791 replies to this topic

[John Maddox Roberts]

The historical records indicate that divided command constantly plagued the rebel army, and almost certainly led to its downfall. Spartacus led the original outbreak at Capua, but he was probably never in sole control of the whole uprising. Splinter groups kept breaking away and getting massacred piecemeal. Spartacus wanted to get away from Italy but Crixus and his bunch were having too good a time raiding and looting in central and southern Italy. Besides Spartacus, Crixus, Gannicus and Oenemaus, there was a leader named Castus. I wonder if he'll show up in the third season? As for Gannicus, it's hard to picture him settling down as an honest citizen. Maybe he'll join as an independent bandit.
Our main (almost only) sources are Plutarch and Arrian, and they differ on some points and are vague on others. There's plenty of room for speculation.

[monk]

I have no doubt that Gannicus will return in Season 3, nor that we've heard the last from Crixus regarding their contest still left unfinished. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out. After all, what does Gannicus, a free man, have to gain by throwing in his lot with rebels and fugitives? And how the heck are they going to organize an army and lead a rebellion with four alpha dogs at each others' throats the whole time? Expect the unexpected.

my bet would be he's too wild to be a shopkeep, tradesman, or farmer and gets 'lost' or turns to crime.

When one watches the old sword and sandal movies like Spartacus and Ben Hur and Fall of the Roman Empire, and even more recent entries like Gladiator, everything is so clean and pristine for the most part. Rarely do you see the underbelly of Romam society. For all its gratuity, this show (and to a lessor extent, HBO's Rome), has shown the ugly and grotesque side of Roman culture in a way that no film has ever shown it before. Its not just gratuitous sex and over the top fignt scenes. Its much more. They've done an admirable job of showing what daily life would have been like in a society where class meant everything. I applaud the producers and wish them the best of luck with future seasons.

i like the grime- but the ass wiping with a dirty mop stuff when batiatus and sue were in the can i don't think anyone needs to see that lol.

[ollonois]

last wednesday it started on a conventional channel, I mean not satellite or pay per view tv, in that case it was broadcasted last year, in Spain, and it was a kind of motivational revolution in a sports centre, gymn, I use to go, the boys were shouting Spartacus!!! and doing the weighlifting with an aditional quantity of weight and talking in the dressing room about the sex in the series... ...
by the way Viva Bianca, Ilythia, must be one of the hottest woman I have seen on a little or big screen...

Edited by ollonois, 02 March 2011 - 12:27 AM.

[John Maddox Roberts]

Something else occurred to me that I'd all but forgotten. Spartacus isn't the man's real name, it's a stage-name conferred by Batiatus. At one point Whitfield almost said his real name before he was interrupted. Is this significant? It's set up as if it is, but I can't figure out what the writers have in mind. Is Spartacus really some other, well-known figure we should recognize? There weren't all that many at this time.

[Libaax]

I have no doubt that Gannicus will return in Season 3, nor that we've heard the last from Crixus regarding their contest still left unfinished. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out. After all, what does Gannicus, a free man, have to gain by throwing in his lot with rebels and fugitives? And how the heck are they going to organize an army and lead a rebellion with four alpha dogs at each others' throats the whole time? Expect the unexpected.

my bet would be he's too wild to be a shopkeep, tradesman, or farmer and gets 'lost' or turns to crime.

When one watches the old sword and sandal movies like Spartacus and Ben Hur and Fall of the Roman Empire, and even more recent entries like Gladiator, everything is so clean and pristine for the most part. Rarely do you see the underbelly of Romam society. For all its gratuity, this show (and to a lessor extent, HBO's Rome), has shown the ugly and grotesque side of Roman culture in a way that no film has ever shown it before. Its not just gratuitous sex and over the top fignt scenes. Its much more. They've done an admirable job of showing what daily life would have been like in a society where class meant everything. I applaud the producers and wish them the best of luck with future seasons.

i like the grime- but the ass wiping with a dirty mop stuff when batiatus and sue were in the can i don't think anyone needs to see that lol.

Thats more real history and much more honest than films about noble Romans, generals turned Gladiators like Gladiator.

Myself every part that showed everyday life is good thing.

[droc]

I don't think the problem is whether or not it's real, just that very few people want to see that.

DROC

[Libaax]

Something else occurred to me that I'd all but forgotten. Spartacus isn't the man's real name, it's a stage-name conferred by Batiatus. At one point Whitfield almost said his real name before he was interrupted. Is this significant? It's set up as if it is, but I can't figure out what the writers have in mind. Is Spartacus really some other, well-known figure we should recognize? There weren't all that many at this time.

I wish if they kept it to the real history and not made a fantasy story of Spartacus real name. They can make up alot but not when it comes to someone whose legend is build on the name Spartacus. Even if his real name was known it wouldnt be used like Spartacus.

Speaking about names im glad i didnt know Gannicus was one of the rebel leaders it would have spoiled,take away alot of story potential for Gods of Arena season. The great last ep redeemed Gannicus as a man and great Gladiator but if you knew how his history,story ends up where is the fun.

[monk]

Speaking about names im glad i didnt know Gannicus was one of the rebel leaders it would have spoiled,take away alot of story potential for Gods of Arena season. The great last ep redeemed Gannicus as a man and great Gladiator but if you knew how his history,story ends up where is the fun.

come now brother that's a bit silly. with these kinds of dramas plenty of historical outcomes are known, the fun is to be found in seeing the history presented and stories told in creative ways. knowing a bit of the history has actually increased my enjoyment of the series.

[monk]

I don't think the problem is whether or not it's real, just that very few people want to see that.

DROC

exactly. it's like, hmmm....naevia's nipples or communal shyte mop....which reality would i like to see take up some screen time....hmmmm....

[droc]

Speaking about names im glad i didnt know Gannicus was one of the rebel leaders it would have spoiled,take away alot of story potential for Gods of Arena season. The great last ep redeemed Gannicus as a man and great Gladiator but if you knew how his history,story ends up where is the fun.

come now brother that's a bit silly. with these kinds of dramas plenty of historical outcomes are known, the fun is to be found in seeing the history presented and stories told in creative ways. knowing a bit of the history has actually increased my enjoyment of the series.

To some extent, yes.

********Spoiler**********

But I know that for an episode or two I was wondering if Gannicus was going to survive because I didn't know the history. That suspense wouldn't have been there if I knew that that he would become a general in Spartacus' army like I do now.

DROC

[monk]

Speaking about names im glad i didnt know Gannicus was one of the rebel leaders it would have spoiled,take away alot of story potential for Gods of Arena season. The great last ep redeemed Gannicus as a man and great Gladiator but if you knew how his history,story ends up where is the fun.

come now brother that's a bit silly. with these kinds of dramas plenty of historical outcomes are known, the fun is to be found in seeing the history presented and stories told in creative ways. knowing a bit of the history has actually increased my enjoyment of the series.

To some extent, yes.

********Spoiler**********

But I know that for an episode or two I was wondering if Gannicus was going to survive because I didn't know the history. That suspense wouldn't have been there if I knew that that he would become a general in Spartacus' army like I do now.

DROC

well, yes and no. I mean there is nothing saying they have to hold to the "history"...but yeah knowing it, it does give you a bit of an edge- still there is a lot of meat to explore in a lot of these stories.

i think we all knew that spartacus would survive the Shadow That Precedes Death, but that fight did not lack for tension and edge of the seat position...they did a great job building it up, and did a great job delivering the climactic fight.

[amster]

The historical records indicate that divided command constantly plagued the rebel army, and almost certainly led to its downfall. Spartacus led the original outbreak at Capua, but he was probably never in sole control of the whole uprising. Splinter groups kept breaking away and getting massacred piecemeal. Spartacus wanted to get away from Italy but Crixus and his bunch were having too good a time raiding and looting in central and southern Italy. Besides Spartacus, Crixus, Gannicus and Oenemaus, there was a leader named Castus. I wonder if he'll show up in the third season? As for Gannicus, it's hard to picture him settling down as an honest citizen. Maybe he'll join as an independent bandit.
Our main (almost only) sources are Plutarch and Arrian, and they differ on some points and are vague on others. There's plenty of room for speculation.

Hey JMR! Would I be wrong to assume that there is so little hard evidence on what actually occured because the Romans were eager to strike the entire incident from the historical record lest future slaves be inspired by their example?

[John Maddox Roberts]

As far as the Romans were concerned, the incident itself served as an object lesson of the futility of slaves rebelling. There were no more slave uprisings after Spartacus. On the other hand, the Romans learned a few things too, and began to treat their slaves more humanely, giving them greater opportunities to win freedom. They also made it illegal for a master to sell a slave to a ludus without cause. A slave had to be condemned by a court first ("damnatio ad ludam") or a free man sentenced there for crime. Or a man could just volunteer, and an amazing number did exactly that.
What gave the Spartacus bunch the opportunity to run all over Italy at will was the fact that the veteran, professional legions were far from Italy that year. They were in Spain fighting Sertorius or in the East under Pompey fighting Mithridates. Spartacus had to be aware that his army had triumphed over scratch forces whistled up by bumbling politicians, but that the real legions would be making an appearance soon, and that was why he was anxious to escape from Italy. The others lacked his military acumen.

[monk]

As far as the Romans were concerned, the incident itself served as an object lesson of the futility of slaves rebelling. There were no more slave uprisings after Spartacus. On the other hand, the Romans learned a few things too, and began to treat their slaves more humanely, giving them greater opportunities to win freedom. They also made it illegal for a master to sell a slave to a ludus without cause. A slave had to be condemned by a court first ("damnatio ad ludam") or a free man sentenced there for crime. Or a man could just volunteer, and an amazing number did exactly that.
What gave the Spartacus bunch the opportunity to run all over Italy at will was the fact that the veteran, professional legions were far from Italy that year. They were in Spain fighting Sertorius or in the East under Pompey fighting Mithridates. Spartacus had to be aware that his army had triumphed over scratch forces whistled up by bumbling politicians, but that the real legions would be making an appearance soon, and that was why he was anxious to escape from Italy. The others lacked his military acumen.

interesting. so if a free man volunteered and entered the ludus, was he still a free man so to speak, just within the ludus? or was he considered a slave also?

[Libaax]

Speaking about names im glad i didnt know Gannicus was one of the rebel leaders it would have spoiled,take away alot of story potential for Gods of Arena season. The great last ep redeemed Gannicus as a man and great Gladiator but if you knew how his history,story ends up where is the fun.

come now brother that's a bit silly. with these kinds of dramas plenty of historical outcomes are known, the fun is to be found in seeing the history presented and stories told in creative ways. knowing a bit of the history has actually increased my enjoyment of the series.

Yeah history about someone like Ceasar everyone knows it can increase an enjoyment but obsocure historical characters like rebel leaders in this series. They dont have historical fame like Spartacus.

Thats why i avoided about reading about the war,what happens except knowing they lose,die.

Like Droc i wondered if Gannicus was to die for what he did to his so called brother. No matter what you say it wouldnt be as supsenful, fun if you knew he would be survive. Its okay to know about Crixus and co but not that every character is a surviving rebel member.

Edited by Libaax, 05 March 2011 - 02:00 PM.

[Rock]

Does somebody know when the second season of Blood & sand will be aired?

[Croms Bones]

Does somebody know when the second season of Blood & sand will be aired?

Not until Q1 2012

[theagenes]

Finally had a chance to get caught up on this show. Great finale! Too bad we will have to wait so long for the next season.

The historical records indicate that divided command constantly plagued the rebel army, and almost certainly led to its downfall. Spartacus led the original outbreak at Capua, but he was probably never in sole control of the whole uprising. Splinter groups kept breaking away and getting massacred piecemeal. Spartacus wanted to get away from Italy but Crixus and his bunch were having too good a time raiding and looting in central and southern Italy. Besides Spartacus, Crixus, Gannicus and Oenemaus, there was a leader named Castus. I wonder if he'll show up in the third season? As for Gannicus, it's hard to picture him settling down as an honest citizen. Maybe he'll join as an independent bandit.
Our main (almost only) sources are Plutarch and Arrian, and they differ on some points and are vague on others. There's plenty of room for speculation.

Hey JMR! Would I be wrong to assume that there is so little hard evidence on what actually occured because the Romans were eager to strike the entire incident from the historical record lest future slaves be inspired by their example?

Part of the problem is that what would have been our best sources for the revolt just didn't manage to survive antiquity - but it wasn't because of some damnatio memoriae on the part of the Romans. Both Sallust and Livy wrote thorough accounts of the revolt with a generation or two of the events, but Sallust's account only exists in a few fragments and Livy's account only survives in the form of a later synopsis. Our two best existing sources, Appian and Plutarch were writing two centuries later and were probably just summarizing Sallust and/or possibly Livy. From the few fragments that survive of Sallust's account, it looks like it would have been very detailed.

Edited by theagenes, 05 May 2011 - 02:35 PM.

[crossplain pilgrim]

I was looking for some info on "Game of Thrones" when I came across this TV Guide interview with Liam McIntyre, the young Aussie actor who is replacing Andy Whitfield as the title character in "Spartacus." He bears a resemblance to Whitfield, which probably helped him get the role. The second season, "Spartacus: Vengeance" is currently shooting and will hit the airwaves in January of 2012. Of course it will be minus Whitfield, who is battling lymphoma and one of TV's all-time great villains, Batiatus, played by John Hannah. Sad. Lucy Lawless will be back, however, and all the other characters who didn't meet their dramatic ends in Season One. Here's the link.

TV Guide

[crossplain pilgrim]

Well, as long as we are talking about the new Spartacus, here is a link that names the characters who are definitely returning in Season Two. Good to see Gannicus in there. Dustin Clare was one of the best things about "Gods of the Arena." If only someone could find a way to bring back Batiatus. Sigh. Here's the link.

aoltv