Spartacus: Behind The Myth

Spartacus: Behind The Myth

8.02
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Ratings: 8.02/10 from 48 users.

Spartacus - Behind The MythTwo thousand years ago, the Roman Empire was the strongest and most powerful assembly of people on Earth. In the year 73 BC, they boasted the greatest army in the ancient world, but their army was to be taken down many times over by Spartacus – an unlikely hero who achieved an extraordinary feat that would be remembered in history for decades to come. Spartacus: Behind the Myth is a fascinating one-hour special that unveils the truth about the man who is still a legend to this day.

Unearthing intriguing new details about his origins, ingenious tactics and mysterious death, the information detailed in this documentary goes way beyond the man who was made famous by Kirk Douglas’s 1960 feature film. Combining special historical research with stunning dramatizations, find out how just one man, who lead a small band of lowly slaves that grew from 70 to 100,000, struck fear in the heart of Rome when he came close to crushing the mighty Roman Empire.

Questions about Spartacus’s origins will be answered, and new information about his slave army will be revealed by a team of leading experts who include a top psychological profiler, US Special Forces, ancient archaeologists, and historians. They will share insights to unravel the true character of this freedom fighter who took on the ancient world’s greatest power.

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Free
Free
6 years ago

so a simple villager former soldier was able to lead a 100k army successfully ...... it looks like even stature generals have failed in that ....something is not fitting in this well known scenario....just think

DustUp
DustUp
7 years ago

Why is it that some men feel the need to dominate or have power and control over others? We have the bankers - corporatists wanting to enslave us all. We have the socialists, progressives, and communists pointing fingers at capitalists as the evil robber barons when they should be pointing at the bankers and corporatists. Worse yet those collectivists (socialists, progressives, communists, marxists, corporatists(fascists)) are striving to control us all robbing us of freedom to even protect ourselves, especially from them. Last time I looked Iceland has one of the highest percentages of gun ownership with one of the lowest crime rates. And for all you socialist school and media indoctrinated, no Sweden is nowhere close to being "a socialist country". Yes they have socialized some things like welfare just as the usa. They also have MANY private companies that people work for just like the usa. If it were socialist they would all be working for one company run by the govt. Why not describe how great that worked out for China and Russia before allowing in a fair bit of capitalism. Quite simply the ability for people to reap the rewards of their ideas and efforts, rather than having to do what some crony drone in govt tells them to do and like it by drinking vodka. That is what socialists are voting for whether they know it or not. Mostly not, because they don't like to study, they like to emote. Far easier to blame capitalism for what the bankers and corporatists are doing than to look in the mirror to see they are their own worst enemy, causing everything they hate, every time they vote. If you don't like the constitution, if you don't like freedom, please feel free to move to somewhere you like, instead of mucking up a once great place to be. If you feel so bad for those south of the border and think they should all be free to invade the usa... why not go down there and help them make utopia down there? Why is it of the utmost importance to ruin the once great usa, and hopefully again once we can convince you to leave.

MalOdour
MalOdour
10 years ago

So G W Bush, Blair, et al won't be up there with him?

tariqxl
tariqxl
11 years ago

Loved the tribute the narrator paid to him at the end saying that Crassus had failed to become the legend that Spartacus is today.

Joanna Hopkins
Joanna Hopkins
12 years ago

several nits to pick, if they can afford to research Spartacus' background and historical context they should have paid more attention to detail, Roman helmets are wrong, at that time they wore the Monefiorino type, Roman men were not bearded, minor details I know, but details that should have been got right.

Chris Clyne
Chris Clyne
12 years ago

Found a series called Warriors on youtube and it's 1st episode is Spartacus. Not too bad.

Tadg McLoughlin
Tadg McLoughlin
12 years ago

One of the most boring historical docu's made >Manages to take one of the most dynamic characters in ancient history and with aid of computer graphics, narrators and so called historical experts turn what should have an inspiring saga into a rather irritating hour of historical inaccuracies.

Vince Axworthy
Vince Axworthy
12 years ago

id like to know where they pluck numbers like 100,000 and 70,000 from.
It sems to me that the romans (and i guess most 'victor' historical writers) always vastly over state numbers in these battles, its like hannible suposedly killed 70,000 at cannea, and how many were in battle with bodica -i could go on & on.
I cant see these histroic records as being newhere near correct!!

marcosanthonytoledo
marcosanthonytoledo
12 years ago

I loved the documentary on Spartacus but you make the same mistake of naming the volcano Vesuvius at that time it was named Suma and was bigger then the Romans didn't know it was a volcano other than that a very fine and informative program thanks.

yea
yea
13 years ago

wheres the vid? There's nothing.. it just says part 1, Part 2.

Right Hook
Right Hook
13 years ago

My kind of Man, True or Not! Did they just compare him to DR. King? MLK was as passive as you can be.

gero2006
gero2006
13 years ago

Okay. Watchable but nothing special. Highly speculative. Would've liked to know what sources the commentators were using as a basis for their statements. Also I do not agree with the last speaker who claims that "we know where he was coming from" and that "we know what he stood for". I'd have said that was precisely what we do not know.

Jelena
Jelena
13 years ago

I am very sorry that I couldn't see this doc.Even after 100% buffering on play again it had a problem with buffering every 3 seconds.Very sorry!

Phoenix
Phoenix
13 years ago

Really good feeling doc on a legend. Nice battle Sequences.

Joaz
Joaz
13 years ago

Spartacus led a nation wide revolt, Maximus did not

Bodd
Bodd
14 years ago

Shockingly simmilar to Gladiator... oh Russell...