Spartacus was a slave -- one of millions taken from territories conquered by Rome to work the mines, till the fields or fight for a crowd’s entertainment. Imprisoned for deserting the Roman Army, he and other slaves fought their way free and started a rebellion. How did a slave become synonymous with freedom and courage?

Sign up for our newsletter and never miss an animation: http://bit.ly/TEDEdNewsletter View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/from-slave-to-rebel-gladiator-the-life-of-spartacus-fiona-radford Spartacus was a slave -- one of millions taken from territories conquered by Rome to work the mines, till the fields or fight for a crowd's entertainment.