Betrayed by the Romans. Forced into slavery. Reborn as a Gladiator. The classic tale of the Republic's most infamous rebel comes alive in the graphic and visceral Starz tv show, Spartacus. Torn from his homeland and the woman he loves, Spartacus is condemned to the brutal world of the arena where blood and death are primetime entertainment. But not all battles are fought upon the sands. Treachery, corruption, and the allure of sensual pleasures will constantly test Spartacus. To survive, he must become more than a man. More than a gladiator. He must become a legend. The first in a series of brand-new original Spartacus novels.

Batiatus and Solonius vie with each other for the favor of one Marcus Licinius Crassus, an equites who aims at the praetorship. Thrilled by the bloody violence of the fights, Crassus decides to set-up his own gladiatorial school.