Third Servile War

Quick Facts: Who was Third Servile War?

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Third Servile War

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The last major slave uprising against the Roman Republic, threatening its heartland.

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2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

The Third Servile War, also called the Gladiator War and the War of Spartacus by Plutarch, was the last in a series of slave rebellions against the Roman Republic known as the Servile Wars. This third rebellion was the only one that directly threatened the Roman heartland of Italy. It was particularly alarming to Rome because its military seemed powerless to suppress it. The revolt began in 73 BC, with the escape of around 70 slave gladiators from a gladiator school in Capua. They easily defeated the small Roman force sent to recapture them, and within two years, they had been joined by some 120,000 men, women, and children.

Career & Major Achievements

The able-bodied adults of this large group were a surprisingly effective armed force that repeatedly showed they could withstand or defeat the Roman military, from the local Campanian patrols to the Roman militia and even to trained Roman legions under consular command. This army of slaves roamed across Italy, raiding estates and towns with relative impunity, sometimes dividing into separate but connected bands with several leaders, including the famous former gladiator Spartacus. The Roman Senate grew increasingly alarmed at the slave-army's depredations and continued military successes. Eventually Rome fielded an army of eight legions under the harsh but effective leadership of Marcus Licinius Crassus that destroyed the army of slaves in 71 BC. The rebels staged a long and bitter fighting retreat before the legions of Crassus.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

After the rebels realized that the legions of Pompey and Marcus Terentius Varro Lucullus were moving in to entrap them, the armies of Spartacus launched their full strength against Crassus's legions and were utterly defeated. Of the survivors, some 6,000 were crucified along the Appian Way. Plutarch's account of the revolt suggests that the slaves simply wished to escape to freedom and leave Roman territory by way of Cisalpine Gaul. Appian and Florus describe the revolt as a civil war in which the slaves intended to capture the city of Rome. The Third Servile War had significant and far-reaching effects on Rome's broader history.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Third Servile War

True or False: “The Third Servile War was primarily a conflict fought exclusively within the city walls of Rome.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): While it threatened Rome, the fighting and movements occurred across the Roman heartland, including Campania and along the Appian Way.

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