Spartacus was the real leader of the Third Servile War. However, historical details about him are scarce. The film portrays him as an idealized freedom fighter, adding fictional motivations and relationships.

Varinia is a fictional character created for Howard Fast's novel and the film. There is no historical record of Spartacus having a wife or lover named Varinia accompanying the revolt.

Crassus was the real Roman commander who eventually defeated Spartacus. The film accurately portrays his wealth and ambition, but his personal motivations, interactions, and specific tactics are heavily fictionalized.

This character, representing opposition to the Senate oligarchy led by Crassus, is fictional. He may be inspired by earlier figures like the Gracchi brothers, but his role in the film has no direct historical basis.

The revolt did begin at the ludus (gladiator school) owned by Gnaeus Lentulus Batiatus in Capua. His characterization in the film is dramatized.

Antoninus is a fictional character. His devotion to Spartacus, background as a poet, and relationship with Crassus are all dramatic inventions.

The Third Servile War did indeed begin with a breakout of gladiators from Batiatus's school in Capua in 73 BC.

The escaped slaves first established a base on Mount Vesuvius, where they gathered more followers.

Spartacus's forces defeated several poorly prepared Roman militia and legionary forces sent against them in the early stages of the revolt.

The slave army grew significantly as it moved through Italy, attracting runaway slaves and discontented rural poor.

Historical sources describe divisions among the rebels, with Crixus leading a faction that separated from Spartacus and was subsequently defeated and killed by Roman forces.

Spartacus did defeat legions in the north near Mutina (modern Modena) and could have left Italy, but inexplicably turned south again. His reasons remain debated by historians; the film offers no reason.

Historical accounts state Spartacus attempted to arrange passage to Sicily with Cilician pirates.

The pirates took payment but failed to provide the promised ships, effectively betraying Spartacus, possibly due to Roman pressure or bribes as the film suggests.

Crassus constructed extensive fortifications across the toe of Italy to corner Spartacus's army.

Spartacus's army was decisively defeated by Crassus's legions in Lucania in 71 BC. Spartacus himself died in the battle.

Crassus crucified thousands of captured slaves along the Appian Way from Capua to Rome as a brutal warning.

The entire romantic subplot involving Varinia is fictional.

The character of Gracchus and his political machinations against Crassus, alliance with Batiatus, and suicide are entirely fictional.

This iconic scene is purely fictional, created for the film to emphasize solidarity. Spartacus died in the final battle, and Crassus likely wouldn't have needed to identify him among captives.

Since Varinia is fictional, her survival and escape with Spartacus's (also fictional) child, facilitated by Batiatus and Gracchus, did not happen. The fate of any real family Spartacus might have had is unknown.

The film is correctly set during the time and place of the Third Servile War in the late Roman Republic.

The film provides a visually strong (if perhaps sanitized by 1960 standards) depiction of a Roman gladiator training school, reflecting the harsh conditions.

Sets depicting the luxurious villas and decadent lifestyle of the Roman elite like Crassus contrast effectively with the slaves' conditions, reflecting Roman social stratification.

Filmed largely in Spain and California, the locations effectively represent the varied Italian terrains where the revolt took place, from Vesuvius to the southern peninsula.

Roman legionary camps and Crassus's fortifications in Bruttium are visually represented, reflecting Roman military engineering.

The armor (lorica segmentata - technically slightly anachronistic for 70s BC, but standard Hollywood depiction), helmets, shields (scutum), and weapons (gladius) of Crassus's legions appear visually consistent for a 1960 film.

The various types of gladiator armor and weaponry used in training and combat scenes appear appropriately diverse for different gladiator types shown.

The film portrays the brutality and pervasiveness of slavery in the Roman Republic, which was the underlying cause of the revolt.

The final scenes visually represent the mass crucifixion ordered by Crassus, a historically accurate and brutal method of Roman execution for slaves and rebels.

While specific Senate scenes are few, the dialogue and actions of characters like Crassus and the fictional Gracchus represent the political maneuvering within the Roman Republic's elite.