SPARTACUS

THE GREAT ENEMIES OF ROME #2

THE PUNIC WARS

End in 146BC with the destruction of Carthage By this time Rome controls the whole

Mediterranean

PREVIOUSLY…

GREAT ENEMIES OF ROME #1 – HANNIBAL BARCA Led a large invasion into Rome from Spain Responsible for the deaths of 100 000+ Romans LEGACY:

Use the internet to research brief summaries

of Civil/Human Rights movements, rebellions, revolutions etc.

What was their goal?

What was the cause?

15 minutes…GO!

RESEARCH…

73BC: SPARTACUS Thracian Auxiliary Soldier in

the Roman Army Condemned to Slavery as a

gladiator Spartacus and 77 others

escape from the ludus (gladiator school)

GREAT ENEMIES OF ROME #2SPARTACUS

As word spreads about Spartacus’s heroics

other gladiators and slaves join his cause

THE 3rd SERVILE WAR

ROME: “130 Years Ago we crushed Hannibal…we can handle

some slaves”

Send 3000 Soldiers to attack the Slave Army of Spartacus

Think it’s more of a policing issue then a big deal

SLAVES TAKE REFUGE ON MT. VESUVIUS

ROMANS Block the ‘only’ entrance down from

the mountain.

It’s cold and there's no supplies up there, intended to starve the Spartacus and his band of slaves into submission.

THE 3rd SERVILE WAR

Spartacus’s Men create vines to rope down

from Vesuvius outflank the Roman army and destroy them

A 2nd Army is sent with 2000 Men, Spartacus’s army destroys them too.

Popularity rises and upwards of 70 000 slaves and commoners join his rebellion

THE 3rd Servile War

A SPLIT IN THE ARMY

SPARTACUS Goal – Escape North over the

Alps

CRIXUS Goal – Stay in the south to

plunder Roman states

It is unclear in

the histories whether either

intended to invade the city of

Rome

Senate panics over the size of the Rebellion

Not just a policing issue like they originally thought

Devote 2 full consular legions to defeat Spartacus & Crixus

Meanwhile in Rome

The 1 Consular army

defeats and kills Crixus

The 2nd Consular Army attacks Spartacus and loses

The remaining legion attacks Spartacus too, and they also lose.

Battles Continu

e

With 2 Legions defeated Spartacus has an

opportunity at an open shot at invading Rome…

Decides to continue to head over the Alps and escape Italy

WHY? He knew his forces were not trained soldiers, but only poor armed escape slaves

Decisions, Decisions…

Brutal General gives

control of 6 full legions plus the remainder of those previously defeated by Spartacus

Executes those already defeated by Spartacus for cowardice

Marcus Crassus

Crassus wins a series

of smaller battles for Rome.

Spartacus retreats towards Sicily with Crassus’s legions in hot pursuit…

Crassus vs. Spartacus

Spartacus makes a deal with Sicilian pirates to

transfer him and his 2000 men to Sicily where they would gather supplies and gather more troops

Pirates accepted the payment then took off leaving Spartacus stranded

Spartacus is stuck and builds a fortified stronghold in Rhegium

Backstabbed

Crassus begins the siege cutting Spartacus and his

men off from their supplies

RUMOR: The Great general Pompey is returning to Italy to bring reinforcements for Rome & Crassus

SPARTACUS: Oh Crap. How about a peace treaty Crassus buddy old pal?

MARCUS CRASSUS: Eat it.

Siege

Thousands of Spartacus’s men run for their

lives to the hill, 12 000 + are chased down and killed.

Spartacus and his remaining soldiers make their last stand at Battle of Siler River but are crushed.

Spartacus is killed but his body is never found

One Last Stand – 71 BC

Crassus crucifies 6000 of the rebels along the

road from Capua to Rome

PUNISHMENT

Often seen as the first human rights

movement

REALISTICALLY: He was fighting to get home and to defeat Rome not to end slavery.

LEGACY