Spartacus
the leader of the Roman slaves in the great revolt which broke out about 73 B. c.; a Thracian by birth, who from a shepherd became a leader of a band of robbers when he was captured and sold to a trainer of gladiators at Capua. On the murder of his father by the Romans he had made an oath to wage war against Rome; and he formed a conspiracy to escape, and, when it was discovered, broke out with some 70 followers, with whom he made for the crater of Vesuvius, where hordes of runaway slaves soon joined him. He first overpowered and seized the arms of a force sent against him from Capua, next routed an army of 3,000 men under C.
Clodius, and so passed from victory to victory, overrunning southern Italy and sacking many of the cities of Campania, his numbers growing to 100,000 men.
Spartacus, who failed to get support from the Italian communities, es, and from the first knew the real weakness of his position, strove to persuade his victorious bands to march N. to the Alps and disperse to their native regions; but they were intoxicated with victory, and saw glittering before their eyes all the plun der of Italy Against his better judg-
The Spartans differed from the other Greeks in manners, customs, and constitution. Their kings (two of whom always reigned at once) ruled only through the popular will, acting as um-ment he continued the war, showing himpires in disputes, and commanding the army. The Spartans proper, that is, the descendants of the Dorians, occupying themselves with war and the chase, left all ordinary labor to the Helots (slaves), while the class known as Periœci (descendants of the ancient inhabitants of self a consummate captain in the strategy and valor with which he routed one Roman consular army after another, and the policy by which for long he assuaged the jealousies and dissensions among his followers. At length in 71 M. Licinius Crassus received the command, and after SPARTACUS some time of cautious delay forced Spartacus into the narrow peninsula of Rhegium, from which, however, he burst out through the Roman lines with a portion of his force. Crassus urged the Senate to recall Lucullus from Asia and Pompey from Spain, but meantime he himself pursued active hostilities against the dreaded enemy. Spartacus finding all hope at an end made a dash on Brundusium, hoping to seize the shipping and get across the Adriatic, but was foiled by the presence of Lucullus, whereupon he fell back on the river Silarus, and there made a heroic stand against Crassus till he was cut down.