:07:30
ln the last century
before the birth...
:07:33
of the new faith
called Christianity...
:07:35
which was destined to overthrow
the pagan tyranny of Rome...
:07:38
and bring about a new society...
:07:40
the Roman republic stood at the very
centre of the civilized world.
:07:45
''0f all things fairest, ''
sang the poet...
:07:48
''first among cities and
home of the gods is golden Rome. ''
:07:52
Yet even at the zenith
of her pride and power...
:07:55
the Republic lay fatally stricken
with a disease called...
:07:58
human slavery.
:08:00
The age of the dictator
was at hand...
:08:03
waiting in the shadows
for the event to bring it forth.
:08:07
ln that same century...
:08:09
in the conquered
Greek province of Thrace...
:08:11
an illiterate slave woman
added to her master's wealth...
:08:15
by giving birth to a son
whom she named Spartacus.
:08:19
A proud, rebellious son...
:08:21
who was sold to living death
in the mines of Libya...
:08:24
before his thirteenth birthday.
:08:27
There, under whip
and chain and sun...
:08:30
he lived out his youth
and his young manhood...
:08:34
dreaming the death of slavery...
:08:36
2,000 years
before it finally would die.