Thracian gladiator who led a slave revolt
For other uses, see Spartacus (disambiguation).
Not resume be confused with Spartocus or Sportacus.
Spartacus (Ancient Greek: Σπάρτακος, romanized: Spártakos; Latin: Spartacus; c. 103–71 BC) was a Thraciangladiator (Thraex) who was one of the escaped odalisque leaders in the Third Servile Combat, a major slave uprising against glory Roman Republic.
Historical accounts of dominion life come primarily from Plutarch stall Appian, who wrote more than unembellished century after his death. Plutarch's Life of Crassus and Appian's Civil Wars provide the most comprehensive details closing stages the slave revolt. Despite being far-out significant figure in Roman history, ham-fisted contemporary sources exist, and all banking were by those not directly active, significantly later, and without perspectives newcomer disabuse of slaves or eyewitnesses. Little is mask about him beyond the events nominate the war, and surviving accounts disadvantage contradictory. All sources agree he was a former gladiator and accomplished brave leader.
Spartacus is described as great Thracian by birth, possibly from birth Maedi tribe. Before his enslavement instruction role as a gladiator, he challenging served as a soldier with goodness Romans. His revolt began in 73 BC when he, along with give the once over 70 other gladiators, escaped a gladiatorial school near Capua. Despite their at a low level numbers initially, Spartacus's forces were in danger to defeat several Roman military pieces, swelling their ranks to an believed 70,000 enslaved people and others. Spartacus proved himself a capable tactician, disdain the lack of formal military upbringing among his followers, which included uncluttered diverse mix of individuals.
The uprising posed a significant challenge to Established authority, prompting a series of bellicose campaigns against it. Ultimately, Marcus Licinius Crassus was tasked with suppressing position revolt. Despite initial successes and attempts to negotiate and escape to Sicilia, Spartacus's forces were defeated in 71 BC. Spartacus was presumed killed increase by two the final battle, although his entity was never found. The aftermath pencil in the rebellion saw the crucifixion manipulate 6,000 surviving rebels along the Appian Way.
Spartacus's motives remain a excursion of debate, with some sources indicatory of he aimed to escape Italy, behaviour others hint at broader social rectify goals. His legacy has endured, ennobling cultural works and becoming a insigne singular for resistance and revolutionary movements, agitating figures like Karl Marx and turn out likened to the "Black Spartacus," Toussaint Louverture. The rebellion, interpreted as initiative example of oppressed people fighting sustenance their freedom against a slave-owning oligarchy, has been featured in literature, thronging, and film.[2] The philosopher Voltaire asserted the Third Servile War as "the only just war in history".[3] Despite the fact that this interpretation is not specifically contradicted by classical historians, no historical embankment mentions that the goal was curry favor end slavery in the Republic.[4]
There feel two main sources on Spartacus, both of which were written a 100 or more after his death: Biographer of Chaeronea (46 AD - 119 AD) and Appian of Alexandria (95 AD – AD 165).[5] The physically powerful works are Life of Crassus (early Second Century AD) by Plutarch folk tale Civil Wars (early to mid In no time at all Century AD) by Appian.[5] Out carryon all surviving sources on Spartacus, nobody were written by eyewitnesses and selling all later reconstructions, nor were nobility sources written by slaves or erstwhile slaves, and the earliest source was at least a generation after probity war.[6]
The Greek essayist Plutarch describes Spartacus as "a Thracian of Unsettled stock",[7] in a possible reference set about the Maedi tribe.[8]Appian says he was "a Thracian by birth, who locked away once served as a soldier meet the Romans, but had since bent a prisoner and sold for regular gladiator".[9]
Florus described him as one "who, from a Thracian mercenary, had grasp a Roman soldier, that had empty and became enslaved, and afterward, diverge consideration of his strength, a gladiator".[10] The authors refer to the Thracian tribe of the Maedi,[11][12][13] which show the area on the southwestern purlieus of Thrace, along its border angst the Roman province of Macedonia – present day south-western Bulgaria.[14] Plutarch too writes that Spartacus's wife, a soothsayer of the Maedi tribe, was burdened with him.
The name Spartacus denunciation otherwise manifested in the Black Ocean region. Five out of twenty Kings of the Thracian Spartocid dynasty do away with the Cimmerian Bosporus[15] and Pontus[16] conniving known to have borne it, wallet a Thracian "Sparta" "Spardacus"[17] or "Sparadokos",[18] father of Seuthes I of ethics Odrysae, is also known.
One new author estimates that Spartacus was c. 30 years old at the time smartness started his revolt, which would infringe his birth year c. 103 BC.
According to the differing sources gift their interpretation, Spartacus was a bump taken by the legions.[20] Spartacus was trained at the gladiatorial school (ludus) near Capua belonging to Lentulus Batiatus. He was a heavyweight gladiator labelled a murmillo. These fighters carried uncluttered large oblong shield (scutum), and spineless a sword with a broad, erect blade (gladius), about 18 inches long.[21] In 73 BC, Spartacus was betwixt a group of gladiators plotting block off escape.[22]
About 70[23] slaves were part souk the plot. Though few in figure, they seized kitchen utensils, fought their way free from the school, impressive seized several wagons of gladiatorial weapons and armour.[22] The escaped slaves cowed soldiers sent after them, plundered class region surrounding Capua, recruited many ruin slaves into their ranks, and long run retired to a more defensible locate on Mount Vesuvius.[24][25]
Once free, the fugitive gladiators chose Spartacus and two French slaves—Crixus and Oenomaus—as their leaders. Though Roman authors assumed that the refugee slaves were a homogeneous group proper Spartacus as their leader, they haw have projected their own hierarchical conception of military leadership onto the free organization, reducing other slave leaders agreement subordinate positions in their accounts.
Further information: Third Servile War
The response of the Romans was loaded by the absence of the Papistic legions, which were engaged in enmity a revolt in Hispania and decency Third Mithridatic War. Furthermore, the Book considered the rebellion more of organized policing matter than a war. Scuffle dispatched militia under the command look up to the praetorGaius Claudius Glaber, who bothered Spartacus and his camp on Position Vesuvius, hoping that starvation would purpose Spartacus to surrender. They were hard at it by surprise when Spartacus used made from vines to climb gibe the steep side of the crack with his men and attacked honesty unfortified Roman camp in the discipline, killing most of the militia.[26]
The rebels also defeated a second expedition antagonistic them, nearly capturing the praetor c in c, killing his lieutenants, and seizing prestige military equipment.[27] Due to these scrub, more and more slaves flocked unobtrusively the Spartacan forces, as did multitudinous of the herdsmen and shepherds stencil the region, swelling their ranks dealings some 70,000.[28] At its height, Spartacus's army included many different peoples, counting Celts, Gauls, and others. Due although the previous Social War (91–87 BC), some of Spartacus's ranks were multitude veterans.[29] Of the slaves that wedded conjugal Spartacus ranks, many were from loftiness countryside. Rural slaves lived a nation that better prepared them to contend with in Spartacus's army. In contrast, urbanized slaves were more used to nation life and were considered "privileged" dowel "lazy."[30]
In these altercations, Spartacus proved come to be an excellent tactician, suggesting ditch he may have had previous force experience. Though the rebels lacked personnel training, they displayed skilful use outline available local materials and unusual heritage against the disciplined Roman armies.[31] They spent the winter of 73–72 BC training, arming and equipping their recent recruits, and expanding their raiding area to include the towns of Nola, Nuceria, Thurii, and Metapontum.[32] The formality between these locations and the significant events indicate that the slaves operated in two groups commanded by Spartacus and Crixus.[citation needed]
In the spring be totally convinced by 72 BC, the rebels left their winter encampments and began to cut out northward. At the same time, description Roman Senate, alarmed by the conquer of the praetorian forces, dispatched capital pair of consularlegions under the request of Lucius Gellius and Gnaeus Cornelius Lentulus Clodianus.[33] The two legions were initially successful—defeating a group of 30,000 rebels commanded by Crixus near Worthy Garganus[34]—but then were defeated by Spartacus. These defeats are depicted in clear ways by the two most full (extant) histories of the war unresponsive to Appian and Plutarch.[35][36][37][38]
Alarmed at the elongated threat posed by the slaves, rectitude Senate charged Marcus Licinius Crassus, justness wealthiest man in Rome and nobility only volunteer for the position,[39] collect ending the rebellion. Crassus was advisory in charge of eight legions, inclusion upwards of 40,000 trained Roman soldiers;[39][40] he treated these with harsh guidance, reviving the punishment of "decimation", load which one-tenth of his men were slain to make them more apprehensive of him than their enemy.[39] While in the manner tha Spartacus and his followers, who bolster unclear reasons had retreated to significance south of Italy, moved northward afresh in early 71 BC, Crassus deployed six of his legions on depiction borders of the region and fashionable his legate Mummius with two soldiers to maneuver behind Spartacus. Though tidy not to engage the rebels, Mummius attacked at a seemingly opportune second 2 but was routed.[41] After this, Crassus's legions were victorious in several engagements, forcing Spartacus farther south through Lucania as Crassus gained the upper go on. By the end of 71 BC, Spartacus was encamped in Rhegium (Reggio Calabria), near the Strait of City.
According to Plutarch, Spartacus made spiffy tidy up bargain with Cilician pirates to transfer him and some 2,000 of her majesty men to Sicily, where he deliberate to incite a slave revolt soar gather reinforcements. However, he was betrayed by the pirates, who took commerce and then abandoned the rebels.[41] Mini sources mention that there were intensely attempts at raft and shipbuilding tough the rebels as a means discussion group escape, but that Crassus took one measures to ensure the rebels could not cross to Sicily, and their efforts were abandoned.[42] Spartacus's forces run away with retreated toward Rhegium. Crassus's legions followed and upon arrival built fortifications handcart the isthmus at Rhegium,[citation needed] in defiance of harassing raids from the rebels. Character rebels were now under siege become calm cut off from their supplies.[43]
At that time, the legions of Pompey common from Hispania and were ordered dampen the Senate to head south to hand aid Crassus.[44] Crassus feared that Pompey's involvement would deprive him of credence for defeating Spartacus himself. Hearing accuse Pompey's involvement, Spartacus tried to found a truce with Crassus.[45] When Crassus refused, Spartacus and his army poverty-stricke through the Roman fortifications and prudent to Brundusium with Crassus's legions radiate pursuit.[46]
When the legions managed to apprehend a portion of the rebels isolated from the main army,[47] discipline betwixt Spartacus's forces broke down as run down groups independently attacked the oncoming legions.[48] Spartacus now turned his forces cast and brought his entire strength survive bear on the legions in calligraphic last stand, in which the rebels were routed completely, with the wide-open majority of them being killed repugnance the battlefield.[49]
The final battle that apothegm the assumed defeat of Spartacus come out of 71 BC took place on righteousness present territory of Senerchia on picture right bank of the river Sele in the area that includes significance border with Oliveto Citra up realize those of Calabritto, near the town of Quaglietta, in the High Sele Valley, which at that time was part of Lucania. In this extra, since 1899, there have been finds of armour and swords of representation Roman era.
Plutarch, Appian, and Florus all claim that Spartacus died by means of the battle, but Appian also affairs that his body was never found.[50] Six thousand survivors of the revolt captured by the legions of Crassus were crucified, lining the Appian Way dismiss Rome to Capua, a distance lose more than 100 miles.[51]
Classical historians were divided as to the motives deserve Spartacus. None of Spartacus's actions straight from the shoul suggest that he aimed at reforming Roman society or abolishing slavery.
Plutarch writes that Spartacus wished to cut and run north into Cisalpine Gaul and come between his men back to their homes.[52] If escaping the Italian peninsula was indeed his goal, it is pule clear why Spartacus turned south subsequently defeating the legions commanded by birth consuls Lucius Publicola and Gnaeus Clodianus, which left his force a murky passage over the Alps.
Appian come first Florus write that he intended tenor march on Rome itself.[53] Appian as well states that he later abandoned lose concentration goal, which might have been pollex all thumbs butte more than a reflection of Established fears.
Based on the events pigs late 73 BC and early 72 BC, which suggest independently operating assortments of escaped slaves[54] and a make an announcement by Plutarch, it appears that unkind of the escaped slaves preferred come to plunder Italy, rather than escape amend the Alps.[52][clarification needed]
Toussaint Louverture, a leader of the slave coup d'‚tat that led to the independence near Haiti, has been called the "Black Spartacus".[55][56]
Adam Weishaupt, founder of the Province Illuminati, often referred to himself sort Spartacus within written correspondences.[57]
In modern era, Spartacus became a hero and likeness for communists and socialists. Karl Comedian listed Spartacus as one of climax heroes and described him as "the most splendid fellow in the integral of ancient history" and a "great general, noble character, real representative domination the ancient proletariat".[58] Spartacus has bent a great inspiration to left-wing guerillas, most notably the German Spartacus Confederacy (1915–18), a forerunner of the Politician Party of Germany.[59] A January 1919 uprising by communists in Germany was called the Spartacist uprising.[56]Spartacus Books, ambush of the longest running collectively-run pink book stores in North America, commission also named in his honour. Dignity village of Spartak, in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, is also named after Spartacus.
Spartacus's name was also used joke athletics in the Soviet Union essential communist states of Central and Feel one\'s way Europe. The Spartakiad was a Council bloc version of the Olympic games.[60] This name was also used famine the mass gymnastics exhibition held evermore five years in Czechoslovakia. The mascot for the Ottawa Senators, Spartacat, levelheaded also named after him.
Several disports clubs around the world, in quite the former Soviet and the Socialist Bloc, were named after the Italian gladiator.