Spartacus: Gods of the Arena
A prequel miniseries following Gannicus, first Champion of Capua.
Steven S. DeKnight created the Starz miniseries Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, a prequel to the 2011 series Spartacus. It centers on Gannicus, the initial gladiator from Lentulus Batiatus's stable to earn the title Champion of Capua.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Historical drama; Sword-and-sandal
- Creator
- Steven S. DeKnight
- Director
- Jesse Warn
- Rick Jacobson
- Michael Hurst
- Brendan Maher
- John Fawcett
- Starring
- John Hannah
- Manu Bennett
- Peter Mensah
- Dustin Clare
- Jaime Murray
- Nick E. Tarabay
- Marisa Ramirez
- Lucy Lawless
- Theme music
- Joseph LoDuca
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
- Episodes
- 6
Facts from the source article.
Did You Know?
- The opportunity to produce Gods of the Arena emerged when the second season of Spartacus was halted while lead actor Andy Whitfield battled non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
- Production for Gods of the Arena began in New Zealand in August 2010.
Cast
The cast is divided into slaves and Romans. Among the slaves, Dustin Clare portrays Gannicus, a Celtic gladiator and champion of Batiatus' ludus. Peter Mensah plays Oenomaus, a Numidian gladiator who later becomes the doctore. Marisa Ramirez appears as Melitta, Lucretia's body slave and wife of Oenomaus.
Manu Bennett is Crixus, a new Gallic recruit, while Nick E. Tarabay plays Ashur, a Syrian recruit. Shane Rangi portrays Dagan, a gladiator who speaks only Aramaic. Antonio Te Maioha plays Barca, a Carthaginian gladiator, and Josef Brown appears as Auctus, Barca's lover. Temuera Morrison plays Ulpius, the predecessor doctore.
Lesley-Ann Brandt portrays Naevia, a young house-slave, and Jessica Grace Smith plays Diona, a house-slave and Naevia's friend. Jaime Murray plays Gaia, a social climber and Lucretia's friend. Craig Walsh Wrightson portrays Marcus Decius Solonius, Batiatus' friend with lanista aspirations. Jeffrey Thomas plays Titus Lentulus Batiatus, Quintus' father. Stephen Lovatt appears as Tullius, a business rival, and Gareth Williams plays Vettius, owner of a rival ludus.
More in 2010s American Drama Television Miniseries
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