Ancient Rome! A fascinating civilization that was way ahead of its time,
with a near invincible army. They may have lost a few battles here and there, but they
never lost a war. Funny enough though, the one that came closest to bending the knees of the
Roman army was of their own making: Spartacus, the famous gladiator, and his band of rebels.
Today, on Nutty History, we’re looking into the Gladiator Rebellion in Ancient Rome,
which could’ve gone down as the most embarrassing chapter in the empire’s history.
Classic Movies and a hit TV Series have made Spartacus a popular figure.
Pop culture tends to portray his rebellion as an attempt at social reform, and commentary on
the parallels between ancient and modern times. But honestly? Spartacus was just
done with being a Gladiator for a bad boss. He had plans to leave Rome, and he thought “hey,
might as well do it in big numbers.” Turned out he wasn’t alone. All the Gladiators of Capua
collectively decided to pull off a Prison Break. However, this wasn’t the cleanest escape attempt.
Only seventy-eight of two hundred rebellions made it out of the city.
After escaping Capua, Spartacus soon took charge of the Gladiator army.
A former soldier in the Roman army, Spartacus knew the enemy too well
and it helped him to quell the first two attempts by Rome to recapture the gladiators on the run.
The Roman Senate underestimated the rebellion and didn’t pay too much attention to it as Spartacus’s
band of gladiators grew into an army of liberated slaves -- raiding the Italian countryside.
The plundering and looting helped the newfound army gain access to better weapons and armors.
Spartacus’s popularity as the “champion of Slaves” was growing across the Magna Graecia.
He distributed the plundered weapons and wealth among all of the slaves equally, And treated
every escaped slave with respect and kindness as they joined his camp at Mount Vesuvius.
Spartacus had no plans of overthrowing Rome, he just wanted to get the hell out of there as
fast as he could. He planned to move towards the Alps, where he could disperse his army of slaves
so they could return to their homes. However, the slaves had already made up their mind, not to
leave Italy. They wanted to take as much wealth of the Roman Empire as they could get their hands on,
and punish the society that had tormented them for years. The senate was alarmed by the gravity
of the situation. On his way north, Spartacus’s men had raided lots of properties belonging to
many Roman Senators. Now it was personal. The defeat of praetors Claudius Glaber and
Publius Varinius had created some awful PR for the Roman Senate, and the Army among citizens. Enter
Marcus Licinius Crassus! A badass war general who correctly predicted Spartacus’s exodus,
and caught up with him in the Alps. As Spartacus abandoned the idea of escape and turned back, he
found Crassus’s lieutenant-- Mummius-- waiting for him with two legions. Mummius had the element of
surprise on his side, but he was too ambitious and lacked experience. He ignored Crassus' direction,
and charged into a pitched battle. Spartacus routed Mummius-- and his legions. They even
left their weapons on the battlefield as they ran for their lives. Crassus’s wrath had no bounds
when he heard of this and punished the deserters with the ultimate humiliation called decimation.
After defeating Mummius, Spartacus led the freed slaves towards Sicily, hoping he could find pirate
ships to escape. But by the time he reached Isthmus of Bruttium, the ships had sailed away,
and there was Crassus, waiting for them, with a wall to block their escape.
The Slaves tried to break through anyway. Twelve thousand lost their lives in desperation. This--
was just the beginning of troubles for Spartacus, as Pompey was returning from Spain.
Pompey was at the apex of his military career at this point in Roman history.
Spartacus was aware he couldn’t beat the combined armies of Pompey and Crassus, and once again
tried to flee north in a desperate attempt. With Crassus at his heels and Pompey incoming to flank,
Spartacus found himself surrounded by another army recalled from Macedonia,
waiting for him at Brundisium. He had no choice but to turn back and face Crassus.
Spartacus used the skills learned as a soldier, and a gladiator, to shake the core of the Roman
republic from the inside in the third servile war. His body was never found after losing to Crassus,
and six thousand of his men were crucified along the Appian way to make an example of what happens
when one dares to cross the Roman Empire. Today, Spartacus is the inspiration of many
revolutions in history, and considered a hero despite looting and pillaging Rome to survive.
Tell us in the comments if you agree that Spartacus was a hero. And don’t forget to
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