Stragglers from the massacre were caught in Etruria by Pompey, summoned by the people from Spain to help end the war. In it Spartacus and 60,000 of his men fell. Encouraged, Spartacus's men persuaded him to risk a major battle with Crassus. He then retired again to Bruttium (Calabria), where he defeated two of Crassus' lieutenants who were following him. That winter he built a wall and ditch across the toe of Italy to contain Spartacus, whose attempts to escape to Sicily with his army failed.Įarly in the spring of 71 Spartacus broke through Crassus' lines but suffered two defeats at his hands in Lucania. After an initial defeat Crassus won a victory over a contingent of the slaves. He recruited six additional legions and took up a protective position in south-central Italy.

In the autumn of 72 the Senate transferred the command against the slaves to Marcus Licinius Crassus, who held no public office at the time. He then returned to southern Italy and again made Thurii his headquarters. The Romans no longer dared face him in the field. Spartacus not only threatened Rome itself but again defeated both consuls in a major battle in Picenum. But after they defeated the governor of Cisalpine Gaul at Mutina (Modena), they elected to turn back to Italy to plunder and enrich themselves. At this point he attempted to lead the slaves north to freedom beyond the Alps. Garganos in which Crixus was killed, Spartacus defeated the two consuls in separate battles in central Italy. In 72 the Senate assigned both consuls and four legions to the war against the slaves. The slaves then broke out of Campania and raided all of southern Italy, eventually establishing winter quarters at Thurii and Metapontum in Lucania. Spartacus defeated local levies led by a propraetor and a praetor in three sharp engagements.

Roman response to the uprising was at first slow and inadequate. Spartacus with the help of two Celts, Crixus and Oenomaos, led them, forging the motley group into a first-class fighting force. Vesuvius, where they were joined by slaves and farm workers from the countryside.

some 70 gladiators escaped and fled to Mt. Eventually he found himself in the gladiator school of Gnaeus Lentulus Batiatus at Capua. He is said to have fought either with or against the Romans. It is not known how Spartacus became a gladiator.

Spartacus death