Spartacus Revolt

Багерман А.Я.

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The Spartacus revolt (73-71 BCE), also known as the Third Servile War, began in the gladiatorial school at Capua and became the largest slave uprising of the Roman Republic. Spartacus' band grew into a multi-ethnic army, defeated Roman forces several times and forced the Senate to entrust suppression of the revolt to Marcus Licinius Crassus.

In brief:

• the revolt of Spartacus took place in 73-71 BCE;
• it began in the gladiatorial school of Lentulus Batiatus at Capua;
• the main Roman opponent was Crassus, with Pompey appearing at the end of the campaign;
• the result was the defeat of the rebels in southern Italy and mass executions of prisoners.

Reconstruction of a fresco from Pompeii "Wounded Spartacus",1st century AD.

Short chronology

• 73 BCE — gladiators escape from Lentulus Batiatus' school at Capua and win their first victories near Vesuvius.
• 72 BCE — the rebels defeat several Roman forces and consular armies; the movement marches north, then turns back toward southern Italy.
• 71 BCE — Marcus Licinius Crassus receives command; Spartacus is trapped in the south, tries to cross to Sicily, then breaks out.
• 71 BCE — the rebels are decisively defeated; Spartacus dies in battle, and prisoners are crucified along the Appian Way.

Main events

The revolt began at Capua, in the gladiatorial school of Lentulus Batiatus. Ancient tradition names Spartacus, Crixus and Oenomaus among the leaders. The sources disagree on many details: it is unclear whether Spartacus had a single political plan, whether he wanted to lead his followers out of Italy, or whether he intended to continue the war inside the peninsula.

The first successes were due not only to the number of fugitives but also to Rome's weak initial response. The Senate first treated the outbreak as a local rising rather than a full war, so comparatively small forces were sent against Spartacus.

Bas-relief with gladiators. Marble. Pompeii,the Stabian Gate. National Archaeological Museum,Naples. 20-50 AD

After the victory near Vesuvius, slaves, shepherds, poor free people, runaway gladiators and men from different parts of Italy joined Spartacus. The army was large but not homogeneous. That made it dangerous to Rome, but it also complicated discipline, supply and the choice of a common strategy.

Some rebels probably wanted to move north and leave Italy. Others preferred to remain in the wealthy south, where food and plunder were easier to obtain. This tension helps explain the abrupt changes in Spartacus' route in 72-71 BCE.

Progress of the military campaign

When ordinary praetorian forces failed, Rome increased the pressure. The rebels defeated separate detachments, but they struggled to turn victories into permanent control of territory. They had no civic administration, no fleet and no reliable supply system.

The turning point came when Marcus Licinius Crassus received command. He restored discipline in the Roman army, gathered a large force and pushed Spartacus toward southern Italy. The planned crossing to Sicily failed; Spartacus broke out, but he had lost the initiative.

In the decisive battle of 71 BCE, Spartacus' army was destroyed. Spartacus himself, according to ancient accounts, died fighting; his body was not found. Crassus' troops destroyed many of the survivors, while some fugitives were intercepted by Pompey, who was returning from Spain.

Roman memory of the war was shaped not only by fear of a slave uprising but also by rivalry between commanders: Crassus conducted the main campaign, but Pompey tried to claim part of the credit for the final suppression.

Bronnikov F. A. Painting "The Cursed Field". 1878 State Tretyakov Gallery.

Outcomes and consequences

The revolt was crushed with deliberate brutality. Appian reports that more than 6,000 prisoners were crucified along the road from Capua to Rome. The execution was meant to show slaves and Rome's allies that armed rebellion against the Republic would not be forgiven.

For the Roman Republic, the war was a lesson in the risks created by large slave estates, gladiatorial schools and the underestimation of internal threats. In later historical memory Spartacus became a symbol of resistance, although ancient writers described him primarily as a dangerous military enemy of Rome.

Related topics

Roman Republic, Slavery in Ancient Rome, Slave Revolt in Sicily, Marcus Licinius Crassus, Gnaeus Pompey the Great, Gladiators

Literature

Ancient sources

1. Appian. Roman History. The Civil Wars. 2. Plutarch. Parallel Lives. Crassus, Pompey. 3. Florus. Epitome of Roman History. 4. Frontinus. Strategemata.

Modern studies

1. V. A. Goroncharovsky. Spartacus' War: Rebel Slaves against Roman Legions. 2. Keith Bradley. Slavery and Rebellion in the Roman World, 140 B.C.-70 B.C. 3. Brent D. Shaw. Spartacus and the Slave Wars.