Spartacus is a Gladiateur Thrace of origin Numide. It directed the Third War servile to Italy of the South between -73 and -71. The detail of this revolt of slave is well-known by a chapter of the Roman historian Florus in its Abrégé Roman History , included in the Civil wars , of the historian Appien. Another Roman historian, Eutrope, made of it a short summary at the 4th century in his Abrégé Roman history . Its history is famous thanks to the film of Stanley Kubrick, carried out in 1960.

The rebellion of the slaves

See also: Third servile War

Appien indicates without much precision that Spartacus was useful in a legion, that it was made prisoner of war and was sold. One can suppose that he was enlisted like auxiliary, and that he is a deserter taken again and sold like gladiator.

Spartacus revolts at the school of gladiators of Capoue which involved it like Parmularius and flees on the slopes of the Vesuvius with his/her companions. Succeeding in overcoming the units sent to repress its revolt, it does not cease attracting not only slaves but also of the small farmers and shepherds, thus forming a true army.

Cities after cities, villages after villages, Spartacus rejoins with him slaves more and more. Rome does not recognize it as a threat and underestimates largely it. The Romans send only two legions to stop its rebellion. The other legions are monopolized by the revolt of Sertorius in Hispanie and the conflict against Mithridate VI in the East.

While the gladiator Crixus is beaten and killed during the first engagement, Spartacus decides to go up towards north and overcomes the ones after the others the legions engaged against him, of which one was directed by the Consul Lucius Gellius Publicola. 300 Roman soldiers captive facts are constrained entretuer in a combat of gladiators to avenge death for Crixus.

Spartacus moves then towards Rome, overcomes the consuls again, but gives up going on Rome and is folded up in the South of Italy.

The Roman Senate confers on Crassus, rich person and ambitious, the command of an army with six new legions. Crassus engages the operations in October, and it finances them on its sums of money. He does not seek to start the combat with the army of Spartacus, with which he is satisfied to thwart the raids that he launches to supply. Its legate, disobeying his orders, tackles part of the troops of Spartacus, with two legions, but undergoes a disaster. To make an example and to impress the spirits, Crassus did not hesitate to give of use a punishment which was not practiced any more, that of the Décimation (a tenth of the first rank, mainly responsible for the rout, was thus carried out). Spartacus was withdrawn and reinforced in the Bruttium. Crassus undertakes to block it by a line of cuttings off. Spartacus succeeds in forcing the blockade, but, continued by the army of Crassus, it undergoes several defeats. Hoping to flee by the port of Brindisi, and learning that the army of Lucullus unloaded there, Spartacus is driven back with the confrontation against the legions of Crassus. He dies the weapons with the hand (-71).

Crassus finishes by massacring or capturing the groups of runaways. Repression is bloody: 6000 slaves are crucifiés on the Via Appia, the road between Capoue and Rome.

Comment

In addition to qualities of organizer and leader that Appien lends to Spartacus, several material reasons can explain initial success and the duration of its revolt:
  • the insufficiency of the first committed Roman forces against him, and which do not hold the shock against its attacks.
  • the political situation (Rome intervening on other faces) which slows down a more effective mobilization.
  • the social situation in Italy of the South, area large Latifundia (farms) exploiting hard masses of Esclave S, which could join the revolt.

On the other hand Appien note the insulation of Spartacus, no city supporting it, by fear which the rebellion does not extend to their own slaves.

The repercussion

Spartacus and its movement are regarded by certain modern as the oldest event of the history of the Social movement, though it is not the case according to our historical knowledge (the revolt of the slaves of Sicily is former, and the first currently known strike of workmen is in ic Egypt Pharaon). It is on the other hand that which had the most echo. The symbol remains strong and the movement of the German communist left wing, as well as the insurrection launched by him will take the name of " spartakiste".

After a silent film of the years 1910 of the Italian Cinema fallen in the lapse of memory, several works contributed to a broad notoriety:

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