Animal & Man (Part Two)

Crassus: Suddenly, I saw him - Spartacus the Thracian: a short sabre in one hand, a small shield upon his arm; his long nose hooked like the beak of a hawk; his eyes burning like those of a bird of prey. He had the manner of a man whose pride has gone unchecked, whose spirit had never been broken. Tall and strong he surveyed the crowd with arrogant defiance Spartacus: To suffer myself To be whipped with rods Burned with fire Or killed by steel If I disobey If I disobey Crassus: Spartacus moved with a deadly graceful ease in his armour of bronze and leather. But what arrogant dignity he displayed! It was as if he were a free man who fought from choice not at the will of others Spartacus: To suffer myself To be whipped with rods Burned with fire Or killed by steel If I disobey If I disobey Crassus: Then, a murmur of voices like the distant rising of the sea began to chant the name of one man Crowd: Salutant! Salutant! Salutant! Salutant! Spartacus! Salutant Spartacus! Salutant Spartacus! Crassus: Next came Oenomaus, the victor of many fights. He was armed with sword and shield and known to be quick and dangerous. But the crowd, their voices rising and falling like the relentless crashing of surf, chanted only the Thracian's name Crowd: Salutant Spartacus! Salutant Spartacus! Crassus: Sword thrust, sabre lunged, steel flashing in the sunlight, Spartacus slashed at his opponents sword-arm and the blood ran free. A mighty blow to the chest brought Oenomaus crashing to his knees. Spartacus towered above him, his sword held high in both hands. And the cry of the crowd changed once more Crowd: Jugula, jugula! Jugula, jugula! Crassus: Spartacus looked to the Master for a verdict. The Master looked to the crowd Crowd: Jugula, jugula! Jugula, jugula! Crassus: The Masters' thumb turned down and Oenomaus laid bare his neck for the death blow, but it never fell. Spartacus threw down his sword. The crowd was captivated by the Thracian's defiance of Roman authority and began to applaud, stamp their feet and chant their approval Crowd: Salutant Spartacus! Salutant Spartacus! Salutant Spartacus! Salutant Spartacus! Crassus: Although humiliated by this barbarian, the Master knew it would be wise to grant the wishes of the crowd. And so, reversing his verdict, Oenomaus was spared Spartacus: To suffer myself To be whipped with rods Burned with fire Or killed by steel If I disobey If I... Crassus: Palms and flowers, rings and trinkets were thrown into the arena. But seeming to ignore the crowd, Spartacus removed his helmet and shook the wet hair away from his face. Hawk-nosed and hawk-eyed, he slowly looked around him, turning his penetrating gaze upon the crowd as if he were the spectator and we the spectacle Crassus: As he strode from the arena, my fascination for the man turned to apprehension. Why had he broken the rules, disobeyed? I was suddenly seized by an irrational sense of foreboding: as if this slave, this Spartacus, might one day rise above us all...