Episodes

• Spartacus: Rise of the Gladiator

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  75 BCE, Spartacus rises from enslaved gladiator to rebel leader, defying Rome and sparking a legendary uprising that shakes the Republic to its core.

• Nero's Favorite Gladiator

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  In 60 CE, Spiculus, Nero’s champion gladiator, rises to fame and fortune, becoming a symbol of power, spectacle and deadly celebrity in Imperial Rome.

• Pompeii's Last Gladiators

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  Marcus Attilius, a Roman citizen in debt, becomes a gladiator in Pompeii. He rises to fame in deadly games, but a bigger threat looms - Vesuvius.

• The Colosseum and It's Beast Hunter

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  In 80 CE, Emperor Titus opens the Colosseum with 100 days of spectacular games. Among the stars is Carpophorus, a skilled African-born beast hunter who earns legendary status by slaying 20 predators in one day. But behind the glory lies devastation - enslavement, ecological ruin, and a legacy of violence masked as spectacle.

  Next Showing

  Friday 20 February at 18:50 CAT

  On National Geographic

  Next Showing

  Friday 20 February at 23:50 CAT

  On National Geographic

• Commodus: The Emperor Gladiator

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  192 CE, Emperor Commodus stuns Rome by becoming a gladiator, headlining 14 days of violent sport in the Colosseum. As he slays beasts and opponents, his obsession with fame spirals into megalomania. But behind the roar of the crowd, conspirators close in. The man who crowned himself Hercules may soon face a fate worse than anything in the arena.

  Next Showing

  Friday 27 February at 18:50 CAT

  On National Geographic

  Next Showing

  Friday 27 February at 23:50 CAT

  On National Geographic

• Flamma and the Death of the Games

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  Born in Syria, and likely captured by the Roman Empire in its relentless expansion, Flamma is sent to fight in the arena in Sicily. After an astonishing 34 brutal bouts to his name, Flamma dies at the age of 30. His gravestone erected by his colleagues reveals not just the brutality but also the comradeship and loyalty of the gladiatorial games.