Read the essential details about the Assassination of John F. Kennedy. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Spartacus (died 71 B.C.) Nothing is known of his youth nor how he became a slave to Rome. Like most lower-ranking slaves, she is often barefoot. was a Thracian gladiator who led a slave war in Italy against the Romans. At the end of 1918 the group became the German Communist Party, which in 1919 organized an uprising in Berlin that was brutally crushed. As the Ancient Encyclopedia explains, the slave army led by Spartacus was made up of as many as 120,000 men who were laying waste to southern Italy and had already defeated two Roman armies when Crassus was sent to put the rebellion down. Spartacus was a citizen of Rome, which means he was a free male. By the end of 72 BC, they were camped at Rhenium, (now Reggio di Calabria) probably intending to go on to Sicily. While little of his early life is known, Spartacus was originally from Thrace, an area northeast of Macedonia, and may have been a Roman soldier. One of those was Spartacus, the leader of a rebellion of gladiators and slaves that escalated to a full-scale war in the years 73-70. Their insurrection came to be known as the Third Servile War, or the Gladiators’ War. Little is known about his life before he became one of the slave leaders in the Third Servile War, the slave uprising war against the Roman Republic. This uprising against the Roman Republic, commonly referred to as the Third Servile War, saw Spartacus joined by a number of Gauls in fighting against Roman dominance. (Other sources: 111 BCE, although I don’t know where they get it from). But Spartacus and his men provided the spark of hope that became a wildfire of armed rage. Around 6,000 of his followers who escaped were hunted down and crucified. Spartacus lived the life of a gladiator. She is of a slender and petite figure. His exact beginnings are up for debate: Plutarch states that he was of a nomadic tribe, while writer Florus claims he was a mercenary. was a gladiator from Thrace, most famous as a leader in a major slave revolt. The movie, which starred Kirk Douglas and was directed by Stanley Kubrick, won widespread critical acclaim. Spartacus (Latin: Spartacus; Greek: Σπάρτακος; ca. Varinia is the name novelist Howard Fast invented for the wife of Spartacus. He appears to have served in a Roman auxiliary unit for a time, deserted and became either a bandit or insurgent against the Romans. In this way it is possible to research individual people and events in great detail. The slave Spartacus leads a violent revolt against the decadent Roman Republic. Occupation: Gladiator Born: Around 109 BC Died: 71 BC on a battlefield near Petelia, Italy Best known for: Leading a slave uprising against Rome Biography: Early Life Not a lot is known about Spartacus' early life. He was the one who, along with Crixus, Gannicus, Castus, and Oenomaus, escaped the gladiator school and led one of the most famous uprisings in Roman history. There are 3 hypothetical birth places for Spartacus. His first attempt was unsuccessful due to a lieutenant disobeying Crassus' orders. Spartacus (1960) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. "When Spartacus beat a Roman praetor though, all of a sudden there was another option; there was a group you could flee to that had managed to not just stand against Rome, but had actually managed to defeat a Roman officer on the battlefield," he says. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Help support true facts by becoming a member. The Spartacus acting legend, who had been in good health since suffering a stroke in 1996, is survived by his wife of 65 years, Anne, and his sons Michael, Joel, and … Every unlucky tenth was killed. The punishment for deserting the legion was to be sold into slavery. Both accounts describe more or less the same events in exactly the same sequence, and it is tempting to see the same source behind their stories, probably the Histories of Sallust or (less l… She was called Sura in the recent TV series Spartacus: Blood and Sand. The uprising soon spreads across the Italian Peninsula involving thousand of slaves. To read the original historical sources, see Historical Accounts of Spartacus' WarSpartacus was a Thracian gladiator who, along with Gauls Crixus and Oenomaus, a Roman Castus, and a Celt Gannicus, was one of the slave leaders in the Third Servile War, a major slave uprising against the Roman Republic. According to the surviving sources, Spartacus was from Thrace, an area in southeast Europe that the Romans were often trying to subjugate during the first century B.C.. Little is known of the early years of Spartacus. She wears a ragged tunic of grey and blue, befitting her status as a slave. revolt of spartacus: The real Spartacus was a freeborn provincial from Thrace, who may have served as an auxiliary in the Roman army in Macedonia. Entries usually include a narrative, illustrations and primary sources. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. It is inspired by the life story of Spartacus , the leader of a slave revolt in antiquity, and the events of the Third Servile War . He was basically a slave who was forced to fight for the entertainment of the Romans. As the Ancient Encyclopedia explains, the slave army led by Spartacus was made up of as many as 120,000 men who were laying waste to southern Italy and had already defeated two Roman armies when Crassus was sent to put the rebellion down. He was the one who, along with Crixus, Gannicus, Castus, and Oenomaus, escaped the gladiator school and led one of the most famous uprisings in Roman history. Spartacus (c. 109-71 B.C.) He was sent to a gladiator school where he constantly trained to fight. Other say that he was not an auxiliary of Roman legions but was rather only captured by the legions … That's all we really know about him. She is of a slender and petite figure. Impressively, his forces jumped from a mere 74 escapees to nearly 60,000 men (with some estimates as high as 125,000). The goal of this essay is to determine if Spartacus had an impact on the Roman Empire, or if the slave revolt he led was a failure that led to a waste of time and lives. Spartacus was played by Kirk Douglas in a famous 1960 film (directed by Stanley Kubrick). Rome's legions were sorely challenged by rebellious slaves and gladiators led up and down the Italian boot by the determined Thracian named Spartacus was a gladiator from Thrace, most famous as a leader in a major slave revolt. He has become a modern-day inspirational figure. He joined the Roman legion when he was a teenager, but he really didn't like life in the legion, so he deserted. He was eventually defeated by Crassus and crucified. He plundered most of Italy before being defeated and killed in a pitched battle. Biographies >> Ancient Rome. Read the essential details about the Assassination of John F. Kennedy. His leadership resulted in the defeat of nine Roman armies. The Spartacus Educational website provides a series of free history encyclopaedias. The Third Servile War, also called by Plutarch the Gladiator War and the War of Spartacus, was the last in a series of slave rebellions against the Roman Republic, known as the Servile Wars.The Third was the only one directly to threaten the Roman heartland of Italy.It was particularly alarming to Rome because its military seemed powerless to suppress it. Spartacus was responsible for one of history's most daring rebellions, the Third Servile War. Spartacus was the leader of a slave revolt against the Roman Republic in 73BC. To read the original historical sources, see Historical Accounts of Spartacus' WarSpartacus was a Thracian gladiator who, along with Gauls Crixus and Oenomaus, a Roman Castus, and a Celt Gannicus, was one of the slave leaders in the Third Servile War, a major slave uprising against the Roman Republic. Like most deserters, he was caught. Spartacus (c. 109-71 B.C.) Read more. Spartacus’s troops defeated them so badly that when Mummius’s men returned to their commander, punishment awaited. Spartacus (approximately 100–71 BCE), was a gladiator from Thrace who led a major revolt against Rome. Read more. Spartacus is an American television series produced in New Zealand that premiered on Starz on January 22, 2010, and concluded on April 12, 2013. 109 BC - ca. This uprising against the Roman Republic, commonly referred to as the Third Servile War, saw Spartacus joined by a number of Gauls in fighting against Roman dominance. Historian Plutarch described him as cultured and intelligent, “more Greek than Thracian.” He and his army ignited a slave revolt that threatened the powerful Roman Empire to its very core. Stanley Kubrick directed Kirk Douglas in the film Spartacus, released in 1960. Crassus ordered their decimation. The legend of Spartacus has inspired so many fanciful retellings, it's easy to lose track of what actually happened back in 73 BC. Spartacus League a German revolutionary socialist group (the Spartacists) founded in 1916 by Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht (18711919) with the aims of overthrowing the government and ending the First World War; they took their name from the Thracian slave and revolutionary Spartacus. He deserted the army, was outlawed, captured, sold into slavery, and trained at the gladiatorial school of Batiatus in Capua. Who was the real Spartacus? His forces struck blow after blow against Rome and wreaked havoc on the countryside for two years. Julius Caesar, upon becoming dictator for life, remembered the rebellion and became determined to prevent another. Spartacus was a gladiator who was originally from Thrace. He joined the Roman legion when he was a teenager, but he really didn't like life in the legion, so he deserted. Through a series of laws, he hoped to reduce the dependency on slaves by encouraging the hiring of free laborers. His story was also the loose basis for the TV series Spartacus: Blood and Sand, with Andy Whitfield as Spartacus, which debuted on the Starz cable network in 2010. The film traces the story of the slave Spartacus The film traces the story of the slave Spartacus (played by Douglas), who earns a reputation for courage as a gladiator while a possession of the wealthy Lentulus Batiatus ( Peter Ustinov ). Spartacus was the leader of an army of runaway slaves that shook Italy in 73-71 BCE but was ultimately defeated by the Roman general Crassus. He is remembered for his rebellion against the oligarchical Roman reign during 73-72 BC. In 72 BC Spartacus and his army marched north towards Gaul (the Roman term for a region covering France, the Low Countries and northern Italy). The fiercely independent slave seeks freedom for himself and his downtrodden companions. His exact beginnings are up for debate: Plutarch states that he was of a nomadic tribe, while writer Florus claims he was a mercenary. The administration in Rome now began to take the threat from Spartacus seriously and the Roman politician and general Marcus Licinius Crassus led an army south. Roman slave and gladiator, and leader of a famous slave revolt. Main index menu covering the Important Figures in the Case, Important Witnesses, Investigators, Researchers and Journalists, Possible Conspirators, Organizations and Operations, Reports on the Assassination, Kennedy Assassination Issues, Primary Sources: Key Issues, Primary Sources: Theories, Student Activities. The war and Spartacus’ role in it had a lasting effect. Spartacus was an escaped slave/gladiator who led a slave revolt against the Romans. Thousands of others were killed by the army of the Roman general Pompey, who then claimed the credit for suppressing the rebellion. Spartacus's struggle has been inspirational to revolutionaries, politicians and writers since the 19th century. At the end of 1918 the group became the German Communist Party, which in 1919 organized an uprising in Berlin that was brutally crushed. Sibyl is a young slave with long, dark brown hair usually worn in a side braid, blue eyes and fair skin. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Spartacus-Roman-gladiator. Like most lower-ranking slaves, she is often barefoot. Like most deserters, he was caught. His first attempt was unsuccessful due to a lieutenant disobeying Crassus' orders. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so. Spartacus was just one of the many who made the trek into Italy Spartacus, a former slave in the Roman Empire, did not think it was very fair and neither did the other thousands of people that led a revolt with Spartacus against slavery. Find out more about how the BBC is covering the. She wears a ragged tunic of grey and blue, befitting her status as a slave. BBC © 2014 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Spartacus was a Thracian gladiator, who became one of the slave leaders in the Third Servile War, the slave uprising war against the Roman Republic. Spartacus' story begins in Thrace, a region to the north of Greece, the west of Italy, and to the south of the Celtic tribes. Spartacus League a German revolutionary socialist group (the Spartacists) founded in 1916 by Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht (18711919) with the aims of overthrowing the government and ending the First World War; they took their name from the Thracian slave and revolutionary Spartacus. Directed by Stanley Kubrick. His story was also the loose basis for the TV series Spartacus: Blood and Sand, with Andy Whitfield as Spartacus, which debuted on the Starz cable network in 2010. The problem is that Spartacus lost, and all his fellow gladiator-slave compadres who said, “I am Spartacus” were martyred for a lost cause, too. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. The punishment for deserting the legion was to be sold into slavery. They fought off a series of attacks from Roman forces, but then turned south. With about 70 fellow gladiators he escaped a gladiatorial training school at Capua in 73 and took refuge on Mount Vesuvius, where other runaway slaves joined the band.After defeating two Roman forces in succession, the rebels overran most of southern Italy. Spartacus then switched gears and marched his men toward Sicily. Leading his army of runaway slaves, which has been estimated to have reached 100,000 men, Spartacus defeated a series of Roman attacks using tactics which would now be called guerrilla warfare. In 73 B.C., a Thracian slave leads a revolt at a gladiatorial school run by Lentulus Batiatus (Sir Peter Ustinov). Spartacus was a citizen of Rome, which means he was a free male. However, the only sure thing is that he is Thracian (and Roman mercenary) and born approximately around 109 BC. We have two main sources: Plutarch of Chaeronea (46-c.122) describes this war in his Life of Crassus (text), and one generation later, Appian told the story in his History of the Civil wars (text). Historical accounts vary and often contradict each other, but most agree that he was an accomplished military leader, and perhaps served in the Roman army, which gave him an understandin… Spartacus, however, is described by Plutarch as \"more Greek than Thracian\" and notes that he was exceptionally intelligent and highly cultured. He was a Thracian who joined the Roman army as a young man. In this way it is possible to research individual people and events in great detail. The goal of this essay is to determine if Spartacus had an impact on the Roman Empire, or if the slave revolt he led was a failure that led to a waste of time and lives. Sibyl is a young slave with long, dark brown hair usually worn in a side braid, blue eyes and fair skin. A Thracian by birth, Spartacus served in the Roman army, perhaps deserted, led bandit raids, and was caught and sold as a slave. 1. We have two main sources: Plutarch of Chaeronea (46-c.122) describes this war in his Life of Crassus (text), and one generation later, Appian told the story in his History of the Civil wars (text). Main index menu covering the Important Figures in the Case, Important Witnesses, Investigators, Researchers and Journalists, Possible Conspirators, Organizations and Operations, Reports on the Assassination, Kennedy Assassination Issues, Primary Sources: Key Issues, Primary Sources: Theories, Student Activities. 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