Spartacus: The Third Servile War

The War of Spartacus otherwise known as the “Third Servile War” was the last of the three great wars, known as the Roman Servile Wars. These wars involved unsuccessful rebellions, which consisted of slaves, and supporters fighting against the mighty Roman Empire. The Third Servile war began in 73 BCE and came to its dramatic conclusion 71 BCE. This war was the only one of the Roman Servile wars, which aimed directly for the heartland of Rome itself. Throughout the course of the war, the belligerents gained formidable support from thousands of other slave rebels, led by the fearsome gladiator warriors Spartacus, Crixus, and Oenomaus.

Ancient Rome is known for many things. It’s art, its rich culture and most of all its immensely popular gladiator games. Slavery played a very

important role throughout ancient Roman culture. Under Roman Republican Law, slaves were not considered a person but rather a possession. Majority of the slaves were made up of those often captured in battle, and even citizens of Rome themselves, who had been enslaved for debts unpaid. Many slaves were used as labor on the vast farms of wealthy landowners.
Slaves with some form of combat, were trained as warriors to fight for the entertainment and pleasure of the roman citizens at the gladiatorial games. In these games, they would fight in deadly one on one combat, and tasked with a fight to the death. In these games however, it would lead to the sprouting of the seeds of a rebellion and a great warrior was to emerge from these games.
Start of the Rebellion (73 BC)
Gladiator training schools or ludus sprang throughout Italy, centering near the town of Capua. At these schools, slaves which were captured with some form of comba experienced were purchased, and trained to be elite warriors. Trained in a variety of weapons, and forced under strict training regimes and diets. Here, were forged mighty gods of the arena. Faced with almost certain death in the arena, these mighty warriors felt that the only true way to acquire their freedom, was to lay waste to Rome itself. In Capua, a ludus under the ownership of Lentulus Batiatus, was were the Thracian gladiator Spartacus was acquired.
Armed with merely knives and spits acquired from the kitchen, the fearsome group of about 70 other gladiators rebelled against Batiatus and his guards. Leading the revolt was the Thracian gladiator Spartacus, and two Gauls, Crixus and Oenamus. Climbing the walls of the ludus after fighting their way through the guards, they finally achieved their freedom from their captors. Upon escaping they acquired gladiator/ military grade weapons and armor, being transported via wagon to a nearby town and were successfully able to defeat the patrol, which was briefly sent after the escaped slaves.
Shortly after, the rebels raided the nearby countryside, in the Campania farming district. Slaves consisting of field hands, and house slaves joined force with Spartacus and his gladiators, armed with mere farm tools. They declared their own freedom from Rome enslavement and join Spartacus. The mere slave army grew to a formidable size recruiting many other slaves into their ranks.
Battle of Vesuvius
As word and rumor spread throughout all of Rome of the mighty Spartacus and his fearsome army of gladiators and slave warriors raiding and freeing slaves, Spartacus drove his forces towards the slopes of a dormant volcano named Vesuvius. Under pressure by Rome, a small army of 3000 militia under the command of Claudius Glaber, was sent to upper hand Spartacus and his army. Glabers men however, were hastily picked, as the Romans did not consider this a war yet, but rather a small revolt.
Glaber blocking the only exit from the top the hill, waited for the rebels to eventually be forced to come down due to starvation. Spartacus however, unwilling to surrender refusing defeat used unorthodox methods to combat the strict tactics of the roman army. Waiting until sunset, with ladders forged by the nearby abundant vines growing atop the hill, they descended upon the opposite side of the hill and outflanked and slaughtered the soldiers stationed at the entrance the path. Within minutes, the rebel slaves hacked their way through the sleeping roman camp, claiming their first major victory.
Spartacus Vs Praetor Publius Varinius
Shortly after, a second group under the leadership of praetor Publius Varinius was sent to face against Spartacus. For reasons unknown Publius Varinus forces seemed to have split under the command of the lower ranking generals Furius and Cossinius. Uknown to the Romans however, was that the ranks of Spartacus army had grown to nearly 40,000.
Varnius marching on unfamiliar terrain was hampered by the moist, autumn weather, causing disease, and eventually led to insubordination within his own troops. What led to the downfall of Varnius was his under estimation of Spartacus and refusal to even acknowledge the slaves as a threat to the republic. Spartacus surprising a colum of about 2,000 men under command of Furius, and quickly annihilated it.
Due to slave rebels who had some knowledge of the land compared to the Roman army’s, his scouts were able to locate the camp under Cossinius control. In a swirling conclusion, Spartacus nearly captured Cossinius, and followed as he fled for his life. Here Spartacus and his army caught up to the remains of the romans columns and slaughtered them all.
Aiming southward, the slave army continued to grow under the leadership of Spartacus.

Varinius followed him towards Lucania, were he found the rebels in fighting possession. However Varinius once again faced insubordination and many of his soldiers refused to advance and fled. The Roman praetor although badly mauled during the battle, escaped but all his assets were seized by Spartacus thus adding to further Roman humiliation. Thus captured in the ensuing battled were forced to fight each other as they once had the gladiators themselves or crucified just as romans would do to slaves captured by Romans.

Spartacus must have realized that victories so far have been against a hastily put force of roman soldiers. History tells that ‘The Senate wisely realized that this rebellion was not just a mere collection of fugitive slaves, but a fairly cohesive unit, inspired by freedom and the chance for plunder. In the coming year of 72 BC, the senate recognized Spartacus' rebellion as the 'Third Servile War' and prepared Consular armies to end it.” The rebel army had yet to face the experienced Roman war veterans of the wars in Spain, Gaul, and Germany.

Third Servile War and the fall of the Great

Gual
At the start of the 72 BC, the great slave army split into two forces. Which consisted of those loyal to Spartacus and embarked on the long walk north towards Alp into freedom. The other faction consisted of those who followed the Gaul Crixus. Crixus taking as much as 30,000 men, including groups of Gaul and German Gladiator stayed with his fraction and decided to stay to loot and plague southern Italy
Crixus had failed to realize that that vast majority of the victories so far have been against unprepared and have yet to fight the hardened veteran artillery might of the Roman Empire. This would eventually lead to the downfall of the might gaul and his followers.