Spartacus

Spartacus was the Leader of a Slave Rebellion known as the Third Servile War (73-71 BCE).
Spartacus was defeated by the Roman General Crassus.

Spartacus was a heavyweight Gladiator called a Murmillo who came from Thracia. He worked in the Gladiator school at Capua Roman Amphitheatre owned by Lentulus Batiatus.
He succeeded in overwhelming the guards and 74 Gladiators escaped. They reached Mount Vesuvius and made it their base.
Roman Slaves started to join them from the towns and Latifundia, and their number grew to tens of thousands. They survived by raiding the surrounding countryside.

Initially only small Roman Armies were sent against him, and these were easily defeated.
The slave army reached 70,000 men.
Spartacus then divided his army into two. He moved his own army north, intending to cross the Alps, leaving Crixus behind in the South.
Two Consular Armies from Rome, led by the new Governor of Sicily, easily crushed Crixus.

The Senate now realised the Slave Rebellion was a serious threat and named this the Third Servile War. They sent the Roman General Crassus to crush the Rebellion with ten Legions.
Spartacus’ army had swollen to 120,000 ex-slaves who were attracted by his success. Crassus confronted Spartacus, but in the battle his legionaries were defeated and some ran away.

Crassus then gave the order for Decimation. The Legionaries were divided into groups of ten. All ten had to draw lots to decide which one would die, once selected he was clubbed or stoned to death by his fellow nine legionaries.
It is not known whether he applied Decimation to one Legion (500 dead) or to all ten Legions (5,000 dead).

Consequently, in the next confrontation with Spartacus, 10,000 slaves were butchered, and Spartacus was forced to move his Army towards Sicily planning to escape on the ships of the Pirates of Cilicia. Crassus surrounded his force with earthworks.
Unable to cross to Sicily, Spartacus had to break out, and lost another 12,000 slaves. This time he headed for Brindisi. Again, the Pirates of Cilicia failed to help, and another Roman Army landed from Turkey. Spartacus was forced to turn and face Crassus, who finally defeated him, capturing 6,000 Slaves. Spartacus attempted to cut down Crassus himself but was unable to penetrate past his bodyguards. Spartacus’ body was never found.

All 6,000 prisoners were then crucified at intervals along 130 miles (210km) of the Appian Way between Rome and Capua, where Spartacus had started the Revolt. Their bodies were left on the crosses for years, as a deterrent to other slaves.

The Roman Senate had also ordered Pompey to put down the Rebellion, on his victorious return from the war in Spain.
Pompey received the greater Roman Triumph in Rome for his victory in Spain, and tried to take the credit for crushing the slave revolt as well.
Crassus‘ Roman Triumph was smaller as it was only against slaves, yet the threat had been greater, creating a rift between the two Generals which would emerge later.

Mount Vesuvius