Before Spartacus struck down his first opponent in the arena, there were many gladiators who passed through the gates onto the sand.'Spartacus: Gods of the Arena' tells the story of the original Champion of the House of Batiatus: Gannicus in a more ruthless time before Spartacus' arrival where honor was just finding its way into the arena. Written by Anonymous

In its war on the Greek peninsula, the Romans convince the Thracians to join them in defeating the Getae, who have been raiding Thracian villages for generations. The Thracians are fierce warriors and prove to be valiant in battle. They are deceived by the Roman commander, Claudius Glaber, who orders them to fight against the Greeks, something they had not counted on. One of them in particular refuses to fight and rebels against the Romans only to lose the fight and is enslaved along with his wife Sura. The Thracian is transported to Capua where Senator Albinius is sponsoring gladiatorial games. In the arena, the enslaved Thracian manages to defeat four opponents and in allowing the Thracian to live, Senator Albinius decides to name him after a Thracian king from the past: Spartacus. Written by garykmcd