Historical Lessons From Spartacus: Blood And Sand

You might have assumed the Starz channel's new series Spartacus: Blood And Sand was a mix between the slow-motion green-screened bare-chested violence of 300, the incredibly fake cgi blood from the 2008 installment of Rambo and the, well, everything else of HBO's Rome minus the good writing and acting and historical accuracy.

If so, you were wrong. This is a serious show that tackles some lofty subjects while treating the past with all due reverence. I know this because just before the gore and surgically augmented breasts come on the screen, a disclaimer pops up informing us that:

"Spartacus is a historical depiction of ancient Rome's society and culture."

Not knowing a whole lot about the society and culture of ancient Rome, this seems like a great opportunity to expand my horizons. Let's see what lessons are waiting to be gleaned from this historical work.

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