Spartacus was based on the story of an enslaved gladiator who mounted a rebellion against the romans in the first century b c. Much of spartaca's life is contested, and the ancient tesks texts and give accounts of his revolt are often contradictory. But a coherent figure does seem to emerge, and is one of the few figures from the ancient world who can be named by most people in britain to day. Over the last few centuries, spartacus has provided inspiration for those trying to escape oppression - whether slavery or the existing political order. With me to discuss partagus: Mary beard, mary beard, professor of classics at the university of cambridge
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the life of Spartacus, the gladiator who led a major slave rebellion against the Roman Republic in the 1st century BC. He was an accomplished military leader, and the campaign he led contributed significantly to the instability of the Roman state in this period. Spartacus was celebrated by some ancient historians and reviled by others, and became a hero to revolutionaries in 19th-century Europe. Modern perceptions of his character have been influenced by Stanley Kubrick's 1960 film - but ancient sources give a rather more complex picture of Spartacus and the aims of his rebellion.
With:
Mary Beard
Professor of Classics at the University of Cambridge
Maria Wyke
Professor of Latin at University College, London
Theresa Urbainczyk
Associate Professor of Classics at University College, Dublin.
Producer: Victoria Brignell.