Rome’s Greatest Rebel
While Spartacus remains one of the most well-known names in history, the story of his life is full of ambiguity and unknowns. What is certain is that, through his leadership and tactical prowess, he and his followers went from a handful of escaped slaves to one of Rome’s greatest threats. Not only that, but his legacy carried on to the modern day, inspiring the oppressed to rise against their oppressors—even if that wasn’t his intention.
1. They Both Wrote About Him
Whether real or imagined, the great heroes of the ancient world became the basis of stories throughout history. However, even authentic historical figures may have their exploits shrouded by mystery due to time or the differing records of historians. In Spartacus’ case, most consider two Greek writers, Appian of Alexandria and Plutarch of Chaeronea, the most prominent sources on his life, and even their accounts vary from time to time.
Understandably, some of his life’s more specific details are still vague.
2. His Birthday Is Unknown
Spartacus’ birthday was either never recorded or lost to time, but still, estimates have come up over the years. Thankfully, the Romans kept better records of threats against them, so historians know his uprising occurred in 73 BC. Since modern authors guess that he was around 30 at this time, his birth year is usually placed around 103 BC.
There are also guesses as to where he came from.
3. He Was Nomadic
Multiple historians throughout the centuries described Spartacus as “Thracian,” meaning coming from the region of Thrace. Along with this, in the second century, Plutarch referred to the man as “of Nomadic stock”. This possibly implies the belief that Spartacus originated from the Thracian Maedi tribe.
Knowing his legacy, it’s believed he had some official training.
4. He May Have Served
In parallel with Plutarch’s account, Appian posited that Spartacus may have had more dealings with the Romans before everything went down. According to him, while still from Thrace, Spartacus had joined the Roman army for several of his early years. However, whether he served or not, another common detail exists between accounts.
5. He Was Enslaved
The poet Florus went further when describing Spartacus’ life, outlining how he had been both a mercenary and part of Rome’s army before deserting and being taken as a slave. While these first few assertions can mostly be chalked up to conjecture, the historical fact is that at some point, for whatever reason, the Romans captured Spartacus as a slave. In some versions, he wasn’t alone.
6. She Went With Him
Although most records of Spartacus’ life after his capture do not mention him taking a wife, this isn’t to say he was never married. Along with Plutarch’s account of Spartacus coming from the Maedi people, he also wrote of the warrior’s wife, a Maedi prophetess who, unfortunately, joined Spartacus in his enslavement.
Whatever the case, he then began his new life.
7. He Trained
As with many who became slaves at the hands of the Roman Empire, Spartacus had no choice but to join the most popular entertainment industry in Rome at the time. Traveling to a location close to Capua, he trained at a school under the ownership of Lentulus Batiatus to become a skilled gladiator.
However, he wasn’t just any kind of fighter.
8. He Was A Heavyweight
Gladiatorial combat included several types of fighters categorized by overall build, weaponry, and style, including the thraex fighters who used a “Thracian” style. Ironically, Spartacus was not one of these, as his tall and burly physique was more well-suited for the heavyweight murmillo fighters who often displayed fish imagery on their armor.
Of course, this wasn’t a satisfactory lifestyle.
9. They Started Planning
Like countless other cases of a substantial group of people under oppression and enslavement, by the time Spartacus became a gladiator, he and those around him were itching to fight back. In 73 BC, he joined a group of fellow slaves and began to plan an escape from their Roman captivity.
Fortunately, they had everything they needed.
10. They Outfitted Themselves
After carefully planning, Spartacus and around 70 other slaves broke free from their bonds and leaped into action. Knowing they couldn’t get away from their captors without any equipment, they took what they required by force. Using kitchen utensils at first, they eventually acquired actual armor and weaponry from a wagon at the gladiatorial school.
Now on the cusp of freedom, they made a run for it.
11. They Went To The Mountains
Spartacus and his fellow slaves fought their way out and overcame anyone who stood in their path. As they continued their fight, they took what valuables they could find in the surrounding area and enlisted many other slaves whom they came across. Eventually, they stopped once they were relatively safe and posted up in a hidden location on Mount Vesuvius.
Already, Spartacus had proven himself.
12. He Was Chosen
While Spartacus is frequently depicted as being the leader of this rebellion, the fact is that the growing army of slaves elected three leaders in total—Spartacus, Crixus, and Oenomaus. Although the general belief in Rome was that Spartacus led at the top and the other two were his underlings, there’s a good chance they all commanded equally.
Meanwhile, the Romans were at a disadvantage.
13. They Were Preoccupied
History has recognized Rome as having one of the most ruthless and effective armies in the world, and yet, Spartacus and his followers escaped to safety with relative ease. Much of this was due to the Romans simply lacking the numbers, as most of their forces were elsewhere fighting other battles—including, coincidentally, another revolt.
Even if they had the resources, they weren’t too worried.
14. They Didn’t Take It Seriously
By the time they reached Mount Vesuvius, the army of escaped slaves had effectively revolted against their masters, pillaged the countryside, and grown in number. However, the Romans still refused to see this for the threat it was, instead believing it to be more of an issue for local authorities than their army.
Once they did respond, Spartacus was ready for them.
15. He Outsmarted Them
Believing it sufficient, Rome dispatched praetor Gaius Claudius Glaber and a militia to face Spartacus and his army. But they had no idea what they were walking into. Marching on Mount Vesuvius, the militia attempted to hold their siege and force the rebels to give up. But Spartacus was cunning, and his men used vine-ropes to climb down behind the militia, ambushing and easily overtaking them.
This was only the beginning.
16. They Continued Winning
Following this defeat, Rome sent another force to capture or slay Spartacus and his rebels. Unfortunately for the Romans, this mission turned out even worse than the first, as the rebels took out all the opposing lieutenants, confiscated their armor and weaponry, and almost captured the praetor commander.
In doing so, they only became more formidable.
17. Their Ranks Grew
The rebel army had grown from the 70 slaves who initiated the uprising, especially once they started to prove they were not to be messed with. Aside from the additional slaves who joined during the initial escape, many others fled to Spartacus’ forces once their reputation got out. Subsequently, several groups of the region’s shepherds joined, adding up to about 90,000 men.
Naturally, this force included all kinds.
18. They Were Diverse
In class and race, the army of rebels grew into a force of great diversity, including several groups such as the Gauls—to whom its two other leaders belonged—and the Celts. There were also a few Roman legion veterans left over from the recent social conflict, and even among the former slaves, there was a distinction between those from the countryside and the city.
Amid all of them, it became increasingly apparent that Spartacus had been the right choice.
19. He Knew What He Was Doing
Over the many skirmishes Spartacus and his rebels fought against their Roman pursuers, he proved how capable a leader he truly was. Lending credence to the theory that—like some of his men—he had previously been part of the Roman army, he constantly displayed his brilliant tactical strength as they fended off wave after wave.
Luckily, the rest of them were also more than competent.
20. They Were Resourceful
The rebels had the numbers and some of the equipment of an army, but most of the men had received no official training. They didn’t let this stop them, as they had quickly become scrappy and creative. Through irregular, guerrilla tactics and using the area and materials at their disposal, Spartacus’ army held its own.
This isn’t to say they had no room for improvement.
21. They Worked On Themselves
While they were already efficient in their guerrilla strategies, Spartacus wanted to shape them into a proper army. Over the following winter, they all trained rigorously to be a more powerful and deadly force. Also during this time, they continued to expand and gather equipment so that, when the time came, they could meet the Romans on equal footing.
At a certain point, they knew they could no longer stay in their position.
22. They Advanced
Having turned themselves into an increasing threat in the eyes of Rome, the rebels decided to leave their position on Mount Vesuvius and head north. Also, in response to the rising concern, Rome sent two consular legions under Gnaeus Cornelius Lentulus Clodianus and Lucius Gellius to finally stop Spartacus and his forces.
Initially, this opposition fared better than its predecessors.
23. They Tried Their Best
Unlike the previous Roman forces Spartacus and his rebels had faced, these two new consular legions proved much more dangerous. Against Crixus’ group of 30,000, the Romans achieved a surprising victory. However, Spartacus’ men again demonstrated their strength and ingenuity as they stepped in and defeated the oncoming enemy.
Eventually, Rome brought out one of its most dangerous leaders.
24. They Found Their Man
With the rebels overcoming everything thrown at them, Rome became more desperate to put this conflict down. Finally, Marcus Licinius Crassus, the richest man in the empire, volunteered to spearhead the operation. As such, Rome gave him eight legions of 40,000 men total and ordered him to hunt down the rebels.
Even by himself, though, he was not to be trifled with.
25. He Was Ruthless
Separating himself from the previous Roman commanders who had failed to capture or slay the rebels, Crassus guaranteed that even his own men knew the extent of his brutality. To ensure they feared him above all, he reintroduced the concept of "decimation," where he put one-tenth of his men to the blade, just as a form of discipline.
Needless to say, he would show no mercy in battle.
26. He Cut Them Off
The rebels kept moving and by 71 BC, they had taken position south of Italy. However, as they traveled north again, Crassus and his forces took the opportunity to strike. Halting their progress, he stationed six of his eight legions at the borders, sending the other two under Legate Mummius to sandwich Spartacus and his men from the rear. This didn’t work out as well as he’d hoped.
27. He Failed
The Romans had Spartacus and the rebels right where they wanted, and had all but surrounded them. However, Legate Mummius took matters into his own hands once he saw an opening to attack. A decision he would soon regret. Despite receiving no orders to do so, Legate Mummius engaged the rebels and was quickly overtaken, subsequently retreating.
Unfortunately for the rebels, their success was short-lived.
28. He Pushed Them
Despite their victory over Crassus’ legate, Spartacus and his rebels soon learned how much more deadly the enemy commander was. They tried to fight Crassus’ forces in several battles, but each time, the Romans gained more and more ground. Eventually, the rebels had no choice but to move back south.
There, they bided their time.
29. They Were Holed Up
After the Romans had overwhelmed them and pushed them south through Lucania, the rebels began the long game of continuously trying to elude Cassus’ forces. By the end of the year, they had come to Rhegium and set up camp, unable to proceed past the Strait of Messina.
They needed an escape plan.
30. He Bargained With Them
In one account, Spartacus reportedly had plans to fortify his ranks by starting another slave uprising in Sicily, which then stood across the Strait of Messina. To achieve this, he paid a group of Cilician pirates to take him and a contingent of rebels across the strait, which would have worked if the pirates hadn’t simply taken the money and left without them.
Spartacus remained determined, though.
31. They Tried To Cross
According to several minor sources, when their plans with the pirates fell through, the rebels may have tried to build ships or rafts to cross the strait themselves. In a similarly vague fashion, though, these sources mention that Crassus made this impossible and forced them to abandon the idea, although it’s unknown how.
Either way, things were about to get so much worse.
32. They Followed Them
Shifting gears, Spartacus and his men could no longer stay in their position and retreated toward Rhegium. They were in for a huge surprise. Crassus had been keeping tabs on the rebels and was immediately on top of them, cutting off their passage to the city and depriving them of supplies. Apparently, he had a more personal stake in this.
33. He Wanted The Credit
Until this point, Rome was too busy with other conflicts that occupied their armies. However, having put down the Sertorian revolt in Hispania, Pompey the Great’s army received orders from the Roman senate to help Crassus against the rebels. Instead of being grateful for the aid, Crassus only worried that he wouldn’t get credit for defeating Spartacus.
Meanwhile, Crassus wasn’t the only one concerned about Pompey.
34. He Reached Out
Spartacus and his men had already been struggling against Crassus’ legions, but Pompey’s addition to the conflict was another beast entirely. The incoming Roman general already had a reputation for taking care of business, especially concerning rebellions. Knowing he was quickly growing outmatched, Spartacus requested a truce with Crassus.
He didn’t get the answer he wanted.
35. They Escaped
While he wasn’t happy with Pompey’s involvement, Crassus wasn’t about to resort to a truce with Spartacus, so he refused. Left with no alternative, the rebels determined to escape Rome’s clutches one last time, and most of them slipped through the legion's blockade. With the Romans hot on their trail, Spartacus’ forces fled for the city of Brundusium. Then, things went horribly wrong.
36. They Became Disorganized
Pushed to fear and desperation, Spartacus’ leadership finally became insufficient, and his forces began to divide. After the Romans caught up with one of the splintered rebel groups and overtook them, and despite Spartacus’ wishes to continue forward, several portions of his men stopped and attempted to fight on their own.
Finally, he knew it was time.
37. They Made Their Stand
With the Roman legions bearing down on his forces and survival growing increasingly out of reach—let alone victory—Spartacus decided to end things on his terms. Following the example that many of his men had already demonstrated, he turned the entirety of his army around and charged at Crassus.
They were no match.
38. They Were Slaughtered
Spartacus and his men made a valiant final stand, but it ultimately turned out to be unsuccessful. Very quickly, the battle turned against them, and Crassus’ army overwhelmed what rebels remained. In what likely seemed like the blink of an eye, most of the former slaves fell to the Roman legions’ swords.
However, Spartacus’ fate remains unclear.
39. He May Have Fallen
Spartacus’ army was almost completely eradicated, but he wasn’t going down without a fight. Several major sources write that this is where he ultimately perished, with Appian stating that Spartacus took a javelin to the leg and kept fighting until the Romans finished him off. At the same time, Appian also wrote that the rebel leader’s body was never found.
Still, historians at least know where this battle happened.
40. Their Evidence Was Found
For centuries, historians believed the location of Spartacus’ final stand was on the banks of the river Sele in Lucania—the present-day region of Senerchia. This was eventually supported in 1899, when people started to find the remnants of Roman swords and armor in the area.
Following the battle, the surviving rebels still had their own suffering to endure.
41. They Pursued Them
In a twisted turn of fate for Crassus, Pompey and his army arrived right around the time of the rebels’ defeat. Those in the minority who survived fled north, only to find themselves caught and cut down by Pompey, with the number of fatalities amounting to around 5,000. Despite this being the extent of his involvement, Pompey would later claim he ended the conflict then and there.
Still, these rebels may have gotten off easy.
42. They All Perished
Those who didn’t escape or meet the blades of Pompey’s men had an entirely crueler fate in store. Of the rebel survivors, Crassus captured 6,000 of the rebel survivors—but he didn't execute them. At least not immediately. Crassus weighed his options before ultimately choosing a punishment so brutal, that some say it was even more cruel that a simple execution.
Crassus took his 6,000 captives and had each of them crucified along the Appian Way all the way from Rome to Capua, a distance of some 100 miles, all lined by a gruesome spectacle.
Despite Spartacus’ courageous end, it’s unclear whether his heart was truly in it. In fact, there may be a darker reason for his rebellion.
43. He Was Inspired
One such historical figure to use Spartacus as a point of motivation was none other than the father of communism, Karl Marx. He considered the rebel leader his favorite person in ancient history and a personal hero, referring to him as a “real representative of the ancient proletariat".
More than this, the Thracian wasn’t the only one to go by “Spartacus”.
44. He Became A Hero
In the late 18th century, a slave rebellion fought against the French colonial rule in Saint-Domingue. At the helm was the general and former slave Toussaint Louverture, who led his fellow slaves to victory and the founding of Haiti. Because of similarities to the ancient Thracian rebel, some have referred to Louverture as the "Black Spartacus".
But what if Spartacus’s rebellion was never about ending slavery at all?
45. His Motives Are A Mystery
From the time he escaped being a gladiator to his demise, Spartacus fought alongside his fellow slaves against the Romans. As such, most modern viewpoints paint him as a hero of the oppressed, fighting for the rights of those without. However, nothing he did or said supports the idea that he was fighting to eliminate slavery or change the Roman Empire.
In fact, his desires may have been more self-serving.
46. He May Have Wanted To Escape
Rather than overturn Roman society and topple the slave trade, some have speculated that he may have simply been trying to get out. As Plutarch claimed, Spartacus’ main goal was to flee to Cisalpine Gaul in the north, then return his men to their respective homes. However, this theory doesn’t explain why the rebels traveled south after defeating the consular legions.
At the same time, some historians claim he was more ambitious.
47. He Might Have Wanted Something Bigger
Even if he wasn’t trying to get rid of slavery in the long run, others believe he had no intention of escaping Rome. Furthermore, both Florus and Appian wrote that Spartacus’ grand plan was to attack the whole empire. Appian also claimed the rebel leader gave this up, but this may have been a result of Roman bias.
Even if this was true, not everyone seemed on board.
48. They Went Rogue
Like the concept that Spartacus hadn’t wanted to escape, many of those he helped may have refused to either flee or fight in his rebellion. Accounts from 73 and 72 BC, as well as writings from Plutarch, indicate that several groups of the escaped slaves had no higher ambitions than to stay in Italy and operate as bandits, ultimately declining Spartacus's invitation to fight back.
Still, no matter the motives, Spartacus’ legacy certainly endured.
49. He Lived On
Even without sufficient evidence to support the idea that Spartacus fought for larger societal reform, many have used his name and story to fuel their radical causes. As the centuries passed and history entered the modern era, Spartacus became a symbol for progressive ideals such as socialism and communism.
At the end of all this, it’s important to remember one thing.
50. They Weren’t There
While Spartacus may have become an inspiration based on the story recorded by several prominent sources, the history may be murkier. None of the accounts written about Spartacus came from slaves, and in fact, the oldest surviving source appeared a generation after the rebellion. Not to mention that, even among these earliest records, none of them were eyewitness accounts.
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