# Spartacus: Blood and Sand **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 27, 2010, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spartacus-blood-and-sand/526656 "2010-01-27T16:15:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2010, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spartacus-blood-and-sand/526656/101 "2010-10-07T01:14:53Z")
☹ ☹ ---
**Author:** ![duality72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duality72/32/3910_2.png) [@duality72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duality72)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2010, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spartacus-blood-and-sand/526656/102 "2010-10-07T01:23:44Z")
That blows. Hard. Keep fighting, Andy. duality72 diagnosed ALL 1998 ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2010, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spartacus-blood-and-sand/526656/103 "2010-10-07T01:32:07Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > According to Entertainment Weekly (hey, it was in the dentist’s office), [Andy Whitfield has had a relapse of his lymphoma](http://news-briefs.ew.com/2010/09/17/andy-whitfield-not-returning-spartacus-cancer/) and won’t be returning. So the [network is apparently looking to recast the role](http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2010/10/04/its-official-spartacus-moving-forward-with-recast/). That sucks. Hopefully everything works out for him. ---
**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2011, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spartacus-blood-and-sand/526656/104 "2011-02-21T15:51:40Z")
I started watching this series on Netflix this past Friday night because my girlfriend was out of town and I was bored. I started off slow, like others in this thread have said and I couldn’t figure out why everyone said the series was so great (other than the copious amounts of nudity :D). The series certainly grows on you, though, and fast. I found myself using every possible free moment this weekend to watch another episode. I’m on episode 8 next. I think John Hannah steals the show as Batiatus. Very cleverly acted, he has the ability to make you love his character one moment and revile him the next. You wonder why he puts up with so much of Spartacus’ shit, then you find out. “Jupiter’s cock! When will the gods cease to bend me over and _fuck_ me?” 😃 My other favorite character is Crixus. He starts off as the high school quarterback type of arrogant bully but his softer side is soon revealed. I felt really bad for him when: He is talking to the slave girl about him possibly being sold to a ludus in Damascus. He tells her, “I’ve never been to Damascus. Do you think I’d like it there?” ☹ Every character has a very detailed back-story and motivations. There are simply no throwaway characters in this series, but that doesn’t stop them from killing them off. 😃 Spartacus’ character, in comparison, actually seems to be the weakest one. I also wish they’d take out the _300_-like animations and gratuitous blood spatter. I find that to be the only weak point of the show. A great show. I’m loving every minute of it. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2011, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spartacus-blood-and-sand/526656/105 "2011-02-22T03:22:21Z")
What language are the two or three Gladiators speaking-- the ones that get the subtitles? I can’t place it. Sounds vaguely Germanic, but maybe Celtic? Is it supposed to be an accurate representation of what the language would have been like 2000 years ago? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2011, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spartacus-blood-and-sand/526656/106 "2011-02-22T03:26:38Z")
I think they’re supposed to be Syrian, although I have no idea what language they’re meant to be speaking. ---
**Author:** ![tsm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/db5fbb/32.png) [@tsm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tsm)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2011, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spartacus-blood-and-sand/526656/107 "2011-02-22T03:29:37Z")
The closed captioning says that it’s Aramaic. Whether it really is or not I dunno. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2011, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spartacus-blood-and-sand/526656/108 "2011-02-22T04:34:19Z")
OK. That sort of makes sense. Aramaic would have been spoken in parts of Syria (as I believe it still is today). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spartacus-blood-and-sand/526656.md?page=5)