The life of Spartacus, the gladiator who led a rebellion against the Romans. From his time as an ally of the Romans, to his betrayal and becoming a gladiator, to the rebellion he leads and its ultimate outcome.

The inspiration behind this series is the Thracian Gladiator Spartacus, who led a slave uprising against the Roman Republic. The Thracians had been persuaded by Claudius Glaber to serve as auxiliaries in the Roman legions in a campaign against the Getae, who had often plundered Thracian lands. However after Glaber reneges on the deal and switches his attentions from the Getae to attack Mithridates in Asia Minor, the Thracians feel betrayed and mutiny. Captured by Glaber, Spartacus is condemned to death as a Gladiator, whilst his wife Sura is condemned to slavery. Spartacus, however, proves to be a formidable gladiator, and defeats the four gladiators tasked with executing him. He becomes a favorite of the crowd, leading Senator Albinius to commute his death sentence to a life of slavery. Spartacus is purchased by Batiatus for gladiator training, who promises to help him find Sura if he proves himself in training. As the series develops, the story follows the betrayals and machinations of Roman life and a tale of one man's heroic quest for vengeance.—WellardRockard

The Roman Republic, circa 71 BC. Against the backdrop of Capua's slave-owning oligarchy and the campaign against the tribe of the Getae, a Thracian warrior named Spartacus finds himself double-crossed by Gaius Claudius Glaber, a power-hungry Roman legatus. Condemned to slavery, instead, Spartacus escapes death and proves his mettle on the blood-stained sand of the arena as a gladiator of the rising House of Batiatus: the training academy of the rapaciously ambitious lanista, Quintus Lentulus Batiatus. But as the newcomer rises through the ranks, Spartacus' fervent desire to avenge the death of his beloved ones paves the way for rebellion and freedom. Now, bent on making Rome tremble, Spartacus and his loyal generals, brave brothers-in-arms dedicated to the cause, embark on a noble mission to wage war on the Republic, forcing the Roman Senate to enlist the help of a new formidable adversary to defend her honour, the ruthless Senator Marcus Licinius Crassus. And in the face of impossible odds, the stage is set for the ultimate confrontation between the Rebel Army and Crassus' legions.—Nick Riganas