Spartacus Rebellion 73-71 B.C.E.

1. Spartacus Rebellion73-71 B.C.E. By: Lance C. Beavers

2. Who is Spartacus? • Spartacus was a Thracian. • Spartacus was also a slave for most of his natural life. • Spartacus was then sold to Lentulus Batiatus who was the owner of a the gladiator school called Bitiatus in Capua were he was trained to be a gladiator.

3. The Beginning • In 73 B.C.E. Spartacus and about 70 other slaves escaped from the gladiator school in Capua. • They used knives from the kitchen and a wagon full of weapons to force their way out of the school. • They then fled to near by Mount Vesuvius were they were joined by other slaves. • Spartacus and the rest of the slaves traveled the region freeing other slaves to join him and his followers. • Spartacus was joined by so many slaves that his rebellion grew into a small army consisting of over 120,000 escaped slaves.

4. The Rebellion • At the time of his rebellion there were more slaves in Rome then there were Romans so this made the slave rebellion very serious to Rome. • Spartacus and his army traveled up Rome defeating many Roman legions including Claudius Glaber, Gellius Publicola and Gnaeus Cornelius Lentulus Clodianus who were sent to destroy Spartacus and his army. • Spartacus and his army had almost escaped into Gaul (Belgium, Switzerland and France) but then decided to turn around and go back South through Italy. • The reason for the turn around of Spartacus is still unknown but is considered his biggest mistake.

5. The End of Spartacus • At the end of 72 B.C.E. Spartacus had made a deal with Cilician pirates to take him and his army on ships to Sicily were they had originally planned to escape to. • In the beginning of 71 B.C.E. the deal with the Cilician pirates fell through. • Marcus Licinius Crassus and his eight legions isolated Spartacus and his followers by the sea in Calabria. • Crassus’s army was able to kill most of Spartacus followers. • Spartacus was able to escape Crassus and his army but was later caught in Lucania where he was killed by Crassus army.

6. Aftermath • After Spartacus was killed 6,000 of his followers were crucified along the Via Appia. • People who traveled the Via Appia were forced to look at the bodies in reminder of how powerful Rome is and how the Rebellion of Spartacus was unsuccessful and to show what would happen to people that rose against Rome again.

7. Results of the rebellion • Many slave rebellions were attempted in Rome after Spartacus but all were unsuccessful. • Gladiator school were guarded with more soldiers. • Gladiators were also disarmed after practice and after each performance. • Gladiators were also confined to the school with little or no freedom.

8. Lesson to Rome After the Rebellion of Spartacus, Rome realized that men forced to risk their lives for entertainment would fight for freedom.