Every season of the Starz historical drama seriesSpartacus is a masterpiece, known for great storytelling, poetic dialogue, mind-blowing CGI, and some of the greatest action sequences ever seen on television. The spin-off, House of Ashur, is excellent, too. However, Season 1 of the original series (titled “Blood and Sand”) holds a special place in the hearts of many fans because of the incredible performance of Andy Whitfield, who sadly succumbed to stage IV non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
“Blood and Sand” is equally adored for its focus on gladiatorial combat. From Season 2, events spill over to random battlefields as Spartacus and the escaped slaves attempt to take down Rome. The prequel season, “Gods of Arena,” also has plenty of gladiatorial combat, but it’s too short. Luckily, I come bearing good news for those yearning for more gladiator fights. The perfect Spartacus replacement exists. Released in 2025, the National Geographic docuseries Gladiators: Warriors of the Ancient World will leave you informed and entertained.
‘Gladiators: Warriors of the Ancient World’ Dives Deeper Into Spartacus
Gladiators: Warriors of the Ancient World opens with the story of Spartacus in 75 BCE (Late Roman Republic). After being sold into slavery, he becomes a revered champion of the sands, much to the consternation of the higher-ups who wished him dead. Later, he leads a massive slave rebellion that exposes the fragility of Rome’s military complex and the government’s weak policies, leading to major reforms (something Spartacus leaves out).
Episode 2 takes us to 60 CE (the early Roman Empire), introducing us to Spiculus. Through skill and charm, the gladiator works himself into the good graces of Emperor Nero as well as Rome’s rich and well-connected. Thanks to his celebrity status, he is allowed to shack up with who he pleases, the kind of scenes that would have made for great viewing in the Starz series.
The third episode (70s CE) reminds us that Rome wasn’t a Utopia. Despite the rapid growth in infrastructure, many citizens were caught up in the grips of economic hardship. One of them was Maccus Attilus, who gladly volunteered to train and fight in Pompeii’s famous amphitheater so that he could pay off his debts. Surprisingly, he performed extremely well. Episode 4 (80 CE) then covers only what Ridley Scott’s Gladiator movies have addressed (beast hunting), though kind of inaccurately. We see the adventures of Carpophorus, the famous enslaved man who slew 20 ferocious predators in a single day during the reign of Emperor Titus.
The fifth episode (192 CE) offers the stage to Emperor Commodus… Crazy dude! Commodus took Panem et circenses to a new level by offering to fight, too. Dressed up as Hercules, he surprisingly defeated many gladiators. But what are the odds that he was only given weaker opponents? The six-episode series then ends with the story of Flamma, a Syrian soldier captured and forced to fight after deserting the Roman military. So addicted was he to fighting that he rejected the rudis (the wooden sword symbolizing freedom) so that he’d keep shedding blood.
Do We Need More ‘Spartacus’?
Despite an incredible first season that earned plenty of praise from critics and triggered endless debate among the fanbase, the spinoff, House of Ashur, was sadly canceled by Starz. The action-packed ending left everyone wanting more, only for the network to bring down the axe. Series creator Steven S. DeKnight has assured fans that the offshoot will be shopped around to other platforms because Starz doesn’t own it. That’s good news, but do we need more?
Initially, I was angry about the cancellation, but after much thought, I believe the best thing for Steven S. DeKnight to do would be to create more shows about Rome. There are so many great stories to tell, even if we focus on gladiators only. Gladiators: Warriors of the Ancient World proved this. If DeKnight picked one of the characters featured in the Nat Geo docuseries and made a show about them, all Spartacus fans would gladly pounce.
Taylor Sheridan has proven that you can tell different stories featuring the same types of characters, and audiences will continue devouring it. The famous writer-producer has several neo-Western shows and keeps making more without anyone complaining of boredom. Steven S. DeKnight could also dig deeper and deeper into the Roman Empire and the Roman Republic. If he is unwilling to do so, someone else should grab the opportunity, as this field is currently less crowded.
- Release Date
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2010 – 2013-00-00
- Network
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Starz
- Directors
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Jesse Warn, Michael Hurst, Rick Jacobson, Mark Beesley, T.J. Scott, Chris Martin-Jones, Brendan Maher, Glenn Standring, Grady Hall, John Fawcett
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
