In 73 B.C., Rome was the colossus that ruled the civilized world. But it was inflicted with an inward disease -- the cancer of slavery. Rome did not invent slavery. It had been around seemingly forever. It had always been the custom of conquering nations to enslave the inhabitants of the conquered.
Rome merely perfected it.
No less than 25% of the population of Rome itself were slaves. This figure may even have been as high as 30%.
There was a slave for every imaginable job description: cooks, child rearers, body servants, musicians, general household, field laborers...
Slaves were also used for the entertainment of the masses. One such means was gladiatorial combat.
132 miles south down the Appian Way from Rome was the town of Capua. It was in a thickly populated area know for its grain, wine, spices, and the manufacture of bronze objects.
It was also known for its gladiatorial school.
In these schools, slaves that were selected to be gladiators were trained much the same way as modern athletes train today. They were well fed and kept clean. And they were trained to use various weapons effectively in combat.
Once they were trained, they fought in various arenas -- perhaps even in the Roman Colosseum.
They were paid every time they fought, and if they survived three to five years of combat, they were typically freed.
In this gladiatorial school at Capua, was a Thracian slave known as Spartacus. (Thrace was in the eastern part of Greece and into what is now modern Romania.) He was said to have been a prisoner who had once served in the Roman Army as a mercenary. Because of his strength, he was sold to be a gladiator.
It has also been said that he had a wife, who accompanied him to Capua.
Now, in 73 B.C., Spartacus was among a group of slaves potting to escape. The plot was betrayed, but the slaves managed to get hold of some kitchen knives and implements, overcome their guards, and seize control of several wagon loads full of gladiatorial weaponry.
They then defeated a small force that was sent after them and proceeded to plunder the surrounding countryside. They freed many additional slaves in the region and then retired to what they considered to be a highly defensible position on Mount Vesuvius.
Once freed, the escaped gladiators elected Spartacus to be their leader along with two others -- Crixus and Oenomaus.
Rome at this time was ill prepared to deal with the uprising -- and the Senate considered it to be a minor policing problem anyway.
Besides, there were no Roman Legions in Italy at present, as they were all off to fight a revolt in Spain and wars elsewhere.
So they elected a praetor (leader) to lead a militia unit to deal with the slaves on Vesuvius. Upon arrival, they deployed in a ring around Vesuvius in the hopes of eventually starving them out.
One night, Spartacus led his men down ropes on one of the cliff faces. After assembling his men, he attacked the main Roman camp.
The Roman camp, contrary to military doctrine, was unfortified. Spartacus and his men broke into the camp and killed most of the Roman militia.
Word of this victory over the Romans spread like wildfire over the Italian countryside. Eventually, the ranks of the gladiatorial army swelled to around 70,000.
Spartacus proved to be an excellent tactician. Although the slaves lacked military experience, their unusual tactics allowed them to defeat the rather undisciplined militia forces sent against them.
The returning Roman Legions however, were another matter altogether.
In the spring of 72 B.C., Spartacus left his winter encampment and headed north. It is presumed that he wanted to escape Italy via the Alps to France, where his men could then find their ways home.
The Roman Senate by this time was alarmed. Spartacus heading north was seen as a possible attack on Rome itself.
By this time, two Roman Legions had become available and were dispatched to deal with the slave army.
They were initially successful -- defeating a 30,000 man force under Crixus -- but in turn were defeated by Spartacus' main force.
If the Roman Senate was alarmed before, now they were truly alarmed. They looked for someone to lead a force that could defeat the apparently unstoppable slave army.
The richest, and most influential man in Rome at this time was Marcus Licinius Crassus. He volunteered his services, and was charged with defeating the rebellion. He was given command of eight Roman Legions -- somewhere between 40,000 and 60,000 men.
In a series of running battles, Crassus forced Spartacus south. The slave army ended up at the tip of the Italian "boot" across the Sicilian straight from Messina.
Spartacus had supposedly made a deal with Cilician pirates to evacuate himself and at least some of his men by sea, but he was betrayed.
Crassus now attempted to bottle up the slave army by building fortifications across the narrow isthmus at Rhegium. The rebels were now under siege and cut off from further supply.
Also at this time, the legions under Pompey had returned from Spain. They were ordered south to aid Crassus.
A portion of Spartacus' force now attempted to flee into the mountains. Crassus followed and defeated it.
Spartacus, with his main force now attempted to break out to the north, but Crassus, eager to defeat him before Pompey could arrive caught up with him.
In the battle, Spartacus was defeated. Most of his men died on the battlefield.
The fate of Spartacus is unknown as his body was never found. It is assumed that he died fighting alongside his men.
Slavery continued in the Roman Empire.
