Third Servile War . In the spring of 72 BC, the escaped slaves left their winter encampments and began to move northwards towards Cisalpine Gaul. If Spartacus did intend to march on Rome, it was a goal he must have later abandoned. Crassus' legions were victorious in several engagements, killing thousands of the rebel slaves, and forcing Spartacus to retreat south through Lucania to the straits near Messina. Essay on The Vagabond by Sidonie Gabrielle Colette 992 Words | 4 Pages. Between 73 and 71 BC, a band of escaped slaves—originally a small cadre of about 78[1] primarily Thracian, Gallic and Germanic[2] escaped gladiators which grew into a band of over 120,000[3] men, women and children—wandered throughout and raided Italy with relative impunity under the guidance of several leaders, including the famous gladiator-general Spartacus. Third Servile War; Third Servile War. [40], The tide seemed to have turned in the war. [36], Crassus was given a praetorship, and assigned six new legions in addition to the two formerly consular legions of Gellius and Lentulus, giving him an estimated army of some 32,000-48,000 trained Roman infantrymen plus their attached auxiliaries (there being quite a historical range in the size of Republican Legions). The Third Servile War, also called the Gladiator War and The War of Spartacus by Plutarch, was the last of several slave rebellions against the Roman Republic.. The events of 72 BC, according to Appian's version of events. What they intended to do with this force is somewhat difficult for modern readers to determine. [43] The Senate also sent reinforcements under the command of "Lucullus", mistakenly thought by Appian to be Lucius Licinius Lucullus, commander of the forces engaged in the Third Mithridatic War at the time, but who appears to have been the proconsul of Macedonia, Marcus Terentius Varro Lucullus, the former's younger brother. [14] Sources are somewhat contradictory on the order of events immediately following the escape, but they generally agree that this band of escaped gladiators plundered the region surrounding Capua, recruited many other slaves into their ranks, and eventually retired to a more defensible position on Mount Vesuvius.[15]. Plutarch claims this occurred in the Picenum region, while Appian places the initial battles between Crassus and Spartacus in the Samnium region. The effects of the Third Servile War on Roman attitudes towards slavery, and on the institution of slavery in Rome, are harder to determine. He had prevailed upon the Senate to reinforce his campaign by recalling Lucius Licinius Lucullus from Thrace and Pompey from Spain, but quickly realized the danger of such a move. [12] There is some question as to Spartacus's nationality, however, as a Thraex (plural Thraces or Threses) was a type of gladiator in Rome, so the title "Thracian" may simply refer to the style of gladiatorial combat in which he was trained. [39] Regardless of what actually occurred, Crassus' treatment of his legions proved that "he was more dangerous to them than the enemy", and spurred them on to victory rather than running the risk of displeasing their commander. While this is the unspoken assumption of the Roman historians, this may be the Romans projecting their own hierarchical view of military power and responsibility on the ad hoc organization of the slaves. This era of peace further promoted the use of freedmen as laborers in agricultural estates. These forces were also defeated by the army of escaped slaves: Cossinius was killed, Varinius was nearly captured, and the equipment of the armies was seized by the slaves. By the end of 73 BC, Spartacus and Crixus were in command of a large group of armed men with a proven ability to withstand Roman armies. Updates? It was particularly alarming to Rome because its military seemed powerless to suppress it. 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. At this time, the legions of Pompey were returning to Italy, having put down the rebellion of Quintus Sertorius in Hispania. The Third Servile War was significant to the broader history of ancient Rome in its effect on the careers of Pompey and Crassus. However, he was betrayed by the pirates, who took payment and then abandoned the rebel slaves. The Third Servile War, also called the Gladiator War and The War of Spartacus by Plutarch, was the last of several slave rebellions against the Roman Republic.. The Senate, alarmed by the size of the revolt and the defeat of the praetorian armies of Glaber and Varinius, dispatched a pair of consular legions under the command of Lucius Gellius Publicola and Gnaeus Cornelius Lentulus Clodianus. The Third Servile War was the last of the Servile Wars, and Rome did not see another slave uprising of this magnitude again. Information and translations of third servile war in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. This indicates the existence of two groups: Lucius Gellius Publicola eventually attacked Crixus and a group of some 30,000 followers who are described as being separate from the main group under Spartacus. Owners could abuse, injure or even kill their own slaves without legal consequence. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. [49] The rebel slaves were not a professional army, and had reached their limit. [19], A second expedition, under the praetor Publius Varinius, was then dispatched against Spartacus. Spartacus (Σπάρτακος; Spartacus; c. 111–71 BC) was a Thracian gladiator who, along with the Gauls Crixus, Gannicus, Castus, and Oenomaus, was one of the escaped slave leaders in the Third Servile War, a major slave uprising against the Roman Republic. This would all change with the Third Servile War. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. By affording Pompey the opportunity to return to Italy with an army at his back, all the glory for defeating Spartacus would almost certainly accrue to him and not to Crassus. While the slaves lacked military training, Spartacus' forces displayed ingenuity in their use of available local materials, and in their use of clever, unorthodox tactics when facing the disciplined Roman armies. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Slaves were acquired for the Roman workforce through a variety of means, including purchase from foreign merchants and the enslavement of foreign populations through military conquest. At this point in the history, there is a divergence in the classical sources as to the course of events which cannot be reconciled until the entry of Marcus Licinius Crassus into the war. However, later that year, Rome dispatched military force under praetorian authority to put down the rebellion. [33] Crassus was no stranger to Roman politics, or to military command as he had been a field commander under Lucius Cornelius Sulla during the second civil war between Sulla and the Marian faction in 82 BC, and had served under Sulla during the dictatorship that followed. Spartacus, by Denis Foyatier, c. 1830, displayed at the Louvre. The remnants of the rebel army were captured, and thousands were crucified along the Appian Way as a warning to those who would rise against Rome. The country there was also better suited for the kind of guerrilla warfare tactics that favoured Spartacus and his band. [44] With Pompey's legions marching out of the north, and Lucullus' troops landing in Brundisium, Crassus realized that if he did not put down the slave revolt quickly, credit for the war would go to the general who arrived with reinforcements, and thus he spurred his legions on to end the conflict quickly. [53] After this action, Pompey sent a dispatch to the Senate, saying that while Crassus certainly had conquered the slaves in open battle, he himself had ended the war, thus claiming a large portion of the credit and earning the enmity of Crassus. The Gladiator Mosaic at the Galleria Borghese, In the Roman Republic of the 1st century, gladiatorial games were one of the more popular forms of entertainment. By the end of 73 BC, Spartacus and Crixus were in command of a large group of armed men with a proven ability to withstand Roman armies. A hastily collected force of 3,000 men under either Claudius Pulcher or Claudius Glaber (sources vary) endeavoured to starve out the rebels. These are called the Servile Wars.The Third Servile War was the only which was dangerous for Italia itself and was doubly alarming to the Roman people because the slaves won several battles against the Roman army between 73 and 71 BC. [41], Spartacus' forces then retreated towards Rhegium. [29], Appian claims that Spartacus executed some 300 captured Roman soldiers to avenge the death of Crixus, forcing them to fight each other to the death as gladiators. In 135 BC and 104 BC, the First and Second Servile Wars, respectively, erupted in Sicily, where small bands of rebels found tens of thousands of willing followers wishing to escape the oppressive life of a Roman slave. In an audacious move, Spartacus’s forces clambered down the precipices and put the Romans to flight. [52], The rebellion of the Third Servile War had been annihilated by Crassus. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. [22], The victories of the rebel slaves did not come without a cost. The army of Lentulus was deployed to bar Spartacus' path, and the consuls hoped to trap the rebel slaves between them. [38], Plutarch only mentions the decimation of 50 legionaries of one cohort as punishment after Mummius' defeat in the first confrontation between Crassus and Spartacus. Many popular modern accounts of the war claim that there was a factional split i… Crossword Clue The crossword clue Leader in the Third Servile War with 9 letters was last seen on the January 01, 2006.We think the likely answer to this clue is SPARTACUS.Below are all possible answers to this clue ordered by its rank. Upon taking command, Crassus is said to have carried out a decimation of the consular armies that had taken the field against Spartacus in an attempt to restore order; one in ten of the men were selected by lot and killed. Marcus Licinius Crassus takes command of the Roman legions, confronts Spartacus, and forces the rebel slaves to retreat through Lucania to the straits near Messina.