THE BLOOD RUNS FREELY IN FINE, UPDATED 'SPARTACUS'.

Byline: Valerie Kuklenski Staff Writer

More than 2,000 years ago, the Roman empire was the cradle of Western civilization, a place for art, architecture, poetry, competitive athletics, music and even the outlines of modern democracy to thrive.

At the same time, it was a prime example of man's inhumanity to man - and the nature of absolute power corrupting absolutely.

It is the latter that is depicted in ``Spartacus,'' a new four-hour miniseries adaptation of Howard Fast's novel of the 71 B.C. slave revolt, memorably brought to the big screen by Stanley Kubrick in 1960 with Kirk Douglas in the title role.

Blood and sweat run more freely in the USA update, and torturous crucifixion to deter crime and rebellion is shown as a very common practice decades before Jesus endured it.

Here Goran Visnjic, best-known as Dr. Luka Kovac on ``ER,'' plays Spartacus, a slave trained as a gladiator to fight for the amusement of the privileged classes. One day, he and another slave, Draba (Henry Simmons of ``NYPD Blue'') are ordered to fight to the death at the behest of Crassus (Angus MacFadyen), a guest of their owner.

After knocking down Spartacus, Draba is poised to slay him but instead defiantly turns on his owner. Draba's choice of dying as a man rather than living as an animal inspires Spartacus to trigger a slave revolt.

Initially, Roman politicians such as Agrippa (the late Alan Bates) and Crassus believe the uprising can be quelled quickly and easily, but they soon are proved wrong. Spartacus and his lieutenants are wilier and better equipped than their Roman oppressors expected, and they are being joined in the countryside by throngs of slaves and peasants.

Spartacus' wife, Varinia (Rhona Mitra of ``The Practice''), is his most trusted ally as he plans battle after battle and his toughest critic when he resorts to the reviled practice of crucifixion to send a message to the Romans.

Director Robert Dornhelm (``Anne Frank'') has conveyed the brutality of hand-to-hand combat with less gore than Mel Gibson's ``Braveheart'' but no less fervor. Spartacus' charge into his final battle begins with a bellow of ``Freedom!'' - where have we heard that before? - reminding us of the courage and commitment of those on front lines everywhere throughout history.

Fast, a past member of the American Communist Party who served three months in prison for refusing to identify other members to the House Un-American Activities Committee, died shortly before shooting began on this film. He might have enjoyed some of the contemporary political allusions in Robert Schenkkan's screenplay, such as Agrippa's anticipation that the ``tree lovers'' would be upset about the forests mowed down for the construction of 6,000 crosses.

Valerie Kuklenski, [phone]

valerie.kuklenski(at)dailynews.com

SPARTACUS - Three stars

What: Four-hour miniseries about the 71 B.C. slave revolt in Rome, adapted from Howard Fast's novel.

Where: USA Network.

When: 8 tonight and Monday.

In a nutshell: A grittier, more painful depiction than Stanley Kubrick's 1960 epic starring Kirk Douglas.

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Photo:

``ER'' star Goran Visnjic plays Spartacus, a slave trained as a gladiator to fight for the amusement of the privileged classes.