History Series / SpartacusBloodAndSand

* FireForgedFriends: Spartacus invokes this in Episode 9 by having 2 gladiators/slaves who don't get along fight as a team against another two who don't get along. He hopes this will lead forge a sense of camaraderie between them.

* ButtMonkey: Spartacus at first. Pietros after [[spoiler: Barca's death]]. Aurelia, well, [[UpToEleven all the time]].

** Look at Batiatus the wrong way and he will start plotting your death within the minute, even lampshaded by Glaber commenting how safe Capua has become under his watch. The finale takes this trope UpToEleven when the best solution is decided to be "kill them all".

* InstantExpert: Mira masters the bow ''very'' quickly. Though Lucius does say that she has a natural talent for it. Taken UpToEleven when later in the same episode, when she shoots an arrow between a dueling Gannicus and Spartacus and hits [[spoiler:Chadara]] in the throat (though it's then immediately subverted when Mira reveals she was aiming to wound).

** Glaber's Jerkassitude gets turned UpToEleven this season. [[spoiler: It's hard to not feel sorry for Seppius as he dies knowing his sister is [[IHaveYouNowMyPretty at the mercy]] of the man who slaughtered everyone in their household.]]

* AbsoluteCleavage: A typical outfit for female slaves. And some of the Roman women as well.

* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown

After the first season, a half-length prequel season was produced called ''Spartacus: Gods of the Arena'' due to Whitfield's cancer diagnosis and subsequent death. Ultimately, Whitfield [[TheOtherDarrin was replaced]] by Creator/LiamMcIntyre for the third and fourth seasons, ''Spartacus: Vengeance'' and ''Spartacus: War of the Damned''.

After the first season, a half-length prequel season was produced called ''Spartacus: Gods of the Arena'' due to Whitfield's cancer diagnosis. Ultimately, Whitfield [[TheOtherDarrin was replaced]] by Creator/LiamMcIntyre for the third and fourth seasons, ''Spartacus: Vengeance'' and ''Spartacus: War of the Damned''.

* AnyoneCanDie: And almost [[KillEmAll everyone]] does.

** "[[KillEmAll Kill them all.]]"

** ''War Of The Damned'': Is the end of the tale. Rome will [[TheBadGuyWins crush the rebellion]] and pretty much everyone [[KillEmAll is going to die]]. The real Spartacus will be presumed dead and his body never found. His specific fate is therefore open to Artistic License.

* ArcWords: "Tend to the wound" in episode 11. "KillEmAll" pretty much for [[ForegoneConclusion the entire series]], but it's specially relevant in the season finale.

* KillEmAll: Episode 13. [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin It is all there in the title.]] Also, Sura is fond of telling Spartacus this in his visions of her.

** Look at Batiatus the wrong way and he will start plotting your death within the minute, even lampshaded by Glaber commenting how safe Capua has become under his watch. The finale takes this trope UpToEleven when the best solution is decided to be KillEmAll.

--> '''Spartacus:''' There is but one path. [[ForegoneConclusion We]] [[KillEmAll Kill]] [[ArcWords them]] [[GladiatorRevolt all]].

* KillEmAll: [[spoiler: Not a single character introduced in this prequel are alive by the end of the series.]]

* RaceLift: Oenamaus (aka the Doctore) was historically from Gaul, like Crixus. He is reimagined as a ([[ScaryBlackMan scary]]) BaldBlackLeaderGuy.[[note]]This is actually a result of a character change. Barca was originally going to be Oenamaus but schedule conflicts with Antonio Te Maioha led to him being written out earlier, and they decided to reveal Doctore as Oenamaus. Antonio Te Maioha and Manu Bennett are both Maori, suggesting that was a CulturalTranslation for Gauls in this universe.[[/note]]

* KnifeNut: Mira, before becoming Archer. Also, the Egyptian.

* FoeYay: In-Universe example. [[spoiler: Ilithyia fantasizes about Spartacus while she is in the bath.]]

* RaceLift: Oenamaus (aka the Doctore) was historically from Gaul, like Crixus. He is reimagined as a ([[ScaryBlackMan scary]]) BaldBlackLeaderGuy.

* HollywoodHealing: The protagonists often suffer some pretty gruesome injuries, in particular from bladed weapons, during fight scenes. Yet these usually heal with a speed that implies HealingFactor and aside from a few signature scars distinctive to their characters many of these wounds leave no permanent marks. Injuries that cut to the bone on the show often heal faster and better than minor scratches do in real life.

* MadeASlave: Spartacus obviously, but it goes for most of the other gladiators as well.

* SlaveBrand: The gladiators are branded with the mark of the house. Slaves from the house of Batiatus all have a ''B'' on the inside of their forearms. Body slaves get a tattoo.

* StraightGay: All of the gay characters are very or at least fairly masculine, even Petrios (who's the gentlest seen) and don't stand out from the straight men aside from their attraction otherwise.

** Most of the slaves, obviously. Batiatus and Lucretia are fond of having slaves act as fluffers before they get down to business with each other. Invoked with Mira who is (repeatedly) sent to Spartacus to act as this. She is implied to have been this, possibly for much of the ludus, as well. To his credit, he turns her down as she is not there willingly, though they later become willing lovers. Naevia is an interesting example, Lucretia protects her virginity, but only so that she will be worth more later.

* BedTrick: ''And how.'' Notably, ''both'' of them are victims of it.

* TheRival: Crixus and Spartacus.

* SlaveMarket: It appears in the series, unsurprisingly. Notably, late in the first season, as Batiatus' fortunes are on the rise, he and his rival Selonius bid against each other for gladiator slaves before Batiatus buys the whole lot outright, just to flaunt his new wealth and stick it to Good Selonius. Batiatus rubs salt in the wound by suggesting Selonius try buying the whores ([[FanserviceExtra naked slave girls also waiting to be sold]]) and see if he can perhaps make successful gladiators out of them.

* HeterosexualLifePartners: Naevia and Diona, as well as Ashur and Dagan. Despite being married, Quintus and Lucretia are this to Solonius and Gaia respectively. [[spoiler: Towards the end of the season, the other half of each of the female pairs will get killed, while the male pairs will have a [[WeUsedToBeFriends nasty fallout]].]]

* ImprobableHairstyle: Crixus has a modern military crew cut that would be nigh impossible to get at the time. Although the Romans did invent the military cut, the one Spartacus gets would be more accurate. Also Sura has a modern fringe and layers. Subverted with Lucretia, who has unnatural red hair, but episode 3 reveals she wears wigs, which was TruthInTelevision for some Roman women.

** In episode 2, Spartacus's long hair is hacked off when he becomes a gladiator. For some reason, Barca and the two German brothers are allowed to keep their hair long.

** [[spoiler: Lucretia]]'s natural brown hair has now grown through and reflects her now fragile state. Agron's long hair has now been cut completely short to symbolize his allegiance to Spartacus.

* YaoiGuys: Barca and Pietros.

* YaoiGuys: Barca and Auctus.

* YaoiGuys: Agron and Nasir (it's a slow burn over the course of the season).

** Chronologically, Crixus first appeared in the series sporting long hair and BadassBeard.

*** He could have been prolonging the fight for as long as possible. In hopes of trying to find an opening to get away, as his character always does.

* RealityEnsues: A cut Spartacus receives in his fight with [[spoiler: Varro]] that he doesn't get treated results in a wicked infection that nearly kills him.

* RealityEnsues: Naevia insists in duelling Ashur one-on-one as revenge for her abuse at his hands. Given that Ashur was trained as a gladiator (albeit not a great one) while Naevia has only received limited instruction from Crixus, coupled with his greater size and strength he easily defeats her and would have killed her had he not decided to [[SuicidalOverconfidence stop and gloat]].

* HollywoodTactics: All over the place thanks to RuleOfCool, but particularly notable for the Romans, who tend to devolve into OnrushingArmy more often than not ([[RealityEnsues then again]], it usually does get them killed). Also (possibly due to SmallReferencePools) the only alternate formation they ever use is testudo[[note]]historically ''testudo'' was used against missiles, and while the Romans did have a defence formation, ''orbem formate'', it was more of a circle[[/note]].

* RealityEnsues: For all their ferocity and ingenuity, the rebellion is overwhelmed by sheer numbers.

* SlaveCollar: All regular slaves wear a collar.

* NotSoDifferent:

* ThatsWhatIWouldDo: Crassus sends a messenger to Roman commanders promising aid. However, [[spoiler:he sends him on a trail near Spartacus' camp. Spartacus kills the messenger, and uses it to track down and kill the other Roman commanders]]. When his son asks how he knew Spartacus would attack and not run, Crassus responds with this. Spartacus also realizes what Crassus did after the fact, using the same reasoning. It's the first showing that Spartacus and Crassus are NotSoDifferent, both brilliant commanders willing to use deception and manipulation on the other.

* WrittenByTheWinners: Crassus notes that as both [[NotSoDifferent Spartacus and he]] consider themselves the hero, only history will decide who it is. Defied in the final scene, however, as the surviving rebels insist that Spartacus will be remembered as the hero long after Rome fades. And, well, we're watching a show called "Spartacus," not "Crassus."

* NotSoDifferent: Spartacus and Crixus in the Season 1 finale. Crixus even laments that had things been different, they would have been as brothers; and even though they stand in each others way, ''both'' of them are fighting for a just cause.

* FamousLastWords:
** [[spoiler: '''Spartacus:''' ''There is no greater victory than to [[IDieFree fall from this world a free man.]]'']]
** [[spoiler: '''Saxa:''' (in German) ''I found myself yet again [[DiedInYourArmsTonight in your (Gannicus') arms.]]'']]
** [[spoiler: '''Lugo:''' (in German) ''Fuck [[YourMom your mothers!.]]'']]
** [[spoiler: '''Castus''': (To Agron, regarding [[DiedInYourArmsTonight Nasir]]) ''[[IncompatibleOrientation Would that I had been you...for but a day]]''.]]

* SexPosition: Lucretia and Quintus have a habit of discussing their schemes while having sex with each other and while raping their slaves.

* RealityEnsues: Naevia insists in duelling Ashur one-on-one as revenge for her abuse at his hands. Given that Ashur was trained as a gladiator (albeit not a great one) while Naevia has only received limited instruction from Crixus, coupled with his greater size and strength he easily defeats her and would have killed her had he not decided to [[EvilGloating stop and gloat]].

* InfantImmortality: In the final episode, [[spoiler: Lucretia]] takes this trope and throws it [[spoiler: off a cliff. ''Literally.'']]

* InfantImmortality: In "Separate Paths" one of the rebels gives birth to a son. [[spoiler:Both she and her son manage to escape to safety at the series end.]]

* InfantImmortality: Whether Barca disobeyed orders because he could not bear to kill a child drives the plot of episode 6. It turns out that [[spoiler: he did not disobey orders, and he was lying to Pietros to make him feel better.]] A partial aversion comes in the season 1 finale. [[spoiler: Aurelia brutally stabs Numerius to death on learning he ordered Varo's death]]. The boy was a teenager and technically considered an adult in Roman society but still counts. Crixus also [[spoiler: kills Lucretia's unborn baby when he stabs her]].

* GoOutWithASmile: [[spoiler: Good Solonius.]]