Spartacus
Last night I watched Spartacus with a friend (see post picture). We enjoyed watching the inspiring tale of a slave revolt led by a man portrayed as loving freedom and fighting honorably for its acquisition.
Spartacus begins with an introduction to the main character, Spartacus, who is a Thracian slave. After biting the ankle of one of his superiors, he is left out to starve as an example to the other slaves. He is saved, however, when a gladiator trainer comes and purchases him. He is brought off to gladiator school, where he and the other gladiators are trained. This is where he meets his love interest and future wife, Varinia. When they first meet, however, it is because the gladiator school gives women to the gladiators they like the best as a reward. Spartacus decides not to treat Varinia as a piece of sexual meat when she is given to them because his captors are watching and want to see him act like an animal (which he refuses to do). They then take Varinia away and torment him by keeping her from him, but their love grows after this.
Eventually, Crassus comes with Glabrus and some women who want to see a private gladiator fight to the death (which the gladiator trainer never does because it’s bad for morale). A steep price is offered, however, and the gladiator trainer consents. Spartacus is chosen to be one of the gladiators to fight, but even though his opponent bests him, his life is spared when said opponent then turns and attacks the spectators. For this, he is strung up dead to rot in the slaves’ barracks as a warning to the others. This makes all the gladiators uneasy, and a revolt subsequently breaks out during a meal. Spartacus and his fellow gladiators overrun their captors and begin pillaging. When Spartacus sees the others treating Romans the way they had previously been treated, he stops them, calls them to be the bigger men, and releases the Romans who were being forced to fight to the death. He then leads his people on their revolt, setting slaves free and building an army of freed slaves. Glabrus, having been given command of Rome’s garrison, takes six cohorts to go squash the slave rebellion. Because he seems them as mere slaves, he is careless and doesn’t build a moat and blockade. He is therefore easily overrun, and returns to Rome in shame. Crassus eventually takes control of the army and goes to crush the revolt, making deals to ruin their plans to escape by sea on pirate ships. The two armies face off, and Spartacus’ army is defeated. He is later crucified along the road to Rome with all the other survivors.
I enjoyed this movie and found it very moving. My friends and I got a good chuckle out of the outdated effects used to make it look like a man’s arm was cut off. I also found it interesting to hear the conversation between Glabrus and Crassus about how Crassus refused to march on Rome. He said he wanted to save Rome and its traditions, and not violate Rome in the process. In this conversation, Glabrus brings up Sulla, and Crassus denounces Sulla’s actions as bringing infamy to Sulla’s name. This demonstrates the Roman conception of infamia.
