Spartacus Page #8

You mean Crassus wants us

to march on Rome?

He's forcing us to. He knows

I won't let myself be trapped...

between two armies

with my back to the sea.

He knows my only other choice

is Rome.

Somewhere on the way,

we meet.

If he beats us,

he becomes the saviour of Rome...

and there's his fiinal victory

over the senate.

General, allow me

to redeem myself in your eyes.

For a very small commission...

I can arrange for you, your family

and your leaders, of course...

to be smuggled out of ltaly and

transported to an eastern country...

where men of substance like you

are welcome and appreciated.

You can live there like kings

for the rest of your lives.

What do you think, General?

Go away.

Go away?

Tell the trumpeters

to sound assembly.

Tonight a Roman army lands

in the harbour of Brundusium.

Another army is approaching

us from the west.

Between them,

they hope to trap us here...

against the sea.

The Cilician pirates have betrayed us.

We have no ships.

"By order of the senate...

be it known that we have

this day elected...

Marcus Licinius Crassus...

fiirst consul of the Republic...

and commander in chief

of the armies of Rome."

Hail Crassus!

Rome will not allow us

to escape from ltaly.

We have no choice

but to march against Rome herself...

and end this war the only way

it could have ended:

by freeing every slave in ltaly.

I promise you...

a new Rome...

a new ltaly

and a new empire.

I promise the destruction

of the slave army...

and the restoration of order...

throughout all our territories.

I'd rather be here,

a free man among brothers...

facing a long march

and a hard fiight...

than to be the richest citizen

of Rome...

fat with food

he didn't work for...

and surrounded by slaves.

I promise the living body

of Spartacus...

for whatever punishment

you may deem fiit.

That or his head.

This I vow by the spirits

of all my forefathers.

This I have sworn...

in the temple

that guards their bones.

Hail Crassus!

We've travelled

a long ways together.

We've fought many battles

and won great victories.

Now, instead of taking ship

for our homes across the sea...

we must fiight again.

Maybe there's no peace

in this world...

for us or for anyone else.

I don't know.

But I do know...

that as long as we live...

we must stay true to ourselves.

I do know that we're brothers,

and I know that we're free.

We march tonight!

Hail Crassus!

Greetings to you, Crassus.

Caius. Gentlemen.

Have your dispositions

been made?

Each maniple knows its position in line,

sir, and exactly what's expected.

Every legion commander

has been given his battle orders.

Excellent. All positions

will now be changed.

Changed?

Spartacus takes too keen

an interest in our plans, I fear.

New battle orders

will be issued in a short while.

Spartacus has every reason to believe

that he has outdistanced...

the pursuing armies

of Pompey and of Lucullus.

However, there are passes

through the Apennine Mountains...

unknown to any map.

It may fortify

your courage to know...

that Pompey is at this moment encamped

some 20 miles to the west of us...

and that the army of Lucullus

approaches from the south...

by forced night march.

Sir, allow us to pledge you the most

glorious victory of your career.

I'm not after glory!

I'm after Spartacus.

And, gentlemen,

I mean to have him.

However, this campaign

is not alone to kill Spartacus.

It is to kill

the legend of Spartacus.

You may go, gentlemen.

Hail Crassus.

Lentulus Batiatus

awaits Your Excellency.

- Who?

- The lanista, sir.

Admit him.

Most Blessed Highness,

as soon as I received your message...

I hurried into your

distinguished presence.

I'm glad you were able

to spare the time. Sit down.

How gracious.

I understand--

I'm informed--

that Spartacus once trained

under your auspices.

Yes! ln fact...

if it isn't too subversive

to say so...

I made him

what he is today.

You're to be congratulated

indeed.

I, too, as it happens, since you're

so admirably qualifiied to give me...

what up to now

I've not been able to obtain:

a physical description

of Spartacus.

Yes.

But you saw him.

- What?

- In the ring.

When?

When you visited my school

with those two charming ladies.

What?

I trust they're both

in good health.

They selected him to fiight

against Draba, the Negro.

- I remember the Negro.

- You had good cause to, if I remember--

If I may say so, Your Excellency.

A brilliant dagger thrust.

Diffiicult angle.

- Spartacus was the opponent?

- Yes.

What did he look like?

That's a matter of some

importance to Your Highness?

Yes, to every man who loves Rome

and wishes to see her strong.

We're both Roman patriots, sir.

You're a great one.

I, of course, smaller.

But we both believe

in Roman fair play.

If you want

something from me...

I would be lacking

in respect for my own conscience...

if I did not say

that I wish something from you.

Name your price.

If-- no--

when you win

your victory tomorrow...

presumably the survivors

will be auctioned off...

in order to pay for the expenses

of this heroic expedition.

Could not the agent

for that sale be he...

who shares this tiny moment

of history with Your Honour?

I authorize you to be the agent

for the sale of all survivors.

In return, you will remain here with us

until after the battle...

and aid me

in identifying Spartacus.

After the battle?

You misunderstand me.

I'm a civilian.

I'm even more of a civilian

than most civilians.

If you wish to remain so...

I should strongly advise you

to stay here and be our guest.

Guard!

My dear, all-conquering

Marcus Licinius Crassus...

what if it is Spartacus

who crosses the battlefiield...

Iooking for you?

In such circumstances,

I have no doubt...

you will be helping him.

This fellow remains with us

until after the battle.

Make him comfortable.

Don't let him feel lonely.

Mommy? Mommy?

When do we go home?

Go to sleep, dear.

No pains yet?

He's a bad child, though.

He hits me with his fiist.

He wants to see his mother.

Can you blame him?

Can you feel it?

No, I don't.

I hope he waits

till we get to Rome.

Rome!

They've never beaten us yet.

No.

But no matter how many times

we beat them...

they still seem to have

another army to send against us.

And another.

Varinia, it just seems

like we've started something...

that has no ending!

If it ended tomorrow,

it would be worth it.

Varinia, don't make me weak.

You're strong enough

to be weak.

I love you more than my life.

Yet, sometimes, even with you here

sleeping beside me...

I feel so alone.

I imagine a god for slaves...

and I pray.

What do you pray for?

I pray for a son

who'll be born free.

I pray for the same thing.

Take care of my son, Varinia.

If he never knows me...

tell him who I was

and what we dreamed of.

Tell him the truth. There will be

plenty of others to tell him lies.

I can't live without you,

Spartacus!

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