Spartakus and the Sun Beneath the Sea

All Episodes 1985 - 1987
TV-PG

  • Ended
  • #<Network:0x00007feab52c7458>
  • 1985-09-23T22:00:00Z
  • 30m
  • 11h 28m (52 episodes)
  • Nina Wolmark
  • France
  • French
  • Monte Carlo Productions + 2 more, France Animation S.A., RMC Audiovisuel
  • Animation, Fantasy, Science Fiction
Spartakus and the Sun Beneath the Sea (Les mondes engloutis) was a wonderfully crafted animated series that aired sometime in the 80s. It told the story of a civilization that survived a great cataclysm and moved to the center of the earth. These people, the Arkadians, thrived under the power of their artificial sun, The Tehra, until one day it began to fail. In desperation, the Arkadians broke the ancient law and entered the Forbidden Archives to search for an answer. They used their special powers and created a messenger to the people above, naming her Arkana. She meets up with Matt and Rebecca, two ordinary kids from the surface world, Bic and Bac, two strange anteaters from Arkadia, and Spartakus, a mysterious warrior. Together they search the worlds of the strata for a way to save a people and possibly the world. This cartoon is quite possibly one of the greatest animated series of all time. A French cartoon, Spartakus and the Sun Beneath the Sea was very stylized in its animation and way of storytelling. Instead of bright pastel colors and deep lines, the colors were muted with mixtures of earthy tones. And the cartoon had themes of mysticism and surrealism. Yet its deep history and strong characters made the show appealing to people of all ages and tastes.

52 episodes

Series Premiere

1985-09-23T22:00:00Z

1x01 The City of Arkadia

Series Premiere

1x01 The City of Arkadia

  • 1985-09-23T22:00:00Z13m

While exploring a cave, Matt and Rebecca meet Arkana, who tells them of her mission. When the pirates attack, they are rescued by a mysterious warrior named Spartakus.

1985-09-30T23:00:00Z

1x02 Between Two Worlds

1x02 Between Two Worlds

  • 1985-09-30T23:00:00Z13m

Tehrig is swept away by the powerful currents of the River of Time. The group finds themselves in a land occupied by a primitive tribe that is being threatened by the machines of an advanced civilization from the stratum above. Meanwhile, the children of Arkadia are trying to fix the entrance to the Archives, which has rusted shut.

1985-10-07T23:00:00Z

1x03 Arkana and the Beast

1x03 Arkana and the Beast

  • 1985-10-07T23:00:00Z13m

Arkana is kidnapped by the Thot, a gigantic, well-meaning beast who lives in an abandoned metropolis.

1985-10-14T23:00:00Z

1x04 The Pirate Klub

1x04 The Pirate Klub

  • 1985-10-14T23:00:00Z13m

1985-10-21T23:00:00Z

1x05 Living Crystal

1x05 Living Crystal

  • 1985-10-21T23:00:00Z13m

In a crystalline strata that echos with the sound of the Tehra, the group meets Galileo and are taken prisoner by the Inquisitors, who try to get them to renounce their claims that other worlds lie beyond their stratum.

1985-10-28T23:00:00Z

1x06 The Law of the Mogokhs

1x06 The Law of the Mogokhs

  • 1985-10-28T23:00:00Z13m

In a snow-covered land, Spartakus and his friends meet Mira and her grandfather and help them defend their village against the Mogokhs.

1985-11-04T23:00:00Z

1x07 Night of the Amazons

1x07 Night of the Amazons

  • 1985-11-04T23:00:00Z13m

Massmedia teams up with Arkana and Tehrig to rescue Spartakus, Mighty Matt, and Sleazeappeal, who are being held prisoner by a tribe ruled by women.

1x08 The Capture of Demosthenes

  • 1985-11-11T23:00:00Z13m

The group tries to rescue the great orator Demosthenes from Nasty Max and return him to Athens to clear his name.

1x09 Tada and the Royal Insignia

  • 1985-11-18T23:00:00Z13m

In a crystalline strata that echos with the sound of the Tehra, the group meets Galileo and are taken prisoner by the Inquisitors, who try to get them to renounce their claims that other worlds lie beyond their stratum.

1985-11-25T23:00:00Z

1x10 The Icy Web

1x10 The Icy Web

  • 1985-11-25T23:00:00Z13m

Pursued by the pirates, Tehrig travels to the ice-covered stratum of Icelandis, where one of the three legendary gateways to Arkadia is said to exist. There they discover the strange ghost ship Araukania III, which might be from an expedition that left Arkadia a long time ago, as well as other artifacts that suggest a connection between Spartakus' ancestors and the ancient Arkadians.

1985-12-02T23:00:00Z

1x11 The Pirate Convention

1x11 The Pirate Convention

  • 1985-12-02T23:00:00Z13m

Having found the way back to Arkadia for them, Spartakus leaves the group. Nasty Max, however, soon captures the group and takes them back to the pirates' island, hoping that having Arkana and her powers will help him win the Inter-Marine Pirate Federation election. Spartakus must rescue his friends before they are sold into slavery.

1985-12-09T23:00:00Z

1x12 Out of Control

1x12 Out of Control

  • 1985-12-09T23:00:00Z13m

Tehrig is damaged while traveling through a dangerous passage, causing him to believe he is still in Arkadia.

1985-12-16T23:00:00Z

1x13 Children... and Mice

1x13 Children... and Mice

  • 1985-12-16T23:00:00Z13m

Massmedia teams up with Arkana and Tehrig to rescue Spartakus, Mighty Matt, and Sleazeappeal, who are being held prisoner by a tribe ruled by women.

1985-12-23T23:00:00Z

1x14 The Gladiators of Barkar

1x14 The Gladiators of Barkar

  • 1985-12-23T23:00:00Z13m

The group tries to rescue the great orator Demosthenes from Nasty Max and return him to Athens to clear his name.

1986-01-06T23:00:00Z

1x16 The Dark Hole

1x16 The Dark Hole

  • 1986-01-06T23:00:00Z13m

1986-01-13T23:00:00Z

1x17 The Drummer

1x17 The Drummer

  • 1986-01-13T23:00:00Z13m

When Spartakus plays a song taught to him by his father, a drummer mysteriously appears and leads him on a bizarre journey. If Spartakus can prove he is the rightful heir to an ancient kingdom's throne, he is promised a meeting with his long-lost mother.

1x18 Rebecca: Pirate of the Sea

  • 1986-01-20T23:00:00Z13m

1986-01-27T23:00:00Z

1x19 Star Healer

1x19 Star Healer

  • 1986-01-27T23:00:00Z13m

Pursued by the pirates, Tehrig travels to the ice-covered stratum of Icelandis, where one of the three legendary gateways to Arkadia is said to exist. There they discover the strange ghost ship Araukania III, which might be from an expedition that left Arkadia a long time ago, as well as other artifacts that suggest a connection between Spartakus' ancestors and the ancient Arkadians.

1x20 The Prisoners of Lost Time

  • 1986-02-03T23:00:00Z13m

Matt discovers a strange mask that transports the group to another time and place. A man named Arkshag claims that he can lead them to Arkadia, but Arkana suspects it may be a trap.

1986-02-10T23:00:00Z

1x21 Emergency Landing

1x21 Emergency Landing

  • 1986-02-10T23:00:00Z13m

Having found the way back to Arkadia for them, Spartakus leaves the group. Nasty Max, however, soon captures the group and takes them back to the pirates' island, hoping that having Arkana and her powers will help him win the Inter-Marine Pirate Federation election. Spartakus must rescue his friends before they are sold into slavery.

1986-02-17T23:00:00Z

1x22 The Court of Miracles

1x22 The Court of Miracles

  • 1986-02-17T23:00:00Z13m

1986-02-24T23:00:00Z

1x23 Interstratas War

1x23 Interstratas War

  • 1986-02-24T23:00:00Z13m

Matt and Rebecca discover a parallel world that resembles their hometown, where a war has been raging for countless years. The only way to stop the fighting is to show both sides proof of Arkadia's existence.

1x24 The Defeat of Gog and Magog

  • 1986-03-03T23:00:00Z13m

1986-03-10T23:00:00Z

1x25 Dr. Test

1x25 Dr. Test

  • 1986-03-10T23:00:00Z13m

Believing Arkana to be long-lost love, a mad scientist sends Tehrig back in time through the group's many adventures, in an attempt to bring her back to him. This episode is what's often called a "clip show", since it consists mostly of scenes from previous episodes.

1x26 The Secret of the Auracite

  • 1986-03-17T23:00:00Z13m

The group finally reach Arkadia and try to solve the mysteries of the Tehra. Spartakus discovers that his wristguard may hold the key.

Season Premiere

1986-09-30T23:00:00Z

2x01 Prophecy of the Auracite

Season Premiere

2x01 Prophecy of the Auracite

  • 1986-09-30T23:00:00Z13m

The group returns to Arkadia to attempt to free the Prisoners of Lost Time but discover that the Tehra will never be permanently restored until a riddle is solved and a second auracite is found.

1986-10-07T23:00:00Z

2x02 The Most Dangerous Game

2x02 The Most Dangerous Game

  • 1986-10-07T23:00:00Z13m

The group is forced to battle in a real-life chess match against some of their most fearsome enemies.

1986-10-14T23:00:00Z

2x03 Cyrano

2x03 Cyrano

  • 1986-10-14T23:00:00Z13m

The group is forced to battle in a real-life chess match against some of their most fearsome enemies.

1986-10-21T23:00:00Z

2x04 The Tightrope

2x04 The Tightrope

  • 1986-10-21T23:00:00Z13m

Matt follows a devilish trickster and his supernatural pets, a giant eagle and a teleporting snake, on a dangerous quest to find "the gold at the earth's core", thinking it may be the second auracite. Spartakus, knowing that no one has ever returned from the journey, tries to stop him.

1986-10-28T23:00:00Z

2x05 The Twisted Rainbow

2x05 The Twisted Rainbow

  • 1986-10-28T23:00:00Z13m

While crossing the deserts of Barkar, Spartakus recalls the incident that took away his family and forced him into slavery, his life as a gladiator, and the bitter reunion with his long-lost brother.

1986-11-04T23:00:00Z

2x06 High-risk Highrise

2x06 High-risk Highrise

  • 1986-11-04T23:00:00Z25m

Ringnar holds Tehrig prisoner, forcing his triggies to build new luxury high-rise apartments for the pirates. When Nasty Max discovers what Ringnar is up to, the two begin a power struggle for the control of Tehrig, the tower, and the pirates' loyalties.

1986-11-11T23:00:00Z

2x07 The Boy Pharaoh

2x07 The Boy Pharaoh

  • 1986-11-11T23:00:00Z13m

The travelers meet Tutankhaton, who is about to become pharaoh, and are caught up in a plot by the boy's uncle and the Priests of Amon, who want to seize power and return to worship of the old gods.

1986-11-18T23:00:00Z

2x08 The Floating Casino

2x08 The Floating Casino

  • 1986-11-18T23:00:00Z13m

When the pirates capture just about everyone on the seas, the group find themselves prisoners in the hold of the pirates' ship. Meanwhile, Bic and Bac have to deal with being forced to work as Massmedia's musicians and trying to recover Spartakus' wristguard from the pirates' casino, all while trying to avoid nasty pickpockets.

1986-11-25T23:00:00Z

2x09 Prince Matt

2x09 Prince Matt

  • 1986-11-25T23:00:00Z13m

While crossing the deserts of Barkar, Spartakus recalls the incident that took away his family and forced him into slavery, his life as a gladiator, and the bitter reunion with his long-lost brother.

2x10 The Land of the Chameleons

  • 1986-12-02T23:00:00Z13m

The group befriends a city of people descended from the original Arkadians. They use their shapeshifting powers to help rescue Arkana from a pirate trap.

1986-12-09T23:00:00Z

2x11 The Token of the Manitou

2x11 The Token of the Manitou

  • 1986-12-09T23:00:00Z13m

The travelers are aided in their search for an underground vein of metal that may be auracite by a powerful but suspicious magician called the Manitou. Along the way, they encounter a Cherokee from the surface who is looking for a new home for his people.

1986-12-16T23:00:00Z

2x12 The Master of the Tongues

2x12 The Master of the Tongues

  • 1986-12-16T23:00:00Z13m

Guided by a mysterious mute woman, the group ascends a large tower filled with recorded knowledge from throughout history, but someone is trying to keep them from reaching the top.

2x13 The Land of the Great Spider

  • 1986-12-23T23:00:00Z13m

The travelers are caught in the web of a giant spider. Bic and Bac are held captive by a tribe of their anteater cousins for their fire-making ability.

1986-12-30T23:00:00Z

2x14 The Ransom of Peace

2x14 The Ransom of Peace

  • 1986-12-30T23:00:00Z13m

The group returns to Mira's village, which is preparing another confrontation with the Mogokhs. The villagers are divided over a plan to buy peace with the Mogokh leader by giving him a large ransom of gold. Spartakus helps with the plan, hoping he can learn something about his father from Baatu.

1987-01-07T23:00:00Z

2x15 The Triangle of the Deep

2x15 The Triangle of the Deep

  • 1987-01-07T23:00:00Z13m

The travelers investigate the stratum where the People of the Deep mysteriously vanished long ago. To help Tehrig stay on course in this area, which has magnetic disturbances, they create a fake competitor to FIPIRATE, tricking the pirates into increasing their broadcast signal strength. Of course it also causes the pirates to put on a huge impromptu concert for all the rogues of the strata.

1987-01-14T23:00:00Z

2x16 Uncle Albert

2x16 Uncle Albert

  • 1987-01-14T23:00:00Z13m

The group investigates a city closed in by giant walls and are captured by the army of Iron Men, who terrorize its citizens. With the help of an eccentric genius named Uncle Albert, they plot to help the people escape.

1987-01-21T23:00:00Z

2x17 Tehrig's Nightmare

2x17 Tehrig's Nightmare

  • 1987-01-21T23:00:00Z13m

A badly damaged Tehrig returns to Arkadia for repairs and soon begins thinking he's actually the pirates' ship. His friends try to bring him out of his delusional state, while recounting some of their adventures involving the pirates in "clip show" fashion.

1987-01-28T23:00:00Z

2x18 The Brothers of Barkar

2x18 The Brothers of Barkar

  • 1987-01-28T23:00:00Z13m

The travelers discover an abandoned city that was once inhabited by the Arkadians who built the Tehra. Rainbow is here, too, and he wants the secrets of the Arkadians, as well as Arkana, for himself.

1987-02-04T23:00:00Z

2x19 Holiday Fever

2x19 Holiday Fever

  • 1987-02-04T23:00:00Z13m

Tehrig is stuck in an ancient trap designed to disable ships run by artificial intelligence. Fortunately, the pirates are vacationing nearby, and Rebecca, Bic, and Bac try to steal the pirate ship to rescue their friends, with a little help from Ringnar's mischievous nephews.

1987-02-11T23:00:00Z

2x20 Dodo

2x20 Dodo

  • 1987-02-11T23:00:00Z13m

Tehrig lands on an island inhabited by slow-witted dodo birds that can draw people into their dreams of flight. Rebecca gets lost after the pirates try to catch the birds and finds herself at the home of Alice, who lives alone with her memories of Wonderland.

1987-02-18T23:00:00Z

2x21 The Shadow of the Tehra

2x21 The Shadow of the Tehra

  • 1987-02-18T23:00:00Z13m

The travelers discover the explorer Ulysses adrift at sea and help him reach the lost island of Atlantis, which only reappears once every one thousand years.

1987-02-25T23:00:00Z

2x22 The Temple of the Condor

2x22 The Temple of the Condor

  • 1987-02-25T23:00:00Z13m

The group discovers an Aztec-like pyramid hidden deep within a mountain fortress. They meet a priest who intends to save the sun of the Civilization of the Condor by offering Arkana as a sacrifice.

1987-03-04T23:00:00Z

2x23 Mama Thot

2x23 Mama Thot

  • 1987-03-04T23:00:00Z13m

The group returns to the city where Arkana was kidnapped by Thot in order to reunite it with its mother and return it home. But the pirates have built a theme park in the city, with Thot as the main attraction.

1987-03-11T23:00:00Z

2x24 Gateway to Dawn

2x24 Gateway to Dawn

  • 1987-03-11T23:00:00Z13m

Tehrig is trapped by Arachne's web, and to free his friends, Spartakus has to board the ghost ship Araukania, where he agrees to guide the ship on its final journey to the Gateway to Dawn.

1987-03-18T23:00:00Z

2x25 The Path of Light

2x25 The Path of Light

  • 1987-03-18T23:00:00Z13m

Having returned to Arkadia, Spartakus decides that the only to find the secret of the auracite is to go to Arkshag's prison camp, even if it means he can never return. Arkana tries to stop him, but Arkshag prevents her from reaching him in time. Inside the camp, Spartakus discovers the secrets of the oracle and his wristguard.

Spartakus returns to Arkadia with the Prisoners of Lost Time. Together, they discover the truth about the second auracite and Arkadia's original purpose. Matt and Rebecca return home as the Arkadians fulfill their destiny.

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