The season follows Spartacus, a skilled warrior, as he is forced to become a gladiator in a Ludus, a gladiatorial school, in Capua, Italy. He becomes a favorite of the lanista (gladiatorial trainer) Lентула Batiatus (played by Peter Mensah), but also attracts the attention of Batiatus's wife, Ilithyia (played by Viva Bianca).