\'Spartacus\' on BBC2

[Carus Andiae]

In the same series as the 'Attila the Hun' programme, we've now had 'Spartacus'. Fairly dreadful. The basic history was more or less accurate, so far as I can tell. Spartacus himself lacked any sort of charisma, and was very touchy-feely and, frankly, as wet as Neptune's underpants. The Romans were a much more impressive lot, Robert Glenister stealing the show as Crassus.

Costume and props-wise: I don't know much about Republican gladiators, but there weren't any types I recognised. Leather armour much in evidence. The guards were wearing bizarre leather segmentata.

The Romans looked just about okay. Mainly hamata (which looked about two sizes too big on most of the soldiers), though the odd soldier was wearing a pectorale (though I would have thought the period was too late for that). An approximation of the Montefortino helmet was universally worn. Every gladius I saw was, I think, Pompeii-pattern, though at least one slave had a kopis or similar. The pila looked as bit odd - the metal shank seemed too thick. They used them like conventional spears. The scuta were the full length Republican type, but looked a little too shallow to my eyes.

A couple of pieces of artillery were in evidence. One onager that looked not unlike the ones from 'Gladiator', which launched a single explosive projectile ('Gladiator' again) at the charging slaves in the final battle, then was never more seen. One scorpio-like weapon, but with a conventional bow rather that torsion springs. Again it fired only one shot, the bolt which hit a slave seemingly being too large for the scorpio.

[Kate Gilliver]

We had rugby on BBC2 Wales instead of Spartacus. Not sure when they're going to show it here.
Thanks for the review in the meantime, David.

[Graham Sumner]

Anything on Spartacus is always going to be compared with the superb if not wholly accurate Kirk Douglas version.

David is right the actor playing Spartacus in this TV docu-drama lacked Charisma but I was not too pleased with actors playing the Romans either. In addition unlike other documentaries in this recent genre there was little background explanation, especially as to why Spartacus was so successful against the Roman armies sent against him and some more maps would have helped too.

Surprise, surprise shock horror, the otherwise awful Goran Visnic 'Spartacus' was more accurate history wise than this version. It followed most of the known sources about the revolt and so is even better in that respect than the Kirk Douglas film. The Gladiators fall out and murder Roman men and women too, something ignored in both the Douglas epic and the documentary. Sadly the costumes are dreadful and the acting and drama practically non existent.

In this latest offering, although it was great to see some fairly decent Roman defenses when Crassus traps Spartacus in the toe of Italy, Spartacus was not defeated there after breaking through the lines after a suicidal direct assault. However this documentary did at least mention that Spartacus had served in the Roman Army previously. The Gladiator helmets David mentions were in leather but were actually copies of many Hellenistic style helmets some of which do appear in the late Republican Gladiator scenes.

Finally it seems that we have moved on from the Roman legionaries of any period wearing lorica segmentata phase. Unfortunately as these films are all filmed at the same set in Tunisia, Ancient Rome now looks the same at any period and none too accurate either! Hopefully the painted buildings and statues will come one day.

Graham.

[Senovara]

Wish we'd gotten this in North America! :x ( Seems to take forever for Canadian channels to get all the BBC stuff (even Doctor Who!).

:? Maybe in five years they'll finally show it on Discovery or History Channel.