Spartacus was not born a slave — he was a free Thracian warrior who ended up in a Roman gladiatorial school, and the revolt he led from that arena grew into the largest slave rebellion the ancient world had ever seen. At its peak, his army of freed slaves defeated multiple Roman legions and terrorized the Italian peninsula for two years.

This episode follows Spartacus from the gladiatorial barracks of Capua through his stunning military victories and the desperate final stand that ended in crucifixion along the Appian Way — exploring why Rome feared this rebellion more than any foreign invasion.

• How Spartacus escaped a gladiatorial school with seventy fighters and kitchen knives
• The brilliant guerrilla tactics that humiliated Roman legions sent to crush the revolt
• Why Spartacus chose to march south instead of esca ...