The Roman Empire is feeling the strain of a slave revolt in its rural provinces. The man behind the rebellion? A former Roman soldier who is now a slave named Spartacus (Massimo Girotti). Spartacus trained at the gladiator school of Lentulus (Umberto Silvestri) and eventually gained the confidence to command a revolt. Spartacus and his men rise up and head toward Rome. The Roman military, led by Marcus Virilius Rufus (Vittorio Sanipoli), is ready to crush them.