Condemned to toil for the remainder of his life in the unforgiving deserts of Egypt, the Thracian slave Spartacus finds a glimmer of hope when he is bought by the corpulent proprietor of a Roman gladiator school. Inspired by the rebellious spirit of an Ethiopian fighter named Draba, Spartacus spearheads a slave revolt that challenges the established order of Rome. As Spartacus garners support from some members of the Roman Senate, he simultaneously provokes the ire of Marcus Lucinius Crassus, who becomes determined to quash the insurrection as a matter of personal pride.