Spartacus Episode 24: Enemies of Rome

Spartacus’s rebellion has grown large enough that Rome can no longer dismiss it as a minor nuisance, and the Senate is forced to look for a new leader to finance and command a serious response. As winter approaches, Spartacus decides that hiding will become too difficult, so he chooses to strike first by taking a town and then targeting the Roman commanders directly.

Rome’s forces are shown to be disorganized and ineffective against the rebels, and their failure to capture Spartacus’s army only makes the crisis worse. The Senate is also strained by other military commitments and lack of money, which leads it to turn to Marcus Crassus, a wealthy and ambitious senator, to raise troops and take control of the campaign.

Spartacus sends a trusted group to attack the Roman commanders’ villa hideout, and the rebel attack succeeds in killing Furius and Cossinius. That victory unintentionally helps Crassus, because the deaths of the commanders clear the way for him to receive full command of Rome’s war effort. The episode ends with Crassus emerging as the new Roman power assigned to crush the rebellion.