Spartacus and the Slave War 73–71 BC A gladiator rebels against Rome

by Fields, Nic; Noon, Steve

• ISBN13: 9781846033537
• ISBN10: 1846033535
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-07-21
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing

Summary

Italy in 73 BC saw a slave-society's worst nightmare - a slave insurrection. Gladiators, led by the Thracian Spartacus, broke out of a gladiatorial training school and formed an army, made up of runaway slaves and others with little to lose. With some 70,000 men, Spartacus rampaged throughout Campania, assaulting the prosperous cities of Cumae, Nola, and Nuceria, and defeating two consular armies. Spartacus now posed a grave threat to Rome, and M. Licinius Crassus was given the job of destroying him. In a major battle near the source of the river Silarus, Spartacus was defeated and slain, and his army was crushed. As a warning to others, Crassus crucified 6,000 prisoners along the road from Capua - where the revolt had begun - to the very gates of Rome. Book jacket.

Author Biography

Dr. Nic Fields started his career as a biochemist before joining the Royal Marines. Having left the military, he went back to University and completed a BA and PhD in Ancient History at the University of Newcastle. He was Assistant Director at the British School at Athens, Greece, and then a lecturer in Ancient History at the University of Edinburgh. Nic is now a freelance author and researcher based in south-west France.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 5
The origins of the revolt
The First Slave War (135-132 BC)
The Second Slave War (104-100 BC)
Chronology of Major Events 146-60 BC	p. 11
Roman Social Order	p. 14
The slave system
Piracy and the slave trade
Gladiators - men of the sword
Oscan speakers
Opposing Commanders	p. 27
Spartacus the Thracian
Marcus Licinius Crassus
Opposing Armies	p. 34
The slave army
The Roman army
Opposing Plans	p. 47
The Spartacan plan
The Roman plan
The Campaign	p. 52
Defeat of the praetorian armies, 73 BC
Defeat of the consular armies, 72 BC
The war with Crassus, 71 BC
The trap closes: River Silarus, 71 BC
Aftermath	p. 79
Crucifixion
The return to order
The Legacy of Spartacus	p. 83
A Guide to Primary Sources	p. 88
Appian (b. AD 95)
Plutarch (c. AD 46-120)
Sallust (86-c. 35 BC)
Bibliography	p. 93
Glossary and Abbreviations	p. 94
Index	p. 95
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