We saw them in the harbour.
The Cilician fleet...
out of strategic necessity, has been obliged to withdraw.
- Withdraw? - There are no ships at all?
Cilician pirates can destroy any Roman fleet that ever sailed.
If they run away now, it's not because they're afraid!
You better give me a better reason.
I'm as desolated as you are, General.
Stand up. Up!
On your toes.
[Gasp]
You'll cut the skin.
Why did the Cilicians run away?
They were paid.
And who paid them? Who?
Crassus.
Crassus won't fight us himself.
The reports say he won't take the command of an army.
- Why would he bribe your pirates to keep us from escaping? - I don't know.
How can I answer when there is no answer?
I've been betrayed just as you have!
There is an answer.
There must be an answer to everything.
Five miles from Brundusium.
Here's Rhegium.
Pompey's march must've brought him to about here.
He's four days away, maybe more.
Lucullus lands at Brundusium tomorrow.
If we engage Lucullus...
Pompey will have time to march against our rear.
If we turn west to meet Pompey...
Lucullus will march against our rear.
The only other army in all of Italy... is here!
Rome.
Yes, of course!
Crassus is inviting us to march on Rome...
so he can take the field against us.
- Crassus wants us to march on Rome? - He's forcing us to.
He knows I won't let myself be trapped between two armies with my back to the sea.
He knows my only other choice is Rome.
Somewhere on the way, we meet.
If he beats us, he becomes the saviour of Rome...
and there's his final victory over the senate.
General, allow me to redeem myself in your eyes.
For a small commission...
I can arrange for you, your family and your leaders...
to be smuggled out of Italy...
and transported to one of the eastern countries...
where men like you are welcome and appreciated.
You can live like kings for the rest of your lives.
What do you think, General?
Go away.
Go away?
Go away.
Tell the trumpeters to sound assembly.
Tonight a Roman army lands in the harbour of Brundusium.
Another army is approaching us from the west.
Between them, they hope to trap us here...
against the sea.
The Cilician pirates have betrayed us! We have no ships.
"By order of the senate...
"be it known that we have this day elected...
"Marcus Licinius Crassus...
"to first consul of the Republic...
and commander in chief of the armies of Rome. "
Hail Crassus!
Rome will not allow us to escape from Italy.
We have no choice but to march against Rome herself...
and end this war the only way it could have ended:
By freeing every slave in Italy.
I promise you...
a new Rome...
a new Italy and a new empire.
I promise the destruction of the slave army...
and the restoration of order...
throughout all our territories.
I'd rather be here... a free man among brothers...
facing a long march and a hard fight...
than to be the richest citizen of Rome:
Fat with food he didn't work for...
and surrounded by slaves.
I promise the living body of Spartacus...
for whatever punishment you may deem fit.
That...
or his head.
This I vow by the spirits of all my forefathers.
This I have sworn...
in the temple that guards their bones.
Hail Crassus!
We've travelled a long ways together.
We've fought many battles and won great victories.
Now instead of taking ship for our homes across the sea...
we must fight again.
Maybe there's no peace in this world for us or for anyone else.
I don't know. But I do know...
that as long as we live...
we must stay true to ourselves.
I do know that we're brothers.
And I know that we're free.
We march tonight!
- Hail Crassus! - Hail Crassus!
Greetings to you, Crassus.
Caius. Gentlemen.
Have your dispositions been made?
Each maniple knows its position, sir...
and exactly what's expected.
Every legion commander has been given his battle orders.
Excellent. All positions will now be changed.
Changed?
Spartacus takes too keen an interest in our plans, I fear.
New battle orders will be issued in a short while.
Spartacus has every reason to believe...
that he has outdistanced...
the pursuing armies of Pompey and Lucullus.
However, there are passes...
through the Apennine Mountains unknown to any map.
It may... fortify your courage to know...
that Pompey is encamped some 20 miles to the west...
and that the army of Lucullus approaches from the south...
by forced night march.
Sir, allow us to pledge you the most glorious victory of your career.
- Aye! - I'm not after glory!
I'm after Spartacus.
And, gentlemen, I mean to have him.
However, this campaign is not alone to kill Spartacus.
It is to kill the legend of Spartacus.
You may go, gentlemen.
- Hail Crassus. - Hail Crassus.
Lentulus Batiatus awaits Your Excellency.
- Who? - The Lanista, sir.
Ah! Admit him.
Most Blessed Highness, as soon as I received your message...
I hurried into your distinguished presence.
I'm glad you were able to spare the time. Sit down.
Oh, how gracious.
I understand... I'm informed...
that Spartacus once trained under your auspices.
Yes! In fact...
if it isn't too subversive to say so...
I made him what he is today.
You're to be congratulated.
You're so qualified to give me...
what up to now I've not been able to obtain:
A physical description of Spartacus.
Oh, yes. But you saw him.
- What? - In the ring.
When?
When you visited my school with those two charming ladies.
What!
I trust they're both in good health.
- They selected him to fight against Draba, the Negro. - I remember the Negro.
You had good cause to. If I rem... if I may say so:
A brilliant dagger thrust, difficult angle.
- Spartacus was the opponent? - Yes.
What did he look like?
That's a matter of some importance to Your Highness?
Yes... to every man who loves Rome and wishes to see her strong.
We're both Roman patriots.
You're a great one. I, of course, smaller.
We both believe in Roman fair play.
You want something from me. I would be lacking in respect...
for my conscience if I did not say that I wish something from you.
Name your price.
If... Uh, no.
When you win your victory tomorrow...
presumably the survivors will be auctioned off...
in order to pay for the expenses of this heroic expedition.
Could not the agent for that sale be he...
who shares this tiny moment of history with Your Honour?
I authorize you to be the agent for the sale of all survivors.
In return, you will remain here...
until after the battle and aid me in identifying Spartacus.
- After the battle? - Mm-hmm.
You misunderstand me. I'm a civilian.
I'm even more of a civilian than most civilians.
If you wish to remain so...
I strongly advise you to stay here and be our guest. Guard!
Hmm?
My dear...
all-conquering Marcus Licinius Crassus...
what if it is Spartacus who crosses the battlefield...
Iooking for you?
In such circumstances, I have no doubt...
you will be helping him.
This fellow remains with us until after the battle.
Make him comfortable. Don't let him feel lonely.
Mommy? Mommy?
When do we go home?
Go to sleep, dear.
No pains yet?
He's a bad child. He hits me with his fists.
He wants to see his mother. Can you blame him?
Can you feel it?
No, I don't.
I hope he waits till we get to Rome.
Rome!
They've never beaten us yet.
No.
But no matter how many times we beat them...
they still seem to have another army to send against us.
And another.
Varinia, it just seems like we've started something...
that has no ending!
If it ended tomorrow, it would be worth it.
Oh, Varinia...
don't make me weak.
You're strong enough to be weak.
Oh, Varinia.
Oh, Varinia...
I love you more than my life.
Yet, sometimes, even with you sleeping beside me...
I feel so alone.
I imagine a god for slaves...
and I pray.
What do you pray for?
I pray for a son who'll be born free.
I pray for the same thing.
Take care of my son, Varinia.
And if he never knows me...
tell him who I was and what we dreamed of.
Tell him the truth. There will be others to tell him lies.
I can't live without you, Spartacus!
- Varinia, Varinia. - [Crying]
Varinia.
Varinia, for you and me there can be no farewells.
As long as one of us lives...
we all live.
- I felt it! Did you feel it? - Yes, I did.
- That was so strong. Does it hurt you? - No.
That was so strong.
Oh, Varinia, Varinia, Varinia.
[Shouting]
[Screaming]
[Yelling And Shouting]
Lucullus and Pompey.
[Shouting]
Aaah!
[Baby Crying]
Have we a count of prisoners?
We haven't made the final count, sir.
[Officer] I bring a message from your master...
Marcus Licinius Crassus...
commander of Italy.
By command of His Most Merciful Excellency...
your lives are to be spared.
Slaves you were...
and slaves you remain.
The terrible penalty of crucifixion...
has been set aside...
on the single condition that you identify the body...
or the living person of the slave called Spartacus.
- I'm Spartacus! - I'm Spartacus!
I'm Spartacus.
- I'm Spartacus! - I'm Spartacus!
- I am!
- I'm Spartacus. - I'm Spartacus.
Forgive me for being one of the last to congratulate you.
There's an ugly rumour going 'round the camp...
that the prisoners are to be crucified.
That is true.
Perhaps this is the moment to remind Your Highness...
that you promised me I could be the agent in their auctioning.
You promised Spartacus to me! Where is he?
In return, I promised you the sale of the survivors...
and there will be none!
[Baby Crying]
[Crying]
But... it's Varinia.
Yes, I remember. You're the woman of Spartacus?
I'm his wife.
- And this is his child? - Yes.
Where is Spartacus?
[Crying]
- Dead. - Did you see him killed?
Yes.
You're lying. Where is he?
Hmm! At least here is someone worth selling, Your Enormity.
I'll even take the child as an investment.
- How many women have been taken? - Under forty, sir.
Those who weren't killed have run off to the hills with their children.
You may sell all the others, but not this woman.
You haven't seen the others. They're surpassing ugliness!
A genius wouldn't be able to sell them!
[Crassus] Flog that scoundrel out of camp.
This woman and her child...
are to be conveyed to my house in Rome.
- Halt them! - Halt!
Antoninus?
Tribune!
Slaves are to be crucified along the roadside...
the full distance between here... and the gates of Rome.
Hold this man till the end.
And that man too.
- March on. - March on!
I've more stripes than a zebra!
Every time I touch my wounds, they... sing like larks.
But in spite of that, I found something I never had before, with all my wealth.
What is that?
Don't laugh at me, but I believe it to be dignity.
In Rome, dignity shortens life...
even more surely than disease.
The gods must be saving you for some great enterprise.
You think so?
Anyone who believes I'll turn informer for nothing is a fool.
I bore the whip without complaint.
Indeed, that sounds like a bad attack of dignity.
I hope this will not deflect you...
from the revenge you were going to take on Crassus.
On the contrary, it only strengthens my resolve.
- That's enough. - I'm glad to learn that.
This woman, Varinia, is in his house. All Rome knows about it.
Malicious tongues even say that he's in love for the first time.
Yes! Oh.
I noticed a strange look in his eye when he first saw her.
It would take a great woman to make Crassus...
fall out of love with himself.
I'll be honest with you.
She's not as unattractive as I told you she was.
Dignity and honesty in one afternoon! I hardly recognize you.
But she is an impossible woman.
- Beautiful? - Beautiful? Well, beautiful.
The more chains you put on her, the less like a slave she looks.
- Proud? - Proud, proud.
You feel that she would surrender to the right man...
which is... irritating.
I like Crassus.
Let's save him from this agony. Let's steal this woman.
Steal the woman? Why?
I can no longer hurt Crassus in the senate...
but I can hurt him where he'll feel it most: In his pride.
Attack our enemy from within.
The scheme is excellent, but I hope you're not suggesting...
- that I... steal the woman! - Yes!
Buy some horses and a cart with a canopy.
Bring her here by nightfall.
Oh, no!
Add courage to your newfound virtues.
Would half a million sesterces make you brave?
Half a million? [Chuckle]
Well, Crassus...
does seem to dwindle in the mind, but...
Let's reduce him further. A round million!
A million.
For such a sum, I could bribe Jupiter himself!
With a lesser sum, I have.
Forgive the intrusion. I'm not in the habit of coming uninvited.
You've always been welcome here.
As a pupil.
- You're not alone. - No.
This time you've come to teach.
You've joined Crassus? Am I arrested?
No... but I must ask you to come with me to the senate immediately.
What I do, I do not for myself... but for Rome.
Rome? Poor helpless Rome.
Let's go and hear more about Rome from Crassus!
Did you truly believe 500 years of Rome...
could so easily be delivered into the clutches of a mob?
Already...
the bodies of 6,000 crucified slaves line the Appian way.
Tomorrow the last of their companions will fight to the death...
in the temple of my fathers as a sacrifice to them.
As those slaves have died, so will your rabble...
if they falter one instant in loyalty to the new order.
The enemies of the state are known.
Arrests are in progress. The prisons begin to fill.
In every city and province, lists of the disloyal have been compiled.
Tomorrow they will learn the cost...
of their terrible folly... their treason.
Where does my name appear...
on the list of disloyal enemies of the state?
First.
Yet, upon you I have no desire for vengeance.
Your property shall not be touched.
You will retain the rank and title of Roman senator.
A house...
a farmhouse in Picenum has been provided for your exile.
You may take your women with you.
Why am I to be left so conspicuously alive?
Your followers are deluded enough to trust you.
I intend that you shall speak to them tomorrow for the sake of their own good...
their peaceful and profitable future.
From time to time thereafter, I may find it useful...
to bring you back to Rome to continue your duty to her...
to calm the envious spirit...
and the troubled mind.
You will persuade them to accept destiny and order...
and trust the gods!
You may go.
Halt!
[Screaming]
[Hammering]
Why hide behind that stola, hmm?
That's better.
That dress took some weeks of a woman's life.
You, above all people, should respect the work of slaves and wear it proudly.
Come here.
This belonged to a queen...
the queen of Persia.
It's heavy.
In time you will wear it lightly enough.
Sit down.
Will you have some squab and honey?
No.
You'll enjoy it.
And a piece of melon?
And some wine, of course.
Eat?
[Chuckle] I did not command you to eat...
I invited you.
You find the richness of your surroundings...
makes conversation difficult?
Why am I here?
Good question.
A woman's question.
I wish the answer could be as good and straightforward.
Mmm, the infant, it thrives?
He thrives.
I purchased a wet nurse for him yesterday.
I hope the milk agrees with him.
I sent her away.
I prefer to nurse the child myself.
I'm not sure I approve.
It ties you to the old life.
I want you to begin to look forward to the new.
I don't care about my new life here.
You care about the life of your child, don't you?
Why do you threaten me with my baby?
I belong to you. You can take me anytime you wish.
But I don't want to take you.
I want you to... give.
I want your love, Varinia.
You think by threatening to kill my child you'll make me love you?
I did not threaten to kill your child.
I'm... sorry, Varinia.
One shouldn't grieve forever.
I'm not grieving, I'm remembering.
Do I interfere with your memories?
Oh, no.
You tread the ridge between truth and insult...
with the skill of a mountain goat!
Well...
what do you remember when you think about Spartacus?
- It doesn't distress you to talk about him? - No.
Well, then...
what sort of a man was he...
really?
He was a man who began all alone...
like an animal.
Yet on the day he died, thousands and thousands would gladly have died in his place.
What was he?
Was he a god?
He wasn't a god.
He was a simple man.
A slave.
I loved him.
He was an outlaw! A murderer!
An enemy to everything fine and decent that Rome ever built!
Damn you! You tell me.
- Why did you love him? - I can't tell you.
I can't tell you things you can never understand.
But I want to understand.
Don't you see? I must understand.
You're afraid of him, aren't you?
That's why you want his wife...
to soothe your fear by having something he had.
When you're so afraid, nothing can help.
Nothing.
We shall see.
Could we have won, Spartacus?
Could we ever have won?
Just by fighting them, we won something.
When just one man says, "No, I won't"...
Rome begins to fear.
We were tens of thousands who said no.
That was the wonder of it.
To have seen slaves lift their heads from the dust...
to see them rise from their knees...
stand tall...
with a song on their lips...
to hear them...
storm from the mountains shouting...
to hear them sing along the plains.
And now they're dead.
Dead.
Varinia...
dead.
And the baby.
All of them.
Are you afraid to die, Spartacus?
Hmm.
No more than I was to be born.
Are you afraid?
Yes.
Hail Consul!
Guards, fall in.
- Where are the gladiators? - Over there, sir.
Antoninus...
the night passes slowly, doesn't it?
Spartacus.
You are he, aren't you?
Gladiator...
I'm Marcus Licinius Crassus.
You must answer... when I speak to you.
Aaah!
[Crassus] Centurion!
Let them fight now. Unchain them.
The entire city's been told they'll fight tomorrow in the temple of your ancestors.
They will fight now... for me. Here!
And to the death.
And the victor shall be crucified.
We will test this myth of slave brotherhood.
Unchain them!
Form a circle.
Don't give them the pleasure of a contest.
- I'll kill you on the first rush. - I won't let them crucify you!
It's my last order. Obey it!
[Crassus] Let them begin.
I won't let them crucify you.
- Do you realize how long it takes to die on a cross? - I don't care!
Forgive me, Antoninus.
[Groan]
I love you, Spartacus, as I loved my own father.
I love you...
like my son that I'll never see.
Go to sleep.
Here's your victory.
He'll come back.
He'll come back, and he'll be millions!
I wonder what Spartacus would say...
if he knew that the woman, Varinia, and her child...
are slaves in my household?
Yes...
Spartacus.
Crucify him!
I want no grave for him. No marker.
His body's to be burned and his ashes scattered in secret.
Did you fear him, Crassus?
Not when I fought him. I knew he could be beaten.
But now I fear him... even more than I fear you.
- Me? - Yes, my dear Caesar. You!
I don't see the letter here to the leader of the senate.
Oh, yes. Julia, I don't like the sound of weeping.
This is a happy house. Please stop.
Oh, there you are. Go away, Julia!
- Where have you been? - The city is full of Crassus' legions. We've been hiding.
I don't know Rome as well as I know Capua.
They're arresting everyone!
So this is the woman it took Crassus eight Roman legions to conquer!
I wish I had time to make your acquaintance, my dear.
Unfortunately, we all have to make... journeys.
- To different destinations. - Where are we going?
You're going to Aquitania. The governor's one of my innumerable cousins.
Here's a senatorial pass. It's valid...
- in all the known world. - Why do I have to go to Aquitania?
- 'Cause I asked you to. - It's very good of you, Gracchus, but l...
Double the money I promised you. Here's two million sesterces.
Two million?
Here. Articles of freedom for the woman.
And here's a smaller document that I've had prepared...
for the child, befitting its size.
Where are you going?
Hmm?
Oh... to Picenum.
Picenum? That's the dreariest town in Italy.
Will you please leave me?
- [Crying] - Come with us.
See to it that I don't misuse the money.
Don't be ridiculous. I'm a senator.
Will you please go before the soldiers come here?
Oh!
This would really make Crassus jealous.
Go and make my joy complete.
Save your tears now. Save them for the journey.
Well. Prettier.
Halt!
Identify yourselves, please.
Uh... Lentulus Batiatus.
Climb down, please, and identify yourselves.
I object to that tone.
I've got my orders. Come down and identify yourselves, please.
As I told you, I'm Lentulus Batiatus, the Lanista from Capua.
This... my sister-in-law.
Lady, please.
Um, travelling with her child...
to Aquitania on a senatorial pass.
- Take a look through his baggage. - Not a word, please.
What did you say?
Oh, Spartacus.
[Baby Crying]
- Tell the lady no loitering's allowed. - Instantly.
- Move on! - Yes.
[Crying]
This is your son.
He's free, Spartacus!
Free!
He's free.
He'll remember you, Spartacus.
Because I'll tell him.
I'll tell him who his father was and what he dreamed of!
Varinia, have mercy on us. Get in the wagon.
Oh, my love, my life.
Please die, die.
Please, please die, my love.
Oh, God, why can't you die!
Come on. Come on.
Goodbye, my love, my life. Goodbye, goodbye.