacusSpartacus was a famous leader of the slaves in the Third Servile War, a major slave uprising against the Roman Republic. Little is known about Spartacus beyond the events of the war, and surviving historical accounts are sometimes contradictory and may not always be reliable...
– a ThracianThraciansThe ancient Thracians were a group of Indo-European tribes inhabiting areas including Thrace in Southeastern Europe. They spoke the Thracian language – a scarcely attested branch of the Indo-European language family...
slave who becomes a gladiator in the ludus of Lentulus Batiatus. - Erin CummingsErin CummingsErin Lynn Cummings is an American actress. She has appeared in the television shows Star Trek: Enterprise, Charmed, Dante's Cove, The Bold and the Beautiful, Cold Case, Dollhouse, Spartacus: Blood and Sand, and Detroit 1-8-7....
as Sura – the wife of Spartacus. - John HannahJohn Hannah (actor)John David Hannah is a Scottish actor of film and television. He has appeared in Stephen Sommers' Mummy Series, Richard Curtis' Four Weddings and a Funeral and Sliding Doors with Gwyneth Paltrow...
as Quintus Lentulus BatiatusLentulus BatiatusGnaeus Cornelius Lentulus Batiatus was the Roman owner of a gladiatorial school in Capua , in southern Italy. It was from this school that in 73 BC, the Thracian slave, Spartacus, and about 70 to 78 followers, escaped...
– a lanista and Spartacus' master. - Lucy LawlessLucy LawlessLucy Lawless, MNZM is a New Zealander actress and singer best known for playing the title character of the internationally successful television series Xena: Warrior Princess....
as Lucretia – Batiatus' wife. - Manu BennettManu BennettManu Bennett is an actor from New Zealand who has appeared in television series and movies.- Early life :Born in New Zealand, Bennett's mother was an Australian bikini model, his father a New Zealand singer. The family moved to Australia when Bennett was a few months old...
as CrixusCrixusCrixus was a leader of the slave rebellion in the Third Servile War, along with Spartacus and Oenomaus.He was a Gaul , and had been a slave for several years before the revolt. Crixus had fought for the Allobroges against the Romans and had been captured. Like his companions, Crixus had trained as...
– a GaulGaulGaul was a region of Western Europe during the Iron Age and Roman era, encompassing present day France, Luxembourg and Belgium, most of Switzerland, the western part of Northern Italy, as well as the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the left bank of the Rhine. The Gauls were the speakers of...
, he is Batiatus' top gladiator. Love interest of Naevia. - Peter MensahPeter MensahPeter Mensah , is an English/Ghanaian actor, best known for his roles in Tears of the Sun and 300, and more recently on the Starz original series, Spartacus: Blood and Sand and Spartacus: Gods of the Arena.-Early life:Mensah comes from an academic family...
as Doctore OenomausOenomaus (rebel slave)Oenomaus was a gladiator from Gaul, who escaped from the gladiatorial school of Lentulus Batiatus in Capua. Together with the Thracian Spartacus and a fellow Gaul, Crixus, he became one of the leaders of rebellious slaves during the Third Servile War , but died early in the war.Oenomaus was...
– Batiatus' trainer of gladiators. - Jai Courtney as Varro – a Roman citizen who sold himself to the ludusFavelaA favela is the generally used term for a shanty town in Brazil. In the late 18th century, the first settlements were called bairros africanos . This was the place where former slaves with no land ownership and no options for work lived. Over the years, many freed black slaves moved in...
to support his family. - Nick TarabayNick TarabayNick E. Tarabay is an American actor of Lebanese descent.- Early life :Tarabay was born in Tripoli, Lebanon to a large family. His mother and father still reside in Lebanon as does his younger brother and a large extended family of cousins, uncles and aunts. He moved to New York after high school...
as Ashur – a Syrian former gladiator whose leg was crippled in the arena by CrixusCrixusCrixus was a leader of the slave rebellion in the Third Servile War, along with Spartacus and Oenomaus.He was a Gaul , and had been a slave for several years before the revolt. Crixus had fought for the Allobroges against the Romans and had been captured. Like his companions, Crixus had trained as...
; now serves Batiatus as a bookkeeper and henchman. - Antonio Te MaiohaAntonio Te MaiohaAntonio Te Maioha is a television and film actor from New Zealand. He first came to international prominence when he played a gladiator named Barca in the television drama Spartacus: Blood and Sand.-Background:...
as Barca – nicknamed the "Beast of Carthage", he is one of Batiatus' most successful gladiators, serves as a bodyguardBodyguardA bodyguard is a type of security operative or government agent who protects a person—usually a famous, wealthy, or politically important figure—from assault, kidnapping, assassination, stalking, loss of confidential information, terrorist attack or other threats.Most important public figures such...
for his master. - Craig Walsh Wrightson as Solonius – a rival lanista to the House of Batiatus.
- Lesley-Ann BrandtLesley-Ann BrandtLesley-Ann Brandt is a South African-born actress who is based in Auckland, New Zealand, and Los Angeles, United States. Brandt has acted in a number of New Zealand television series and first came to international notice with her role as a slave girl Naevia in the series Spartacus: Blood and...
as Naevia – Lucretia's personal and loyal slave. Love interest of Crixus. - Viva BiancaViva BiancaViva Bianca is an Australian actress best known for her role as Ilithyia on the Starz network series Spartacus: Blood and Sand. Bianca graduated from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts where she received a best actress award...
as Ilithyia – the daughter of senator Albinius and wife of Glaber. - Katrina LawKatrina LawKatrina Law is an American actress of German, Italian and Taiwanese descent originally from New Jersey, USA. She represented New Jersey in the Miss Teen USA Pageant. Katrina is also the lead singer and bass player in her band "Soundboard Fiction"...
as Mira - a slave girl sent under threat of death to seduce Spartacus and become his lover. - Craig ParkerCraig ParkerCraig Parker is a New Zealand actor who was based in the United Kingdom for some time, but now resides in New Zealand. His grandfather moved from Edinburgh, Scotland to Fiji when he was stationed during his years of service in the British Army...
as Gaius Claudius GlaberGaius Claudius GlaberGaius Claudius Glaber was a Roman praetor and legatus in 73 BC. He tried but failed to hem in Spartacus and his fellow slaves on Mt. Vesuvius during the Third Servile War. The rebels were trapped by a narrow passage, the only way leading up. Without the Roman cohorts knowing, Spartacus and his men...
– a Roman armyRoman armyThe Roman army is the generic term for the terrestrial armed forces deployed by the kingdom of Rome , the Roman Republic , the Roman Empire and its successor, the Byzantine empire...
legatusLegatusA legatus was a general in the Roman army, equivalent to a modern general officer. Being of senatorial rank, his immediate superior was the dux, and he outranked all military tribunes...
who is responsible for Spartacus' enslavement as a gladiator.
Style
Spartacus is treated with a slightly overexposed video stylization, akin to the style used in the film 300300 (film)
300 is a 2007 American fantasy action film based on the 1998 comic series of the same name by Frank Miller. It is a fictionalized retelling of the Battle of Thermopylae. The film was directed by Zack Snyder, while Miller served as executive producer and consultant...
and the look from Gladiator
Gladiator (2000 film)
Gladiator is a 2000 historical epic film directed by Ridley Scott, starring Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Ralf Möller, Oliver Reed, Djimon Hounsou, Derek Jacobi, John Shrapnel and Richard Harris. Crowe portrays the loyal Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius, who is betrayed...
.
It also contains many unusual traits purportedly intended to convey a sense of authenticity. In English, the sentence structure seems archaic, as it follows something closer to Latin rules. For example, the definite and indefinite articles ("the" and "a", in English) are avoided in many situations, and the word "yes", which is absent in classical Latin, is replaced by affirming phrases, such as "that is my desire".
The program is preceded by a very specific warning, that it purports to portray a "historical portrayal of ancient Roman society that contains graphic violence and adult content". Incidental nudity and scenes of a sexual or of a violent nature are present throughout.
Production
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 star Whitfield being diagnosed with early-stage non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Due to the delay, Starz announced in May 2010 that it was developing a six-episode prequel series, entitled Spartacus: Gods of the Arena. The prequel features new and returning stars, headlining the roles of John Hannah as Batiatus, and Lucy Lawless as Lucretia. Star Andy 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.However in September 2010, Starz announced that Whitfield's cancer had returned and he had decided not to return for season 2, then tentatively scheduled for September 2011. Starz said that the show would nevertheless continue, and planned on recasting the role of Spartacus in the wake of Whitfield's exit. Whitfield also gave his blessing for Starz to recast the role when he announced he would not return. Whitfield died on September 11, 2011, from complications of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Spartacus series creator Steven S. DeKnight
Steven S. DeKnight
Steven S. DeKnight is an American television screenwriter, producer, and director. He is best known for working on Smallville, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Angel. He has also written "Swell", a story in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer season eight comic series, and served as a consulting producer...
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 [Whitfield] said, 'I really think the show should go forward without me. I give you the blessing. I want this story told.
On Jan. 17, 2011, it was announced that Australian film and TV actor Liam McIntyre had been selected to replace Whitfield.
On Feb. 26, 2011 interview with Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
, DeKnight revealed that the second season was set to air "the end of January" 2012. Additionally, he revealed that Lesley-Ann Brandt
Lesley-Ann Brandt
Lesley-Ann Brandt is a South African-born actress who is based in Auckland, New Zealand, and Los Angeles, United States. Brandt has acted in a number of New Zealand television series and first came to international notice with her role as a slave girl Naevia in the series Spartacus: Blood and...
, the actress who portrayed the slave Naevia, would also not be able to return for season 2 due to the delay in production.
On Aug. 1, 2011, Starz released a trailer indicating the new series will premiere in January, 2012.
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, 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
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
which assigns a normalized average score out of 100 gave the show a score of 54% based on 22 reviews.
Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
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 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
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
wrote that John Hannah
John Hannah (actor)
John David Hannah is a Scottish actor of film and television. He has appeared in Stephen Sommers' Mummy Series, Richard Curtis' Four Weddings and a Funeral and Sliding Doors with Gwyneth Paltrow...
as Batiatus "keeps the show grounded with a persuasive portrait of a man engaged in a stressful daily business" and called Whitfield as Spartacus "handsome and buff and smart and beastly."
Mark Perigard of the Boston Herald
Boston Herald
The Boston Herald is a daily newspaper that serves Boston, Massachusetts, United States, and its surrounding area. It was started in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States...
gave the season finale a positive review, rating it a B+. He commented on the improvement of the series throughout its first season.
Broadcast
The series aired in Canada on TMNThe Movie Network
The Movie Network is a Canadian English language Category A premium television service, owned by Astral Media. The service is licensed to operate east of the Ontario-Manitoba border, excluding the territories...
beginning on January 25, 2010. RTL 5
RTL 5
RTL 5 is the 2nd channel of the RTL Group in the Netherlands. The channel mainly broadcasts American films and hit series but also local productions including Jensen! and Holland's Next Top Model, a Dutch version of America's Next Top Model. RTL 5 recently started airing the Dutch version of...
announced in their January newsletter that Spartacus: Blood and Sand will debut in the Netherlands in March. In the United Kingdom, Bravo began airing the series on May 25, 2010. Following the axe of Bravo on UK television, Sky1 has now picked up the rights to the series and will air all subsequent seasons. The series is also scheduled to premiere in Poland on HBO Poland starting from June 19, 2010 and in Hungary on HBO Magyarország starting from June 1, 2010. The series airs in Ireland on TV3. In Brazil, the show airs on Globosat HD. In Turkey the show releases on CNBC-E TV, while in Italy Sky Television is the broadcaster who gained the rights of the series. In India and Pakistan, the show is currently airing (as of June 2011) on HBO.
Prequel
The prequel miniseries, Spartacus: Gods of the ArenaSpartacus: Gods of the Arena
Spartacus: Gods of the Arena is a Starz television mini-series and prequel to Spartacus: Blood and Sand, which premiered January 21, 2011. The series follows the character Gannicus , the first gladiator to become Champion of Capua representing Lentulus Batiatus...
, began production in August 2010 and consisted of six episodes. It premiered on January 21, 2011. It tells the story of Batiatus' struggle to revive the fortunes of his family's ludus in the face of strong opposition from his father and from Capuan rivals. Gannicus is his champion gladiator.