150:
656:, was then dispatched against Spartacus. For some reason, Varinius seems to have split his forces under the command of his subordinates Furius and Cossinius. Plutarch mentions that Furius commanded some 2,000 men, but neither the strength of the remaining forces, nor whether the expedition was composed of militia or legions, appears to be known. These forces were also defeated by the army of escaped slaves: Cossinius was killed, Varinius was nearly captured, and the equipment of the armies was seized by the slaves.
591:
36:
825:
is taken from the Loeb edition of Appian translated by Horace White, which states "...who had once served as a soldier with the Romans...". However, the translation by John Carter in the
Penguin Classics version reads: "...who had once fought against the Romans and after being taken prisoner and
636:
While the slaves lacked military training, Spartacus' forces displayed ingenuity in their use of available local materials, and in their use of clever, unorthodox tactics when facing the disciplined Roman armies. In response to Glaber's siege, Spartacus' men made ropes and ladders from vines and
574:, and equip themselves with captured military equipment as well as their gladiatorial weapons. Sources are somewhat contradictory on the order of events immediately following the escape, but they generally agree that this band of escaped gladiators
526:
plotted an escape. When their plot was betrayed, a force of about 70 men seized kitchen implements, ("choppers and spits"), fought their way free from the school, and seized several wagons of gladiatorial weapons and armor.
667:
of the region", swelling their ranks to some 70,000. The rebel slaves spent the winter of 73–72 BC training, arming and equipping their new recruits, and expanding their raiding territory to include the towns of
602:—which was a vacation region of the rich and influential in Rome, and the location of many estates—the revolt quickly came to the attention of Roman authorities. They initially viewed the revolt as more a major
980:, p. 109. Note: Plutarch and Frontinus write of expeditions under the command of "Clodius the praetor" and "Publius Varinus", while Appian writes of "Varinius Glaber" and "Publius Valerius".
892:; - Florus and Appian make the claim that the slaves withdrew to Vesuvius, while Plutarch only mentions "a hill" in the account of Glaber's siege of the slave's encampment.
629:"picked up in haste and at random, for the Romans did not consider this a war yet, but a raid, something like an attack of robbery." Glaber's forces besieged the slaves on
363:
901:
Note: while there seems to be consensus as to the general history of the praetorian expeditions, the names of the commanders and subordinates of these forces varies
324:
341:
641:
down the cliffs on the side of the mountain opposite Glaber's forces. They moved around the base of
Vesuvius, outflanked the army, and annihilated Glaber's men.
280:
633:, blocking the only known way down the mountain. With the slaves thus contained, Glaber was content to wait until starvation forced the slaves to surrender.
358:
319:
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57:
50:
792:. Plutarch claims 78 escaped, Livy claims 74, Appian "about seventy", and Florus says "thirty or rather more men". "Choppers and spits" is from
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1005:
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273:
506:
games were one of the more popular forms of entertainment. In order to supply gladiators for the contests, several training schools, or
100:
567:) was a type of gladiator in Rome, the title "Thracian" may simply refer to the style of gladiatorial combat in which he was trained.
72:
578:
the region surrounding Capua, recruited many other slaves into their ranks, and eventually retired to a more defensible position on
553:
later condemned to slavery, or a captive taken by the legions. There is some question as to
Spartacus's nationality, however, as a
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The victories of the rebel slaves did not come without a cost. At some time during these events, one of their leaders,
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The initial movements of Roman and Slave forces from the Capuan revolt up to and including the winter of 73–72 BC.
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514:—were taught the skills required to fight to the death in gladiatorial games. In 73 BC, a group of some 200
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1049:. Livy identifies the second commander as "Publius Varenus" with the subordinate "Claudius Pulcher".
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With these successes, more and more slaves flocked to the
Spartacan forces, as did "many of the
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Once free, the escaped gladiators chose leaders from their number, selecting two Gallic slaves—
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These escaped slaves were able to defeat a small force of troops sent after them from
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However, later that year, Rome dispatched military force under
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specifically dispatched by Rome to deal with the rebellion.
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which pitted the escaped slaves against a military force of
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trees growing on the slopes of
Vesuvius and used them to
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down the steeper cliff face opposite the Roman forces,
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16:73 BCE conflict of the Third Servile War,battle
613:authority to put down the rebellion. A Roman
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469:, besieged the group of escaped slaves on
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120:Learn how and when to remove this message
621:, gathered a force of 3,000 men, not as
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1122:1st century BC in the Roman Republic
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462:When the militia, led by the Roman
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978:Magistrates of the Roman Republic
905:based on the historical account.
821:. Note: Spartacus' status as an
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477:'s men adopted unusual tactics,
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649:A second expedition, under the
202:Start of the Third Servile War.
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58:secondary or tertiary sources
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1107:Battles of the Servile Wars
837:Greek and Roman Antiquities
718:Greek and Roman Antiquities
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69:"Battle of Mount Vesuvius"
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606:than an armed rebellion.
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135:Battle of Mount Vesuvius
25:Battle of Mons Lactarius
1127:1st-century BC battles
595:
228:Commanders and leaders
45:relies excessively on
1081:Slavery and Rebellion
841:"Gladiatores", p. 576
722:"Gladiatores", p. 574
707:Синезий. De regno. 20
619:Gaius Claudius Glaber
593:
467:Gaius Claudius Glaber
234:Gaius Claudius Glaber
184:Mount Vesuvius, Italy
502:of the 1st century,
485:and defeating them.
19:For other uses, see
742:The History of Rome
1008:2018-11-07 at the
846:2012-10-10 at the
780:2018-11-07 at the
727:2012-10-05 at the
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449:Battle of Vesuvius
413:Roman Servile Wars
21:Battle of Vesuvius
1102:Third Servile War
1079:5.24.2; Bradley,
524:Lentulus Batiatus
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253:70-100 Gladiators
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162:Galleria Borghese
142:Third Servile War
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931:Frontinus,
625:, but as a
328: [
1096:Categories
1041:; Appian,
1033:Plutarch,
1024:, 3:64–67.
1014:Civil Wars
1012:; Appian,
999:Periochae
989:Plutarch,
970:Civil Wars
968:; Appian,
962:Stratagems
952:Plutarch,
941:Book VII:6
933:Stratagems
916:Civil Wars
884:; Florus,
878:Civil Wars
859:Plutarch,
807:Civil Wars
784:; Florus,
763:Civil Wars
761:; Appian,
753:Plutarch,
695:References
682:Metapontum
611:praetorian
604:crime wave
516:gladiators
489:Background
479:rappelling
223:Rebel Army
80:newspapers
47:references
1077:Histories
1075:Orosius,
1043:Civil War
1022:Histories
826:sold...".
771:Periochae
740:Mommsen,
665:shepherds
645:Aftermath
576:plundered
549:from the
547:auxiliary
540:Spartacus
475:Spartacus
239:Spartacus
110:July 2024
1058:Florus,
1006:Archived
997:; Livy,
914:Appian,
876:Appian,
844:Archived
805:Appian,
778:Archived
769:; Livy,
725:Archived
689:Oenomaus
661:herdsmen
600:Campania
559:(plural
544:Thracian
536:Oenomaus
483:flanking
359:Campania
354:Cantenna
245:Strength
180:Location
1083:, p.96.
1060:Epitome
1035:Crassus
991:Crassus
954:Crassus
886:Epitome
861:Crassus
835:Smith,
823:auxilia
815:Crassus
786:Epitome
755:Crassus
716:Smith,
674:Nuceria
651:praetor
627:militia
623:legions
615:praetor
565:Threses
561:Thraces
518:in the
498:In the
464:Praetor
457:militia
337:Picenum
325:Gargano
320:Lentula
160:at the
94:scholar
903:widely
678:Thurii
639:rappel
586:Battle
556:Thraex
532:Crixus
520:Capuan
512:slaves
431:Second
342:Mutina
190:Result
96:
89:
82:
75:
67:
1112:71 BC
1047:1:116
1018:1:116
995:9:4–5
974:1:116
958:9:1–3
920:1:116
882:1:116
811:1:116
767:1:116
759:8:1–2
572:Capua
538:—and
436:Third
426:First
348:71 BC
332:]
314:72 BC
303:73 BC
175:73 BC
101:JSTOR
87:books
939:and
775:95:2
680:and
670:Nola
663:and
534:and
508:ludi
447:The
172:Date
155:The
73:news
23:and
1064:2.8
1039:9:3
890:2.8
865:9:1
819:8:2
790:2.8
563:or
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108:(
98:·
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54:.
27:.
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