"Gritty, passionate and violent, this thrilling book is a real page-turner and a damn good read. It brings Spartacus—and ancient Rome—to vivid, colorful life."—Steven Pressfield, author of Gates of Fire Sink your teeth into the gritty, powerful tale of Spartacus: The Gladiator, a historical thriller that will grip you from the first page to the very last. Written by bestselling novelist Ben Kane, this epic journey delves into the life of Spartacus—from Roman auxiliary and slave to revered gladiator and a symbol of defiance against the most potent army of the era. Step onto the unforgiving sands of the gladiatorial arena and experience the brutality and raw energy of combat at its most primal. Witness the audacious bid for freedom led by Spartacus and his band of gladiators as they risk everything to break free from their shackles and challenge their oppressors–the mighty, ever-expanding Roman Empire. Spartacus's tale isn’t just a story of rebellion; it's an exploration of humanity, resilience, love, and sacrifice, set against the historic grandeur of ancient Rome. Charged with emotion and vivid color, this novel will transport you back in time to the underbelly of the Roman Empire—a journey that’s as thrilling as it is enlightening. Enjoy a fresh perspective of the legend that is Spartacus, one that goes deeper than ever before, uncovering the man at the heart of the myth.

In graphic art format, presents the life of Spartacus, a Thracian slave and gladiator who led a rebellion against the Romans from 73-71 B.C.

The best-selling novel about a slave revolt in ancient Rome and the basis for the popular motion picture.

FREE from slavery, Marcus is determined to find and save his kidnapped mother. Meanwhile, his master Julius Caesar wants Marcus to help destroy the bands of rebel slaves and their leader Brixus, who plans to unite a slave army and resurrect the cause of Spartacus. But Marcus and Brixus are old allies who share a life-threatening secret. Marcus is torn between his friend and master. Can he convince Brixus now is not the time for a deadly revolt - and ask Caesar to negotiate a slave surrender before more carnage and bloodshed? ** From the #1 bestselling adult author Simon Scarrow - over 1 million copies sold. ** The perfect introduction to Roman history and gladiators for young readers - great for fans of Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter. ** Book 3 in the series.

An authoritative account from an expert author: The Spartacus War is the first popular history of the revolt in English. The Spartacus War is the extraordinary story of the most famous slave rebellion in the ancient world, the fascinating true story behind a legend that has been the inspiration for novelists, filmmakers, and revolutionaries for 2,000 years. Starting with only seventy-four men, a gladiator named Spartacus incited a rebellion that threatened Rome itself. With his fellow gladiators, Spartacus built an army of 60,000 soldiers and controlled the southern Italian countryside. A charismatic leader, he used religion to win support. An ex-soldier in the Roman army, Spartacus excelled in combat. He defeated nine Roman armies and kept Rome at bay for two years before he was defeated. After his final battle, 6,000 of his followers were captured and crucified along Rome's main southern highway. The Spartacus War is the dramatic and factual account of one of history's great rebellions. Spartacus was beaten by a Roman general, Crassus, who had learned how to defeat an insurgency. But the rebels were partly to blame for their failure. Their army was large and often undisciplined; the many ethnic groups within it frequently quarreled over leadership. No single leader, not even Spartacus, could keep them all in line. And when faced with a choice between escaping to freedom and looting, the rebels chose wealth over liberty, risking an eventual confrontation with Rome's most powerful forces. The result of years of research, The Spartacus War is based not only on written documents but also on archaeological evidence, historical reconstruction, and the author's extensive travels in the Italian countryside that Spartacus once conquered.

In 72 B.C., in the heart of Rome's Mediterranean empire, a slave named Spartacus ignited one of the most violent episodes of slave resistance in the history of the Roman Empire--indeed in the world annals of slavery. This volume organizes original translations of 80 Greek and Latin sources into topical chapters that look at the daily lives of slaves trained as gladiators and those who labored on farms in Italy and Sicily, including accounts of revolts that preceded and anticipated that of Spartacus. In a carefully crafted introductory essay, Shaw places Spartacus in the broader context of first and second century B.C. Rome, Italy and Sicily and explains why his story continues to be a popular symbol of rebellion today. The volume also includes a glossary, chronology, selected bibliography, three maps, an annotated list of ancient writers, and questions for consideration.

The Ancient Roman public's hunger for gladiatorial combat has never been greater. The Emperor Domitian's passion for novelty and variety in the arena has given rise to a very different kind of warrior: the Gladiatrix. Sole survivor of a shipwreck off the coast of Asia Minor, Lysandra finds herself the property of Lucius Balbus, owner of the foremost Ludus for female gladiators in the Eastern Empire. Lysandra, a member of an ancient Spartan sect of warrior priestesses, refuses to accept her new status as a slave. Forced to fight for survival, her deadly combat skills win the adoration of the crowds, the respect of Balbus. But Lysandra's Spartan pride also earns her powerful enemies: Sorina, Gladiatrix Prima and leader of the Barbarian faction, and the sadistic Numidian trainer, Nastasen. When plans are laid for the ultimate combat spectacle to honor the visit of the emperor's powerful new emissary, Lysandra must face her greatest and deadliest trial. This is a thrilling first novel that combines fascinating historical detail with blistering action.

This Osprey Campaign title brings to life the story of Rome's most famous revolt, the Slave War (73-71 BC), and the ex-gladiator who led it. In the year 73 BC, the Thracian Spartacus broke out of the gladiatorial training school at Capua in Campainia. A charismatic leader, Spartacus formed an army of runaway slaves and people with little to lose, and defeated the Roman troops under the praetor C. Claudius Glaber. With this minor victory, Spartacus' army swelled to 70,000 and rampaged throughout Campania assaulting a number of cities and defeating two consular armies. Terrified lest the revolt spread across the republic, the government assigned M. Licinius Crassus the task of crushing the revolt. Crassus' first attempt to capture Spartacus failed, and the Roman senate called upon Pompey to help him. Together, they cornered Spartacus and brought him to battle near the source of the river Silarus. During the battle, Spartacus was killed and his army defeated. Crassus crucified 6,000 prisoners as an example to others who might think of revolt.

“Separate[s] the man from the myth. . . . Both the newcomer and the experienced Roman historian will find a wealth of entertainment and information.” (Publishers Weekly) Spartacus (109?–71 bce) has been a source of endless fascination, the subject of myth-making in his own time, and of movie-making in ours. In this riveting, compact account, Aldo Schiavone rescues Spartacus from the murky regions of legend and brings him squarely into the arena of serious history. Schiavone transports us to Italy of the first century bce, where we encounter Spartacus, who is enslaved after deserting from the Roman army to avoid fighting against his native Thrace. Imprisoned in Capua and trained as a gladiator, he leads an uprising that will shake the empire to its foundations. While the grandeur of the Spartacus story has always been apparent, its political significance has been less clear. Often depicted as the leader of a class rebellion, Spartacus emerges here in a very different light: the commander of an army whose aim was to incite Italy to revolt against Rome and to strike at the very heart of the imperial system. Surprising, persuasive, and highly original, Spartacus challenges the lore and illuminates the reality of a figure whose achievements, and whose ultimate defeat, are more extraordinary and moving than the fictions we make from them. “A highly readable, interesting inquiry into a man and a movement.” —Booklist “You've seen the movie: now get the straight dope.” —Maclean’s magazine “[A] thought-provoking discussion of Spartacus and of first-century slavery.” —The Wall Street Journal “An intelligent, learned, and challenging account.” —New York Review of Books