Those About to Die is a 10-episode Roman historical drama about the machinery behind public spectacle: gladiators, chariot racing, gambling, slave trading, political influence, and imperial succession. Rather than following one conventional hero, the Peacock series connects several lives across the arena, the racing circuit, Rome’s criminal underworld, and the Flavian court.
Set during the reign of Emperor Vespasian, the drama stars Anthony Hopkins as the aging emperor alongside Tom Hughes as Titus, Jojo Macari as Domitian, Iwan Rheon as the bookmaker and fixer Tenax, Sara Martins as the Numidian mother Cala, Moe Hashim as Kwame, and Dimitri Leonidas as the celebrated charioteer Scorpus.
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What is Those About to Die about?
Those About to Die is a large-scale historical drama set in ancient Rome during the Flavian period. Its central idea is that entertainment is also a form of government. The rulers of Rome need to keep the urban population fed, occupied, impressed, and politically manageable—and the public games are one of the most effective tools available to them.
That makes the arena only one part of the story. The series also explores the gambling networks that surround the races, the people who profit from betting and influence, the training and sale of gladiators, the commercial value of famous athletes, and the family struggle over who will control the empire after Vespasian.
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The result is an ensemble drama rather than a straightforward gladiator-hero story. The arena matters, but so do the palace, the racetrack, the slave market, the betting rooms, and the networks of patrons and criminals that make the spectacles possible.
The series premiered in the United States on July 18, 2024. Peacock released all 10 episodes at once rather than using a weekly schedule.
When and where does the series take place?
The story takes place in Rome during the reign of Emperor Vespasian, whose rule began in AD 69 after the civil conflict known as the Year of the Four Emperors. Vespasian founded the Flavian dynasty, and the drama uses the tensions within that dynasty as one of its main political storylines.
Rome’s public games provide the setting’s social and political framework. Chariot races and arena contests are not treated simply as leisure activities. They are mass events requiring money, organization, performers, trainers, betting, political sponsorship, and a large supply of people whose bodies can be bought, sold, trained, or exploited.
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Within that system, public approval has real political value. An emperor who can deliver spectacular games can strengthen his relationship with the people, while the factions that control competitors, teams, money, and information can turn entertainment into leverage.
Cast and character guide
Anthony Hopkins as Emperor Vespasian
Vespasian is the aging emperor and head of the Flavian family. His position depends not only on formal authority but also on maintaining order and public support. The character anchors the story’s imperial perspective as the succession question begins to press on the court.
Tom Hughes as Titus
Titus is Vespasian’s son and successor-in-waiting. His place in the dynasty puts him at the center of the palace’s future, while his relationship with his brother creates a direct line of tension inside the imperial family.
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- The disk DOES NOT have Italian audio and subtitles.
Jojo Macari as Domitian
Domitian is Vespasian’s younger son. Ambitious and politically alert, he is drawn into rivalry with Titus as the question of succession becomes increasingly important.
Iwan Rheon as Tenax
Tenax is a calculating operator connected to gambling, influence, and Rome’s criminal economy. His story shows how much power can exist outside the official structures of the palace—and how closely that unofficial world is tied to the games.
Sara Martins as Cala
Cala is a mother from Numidia trying to recover her children. Her storyline connects the grand spectacle of Rome to the human cost of conquest, enslavement, and the buying and selling of people.
Moe Hashim as Kwame
Kwame, Cala’s son, is forced into gladiatorial life. Through him, the series follows the transformation of a person into an arena commodity and competitor.
Dimitri Leonidas as Scorpus
Scorpus is a celebrated charioteer whose racing career illustrates the fame and commercial value that the games can create. Unlike the enslaved or coerced performers pulled into the system, a star competitor may accumulate prestige and wealth—but that success still depends on a dangerous and exploitative industry.
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Supporting cast
The wider ensemble includes Pepe Barroso, Eneko Sagardoy, Gonçalo Almeida, Kyshan Wilson, Alicia Edogamhe, Gabriella Pession, Lara Wolf, and Martyn Ford. These characters broaden the story across racing teams, gladiatorial training, families, slavery, court politics, and the business of staging spectacles.
How does the show relate to Daniel P. Mannix’s book?
The series is inspired by Daniel P. Mannix’s Those About to Die, originally published in 1958 by Ballantine Books. Later editions have also used the alternate title The Way of the Gladiator.
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Mannix’s work is a book about the Roman games and the world surrounding them. It is not a conventional novel that the television series reproduces scene by scene, nor is the program a direct dramatization of one linear historical narrative. Robert Rodat’s television adaptation uses the book’s subject and interest in the organization of Roman spectacle as a foundation for an original ensemble plot involving the imperial family, gamblers, performers, enslaved people, and fictionalized personal conflicts.
For readers who want to investigate the source material, Daniel P. Mannix’s Those About to Die is the most direct companion to the series. It is best approached as background on the Roman games rather than as a complete explanation of every television character or event.
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Those About to Die is a fictionalized historical drama, not a documentary and not a scene-by-scene reconstruction of Roman history. It combines real rulers, institutions, sporting culture, and historical figures with invented characters and heightened plotting.
Vespasian, Titus, and Domitian were real members of the Flavian dynasty. Scorpus was also a real and famous Roman charioteer. However, the series reshapes chronology, biography, relationships, and circumstances to create a coherent television story. The presence of a historical name does not mean that every event involving that character happened as shown.
The most useful way to watch the series historically is as a dramatized interpretation of the world around Roman spectacle. Its broad subjects—imperial patronage, public games, chariot racing, betting, slavery, celebrity, and political legitimacy—are grounded in recognizable features of Roman society. Individual plot developments should be treated as drama rather than documentary evidence.
The title and the gladiator salute
The title refers to the famous formula commonly rendered in English as “Those about to die salute you.” The historical use of that phrase is debated, including the circumstances in which it was supposedly spoken and how widely it was used. It should not be presented as an uncontested standard greeting delivered by every gladiator before every Roman spectacle.
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Who created the series?
Robert Rodat developed and wrote the series. The 10 episodes were directed by Roland Emmerich and Marco Kreuzpaintner. Emmerich, whose feature-film work includes Independence Day, made his television directing debut with the project.
The production was made for Peacock with international production and distribution partners including AGC Studios, Constantin Film, and High End Productions, among related companies identified in industry and distribution materials.
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How many episodes and seasons are there?
The first season contains 10 episodes, all released together in the United States on July 18, 2024. Peacock’s current series listing identifies one season and rates the program TV-MA.
The all-at-once release means viewers can watch the complete first season without waiting for a weekly episode. A general overview is best read as spoiler-light: the season’s major outcomes involving the imperial succession, Cala’s children, Tenax’s schemes, and the arena and racing climaxes are not revealed here.
Where can you watch Those About to Die?
United States
Peacock is the official U.S. home of the series, and Peacock currently lists the complete 10-episode first season. Subscription terms, pricing, and availability can change, so check the current Peacock listing before subscribing.
Watch Those About to Die on Peacock if you are in the United States and want to verify the current listing directly.
Outside the United States
Prime Video carries a Season 1 listing in at least some international storefronts. That does not establish worldwide availability: streaming rights, purchase options, subtitles, and subscription requirements vary by country.
Check Prime Video availability using the local storefront for your country rather than assuming that the U.S. Peacock arrangement applies internationally.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteIs there a season 2 of Those About to Die?
As of August 11, 2026, Peacock lists only one season, and no official Season 2 announcement was located in the searched Peacock materials. There is no confirmed production start, returning cast announcement, or release date to report from those materials.
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That is an absence-of-announcement finding, not proof that the series has been formally canceled. Until Peacock announces a renewal or cancellation, the accurate description is that Season 2 has not been officially announced in the available Peacock information.
Why the series stands out
The strongest idea in Those About to Die is its focus on the infrastructure of entertainment. The games require more than combatants and spectators. They need money, betting systems, political backing, team ownership, trainers, transportation, venues, publicity, and a constant supply of people who can be turned into performers.
That perspective gives the series several overlapping points of view:
- The imperial viewpoint: Vespasian and his sons see spectacle as part of governing Rome and securing dynastic power.
- The business viewpoint: Tenax and others treat betting, information, and access as sources of wealth and influence.
- The celebrity viewpoint: Scorpus demonstrates how a successful competitor can become a valuable public figure.
- The coerced-performer viewpoint: Kwame’s path to the arena shows the violence behind the public entertainment.
- The family viewpoint: Cala’s search for her children gives the spectacle a personal cost beyond the competition itself.
These strands make the show useful for viewers interested not only in gladiatorial combat but also in the relationship between popular entertainment and political power.
What to know before watching
- It is a historical drama, not a documentary.
- The story is ensemble-based rather than centered on one gladiator protagonist.
- The setting is the Flavian-era Roman world of Vespasian, Titus, and Domitian.
- The games include both gladiatorial contests and chariot racing, with gambling and political influence surrounding them.
- The series is TV-MA and deals with violence, slavery, exploitation, political intrigue, and sexual material.
- All 10 episodes of Season 1 were released together.
- Streaming availability outside the United States must be checked locally.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Those About to Die based on a true story?
It is based on a historical setting and includes real figures such as Vespasian, Titus, Domitian, and the charioteer Scorpus, but the television plot is fictionalized. It should not be treated as a documentary or a literal account of everything shown.
Is Those About to Die based on a book?
Yes. It is inspired by Daniel P. Mannix’s 1958 book Those About to Die, also published in later editions as The Way of the Gladiator. The book concerns the Roman games; it is not a scene-by-scene screenplay source for the series.
How many episodes are in Season 1?
There are 10 episodes, and Peacock released them all together in the United States on July 18, 2024.
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Anthony Hopkins plays Emperor Vespasian. Tom Hughes plays Titus, and Jojo Macari plays Domitian.
Has Those About to Die been renewed for Season 2?
As of August 11, 2026, Peacock’s current listing shows one season, and no official Season 2 announcement was located in the searched Peacock materials. A cancellation has not been established by that finding.
The Bottom Line
Those About to Die is best understood as a spectacle-and-power drama: a fictionalized Flavian-era story in which gladiators, charioteers, gamblers, enslaved people, and imperial heirs are all connected by Rome’s entertainment economy. Peacock currently lists one complete 10-episode season; international viewers should verify local streaming rights.
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