Third Servile War

The Third Servile War (73-71 BCE) took place near Naples between the Slave Army of Spartacus and a Roman Army under Crassus.
Servus is Latin for ‘Slave’. The Servile Wars (135-71 BCE) refers to three Roman Slave Rebellions that took place during the Roman Republic.

Spartacus was a Gladiator from Thracia, who worked in a Gladiator School at Capua owned by Lentulus Batiatus.
In 73 BCE, he succeeded in overwhelming the guards and 74 Gladiators escaped. They reached Mount Vesuvius and made it their base to form a slave army.
Slaves started to join them from the towns and villas, 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 to defend the South.
Two Consular Armies arrived from Rome, led by the new Governor of Sicily, and defeated Crixus and his army of 30,000. Spartacus returned, confronted the Roman armies and defeated them.

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 now 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, intending 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 the 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 war in Spain.
Pompey received a 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.

There were no more Slave Rebellions after this war.
This was partly because of the brutality used when the revolt was suppressed and partly because Manumissio became a normal part of Roman society, with Freedmen forming a separate class called the Libertini.

Mount Vesuvius, Naples