Spartacus: Slave, Prisoner, Soldier, Mercenary, Gladiator, and Hero

Spartacus led perhaps the most triumphant slave rebellion in history, and is recognized for holding at bay the most successful military force in human history. Spartacus lived in the 1st century BC, but his life is shrouded with mystery. Myth and legend are almost inseparable with truth when it comes to Spartacus. It is undeniable that he came from the ancient region of Thrace, but little else is known about his background until he became a gladiator at a school in modern day Italy.

In 73 BC Spartacus escaped along with a score of other gladiators, utilizing the assistance of knives from a kitchen. The slaves fled to near the city of Naples, and were joined by other slaves once there. The group pillaged and plundered the region for a while, slowly being joined by others until the band increased into the hundreds.

At the time, the Romans were busy fighting numerous wars and did not believe that a slave army could be capable of defeating Roman’s in combat, so they sent an army of around 5,000 to defeat what they considered to be a weak and insignificant group of slaves. Spartacus army used the Roman negligence to their advantage, and surprised the Roman army, destroying it almost completely.

Spartacus commanded his force with a brilliance still amazing to military tacticians today. He not only kept the marauders together, but also crafted them into an extremely effective fighting force. After destroying the first Roman army, Spartacus used his forces to cut apart two more Roman legions. The Romans sent a fourth army, which Spartacus so soundly defeated that he captured both its standards and insignia. By this time, the Romans finally began to take the threat of the slave army seriously, and as a result moved four veteran legions from Spain, Gaul, and Germany to crush the rebellion once and for all. Yet these too were defeated by Spartacus.

After this successful battle by Spartacus and his men, there was only a numerically inferior force of 10,000 men in the way of Spartacus and escaping out of Roman territory to the region of Gaul or modern France. Spartacus dispatched them with ease and as legend has it, implored his men to make good on their opportunity to escape.
It seems however, that flush with dreams of riches and glory, Spartacus army would not leave Roman lands. Spartacus could not bring himself to leave and them and decided to say even though he was sure it would lead to his death.

This final act of faithfulness was to prove his undoing. Spartacus was able to defeat another Roman army, but was finally destroyed by eight legions under the control of the Roman Praetor Marcus Crassus. Spartacus died in the battle, and his body was never recovered.

The Roman historian Plutarch, describes Spartacus final moments this way, “Finally, after his companions had taken to flight, he (Spartacus) stood alone, surrounded by a multitude of foes, and was still defending himself when he was cut down”. After the battle, legionaries crucified almost 7,000 of Spartacus’s followers along the Appian Way. Crassus never gave orders for the bodies to be taken down, thus there bodies lined the road for years after the battle.

Spartacus courage, genius, and brilliant generalship against all odds have been a source of inspiration for centuries. Spartacus slave revolt is often interpreted as a fight of oppressed peoples fighting for freedom against the tyranny of others. Political and literary figures have emulated the actions of Spartacus to the point where he is a hero among many cultures spanning both time and place.