Spartacus eventually has an army of hundreds of thousands of freed slaves, who free one city after another. After she helps him escape the ludus, Mira becomes Spartacus' lover, until she comes to realize he would never love her the way she loved him. He gains the support of Crixus and at a party to announce Batiatus' pursuit of political office, Spartacus leads a slave revolt that kills Batiatus and almost all the people in attendance. Eventually, Spartacus finds out and plans vengeance against Batiatus. It is revealed immediately afterwards that Batiatus had Sura murdered so Spartacus would stay at the ludus, as he would have no reason to gain his freedom. Batiatus makes a deal with Spartacus that if he continues to fight for Batiatus, he will find Spartacus' wife for him however, she is brought to the ludus dying from an apparent attack. He makes an enemy of Crixus, especially when they defeat Theokoles in which fight Crixus is wounded and Spartacus inherits his title of 'the Champion of Capua'.
Spartacus comes to live at the ludus and eventually proves himself a skilled gladiator. Batiatus purchases Spartacus to either win patronage from Glaber by having him killed, or use the Thracian's popularity for his own ends. Instead of dying, Spartacus kills the gladiators sent to kill him, and as a result Spartacus cannot be executed: Glaber would lose faith with the people, as Spartacus has become popular with the crowd. Spartacus' wife Sura is condemned to slavery, and Spartacus is taken to Rome to be executed in the games by Glaber.
Spartacus disobeys an order by legatus Gaius Claudius Glaber, who refused to send his men to protect Spartacus' village.