Spartacus Class Notes

1. Spartacus came from THRACE (modern day Bulgaria) – he was a mercenary (soldier hired by the
    Romans to fight for them )

2. Spartacus committed some crime and was sold as a slave to a GLADIATOR training school.

    He escaped with 74 other gladiators and went to Mt.Vesuvius (the famous volcano) with thousands of         slaves he freed. There he raided the city of Pompeii freeing slaves, getting food and supplies, and making     weapons called Gladius- short swords. His slave army defeated 6,000 Roman soldiers sent against him         and captured the “FASCES” (the symbol of the power of Rome).

3. Spartacus went north to the Alps and freedom but the Gauls and Germans separated and were destroyed     by Roman armies.

4. Crassus (wealthiest Roman patrician) pays for an army which is defeated by Spartacus. Crassus uses
    “decimation” (killing 1 out of every 10 men ) as punishment for their defeat.

5. Spartacus wanted to cross to the island of Sicily using pirate ships paid with stolen Roman treasure, but         the pirate ships never came!

6. Crassus built a huge wall across the toe of Italy to trap Spartacus.

7. Spartacus’ army was surrounded and defeated. Spartacus was killed in battle –his body was never found.

8. 6,000 captured slaves were crucified on the road back to Rome.