However, while Caesar lived during this rebellion and did personally know Crassus, he had no involvement in the events that transpired. One was through hatred and anger: the bread and butter of Spartacus: Blood and Sand. Asked by his distraught children on his deathbed what was happening, Whitfield responded with a sage-like magnanimity little beneath that of a Socrates: I am going to go to sleep now as my body wont work any more. BBC 2014 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. According to Plutarch, Spartacus made a bargain with Cilician pirates to transport him and some 2,000 of his men to Sicily, where he intended to incite a slave revolt and gather reinforcements. In 1960 Stanley Kubrick directed a historical epicstarring Kirk Douglas. [26] At its height, Spartacus's army included many different peoples, including Celts, Gauls, and others. For example, gladiators who performed well were treated as free men and awarded great prizes, and sometimes even women. Which is better only God knows. Around 6,000 men survived the battle but were later captured and crucified by the Roman army. Though ordered not to engage the rebels, Mummius attacked at a seemingly opportune moment but was routed. The move against Spartacus on Mount Vesuvius unfolded in a very similar manner to real life. The legend of Spartacus is so popular that it has been adapted into several forms of media over the years, including the 1960 film by Stanley Kubrick. A favorite character in popular fiction, he was not crucified, and there was no Im Spartacus! moment as seen in the famous 1960 Stanley Kubrick film. In one scene, recorded soon after the final medical news is delivered to him and Vashti, Andy tells us that he has been learning to sit with this awareness, and come to a peace with it. [30] The distance between these locations and the subsequent events indicate that the slaves operated in two groups commanded by the remaining leaders Spartacus and Crixus. While the Strait of Messina is small, being only two miles (3.2 kilometers) wide at some points, Spartacus had several problems crossing it. In modern times, Spartacus became an icon for communists and socialists. Appian and Florus write that he intended to march on Rome itself. The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit. Other characters, such as Gannicus and Castus, were also real-life individuals who participated in Spartacus rebellion. Crassus built trenches to block Spartacuss cavalry prompting a wild melee when Spartacuss men jumped in and tried to stop their construction. Spartacus was now isolated further. Furthermore, it is here where Spartacus began his rebellion with the escape of about 70 slaves. Rome dispatched militia under the command of the praetor Gaius Claudius Glaber, who besieged Spartacus and his camp on Mount Vesuvius, hoping that starvation would force Spartacus to surrender. After being carried off by Agron, he died peacefully as a contingent of former slaves he worked to free and protect indeed made it to safety. [43] When Crassus refused, Spartacus and his army broke through the Roman fortifications and headed to Brundusium with Crassus's legions in pursuit. Like most deserters, he was caught. In March 2010, however, after the first season of the hit series, Whitfield was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. It is believed that Spartacus died in this battle; there were so many corpses that his . Also, while Spartacus was a real person who has inspired revolutionaries and filmmakers, scholars do not have an abundant amount of information about him. In 71 B.C.E., General Marcus Licinius Crassus defeated the rebel army at Lucania, about 56 kilometers (35 miles) southeast of Naples. Most people worship heroes like Hercules, or the Spartacus depicted for adolescents in series like Spartacus: Blood and Sand, for their great bodily strength and feats: However, unless our hearts are purified, what battles and dangers must then insinuate themselves in us, against our will! Under the leadership of the former gladiators, the slave army dealt Glaber a crushing defeat. Throughout the series, the two seemed locked into battle against each other as Spartacus sought revenge against Glaber. Spartacus was believed to have died in this battle. He defeated Roman forces over half a dozen times, marching his people up and down the Italian peninsula until he was killed in battle in April 71 B.C. Who, today, remembers Crassus? He has also written for The Independent (UK), The Canadian Press (CP) and The Associated Press (AP), among others. Even if archaeologists do find it someday they likely would be unable to distinguish the famous commander from that of his troops. Spartacus was sold as a slave to a gladiator . If you separate from yourself the future and the past, and apply yourself exclusively to living the life that you are livingthat is to say, the presentyou can live all the time that remains to you until your death, in calm, benevolence, and serenity. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Drawn from interviews with Andy and his wife Vashti, viewers are invited by the film into their home and their struggle to come to terms with the havoc the actors cancer was dealing to Andys body and to his life. There seem to be a small number of fundamental attitudes of reason available to people from all cultures, Hadot came to suppose. Anne Boleyn and Katherine of Aragon Brilliant Rivals, Hitler vs Stalin: The Battle for Stalingrad, How Natural Disasters Have Shaped Humanity, Hasdrubal Barca: How Hannibals Fight Against Rome Depended on His Brother, Wise Gals: The Spies Who Built the CIA and Changed the Future of Espionage, Bones in the Attic: The Forgotten Fallen of Waterloo, How Climate and the Natural World Have Shaped Civilisations Across Time, The Rise and Fall of Charles Ponzi: How a Pyramid Scheme Changed the Face of Finance Forever. Karl Marx listed Spartacus as one of his heroes and described him as "the most splendid fellow in the whole of ancient history" and a "great general, noble character, real representative of the ancient proletariat". Spartacus was a Thracian gladiator who led a slave revolt with an army numbering in the tens of thousands. In contrast, urban slaves were more used to city life and were considered "privileged" and "lazy. However, in a moment of extraordinary ingenuity, the rebels abseiled down the mountain with ropes created fromvines. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. However, while the legend of Spartacus is based on true events, much of the legend is still fictional. There was a bit of Graffiti found in Pompeii showing Spartacus fighting written in the local Oscan language. He was considered a brave and able leader who fought against tremendous odds with remarkable success. Spartacus's name was also used in athletics in the Soviet Union and communist states of Central and Eastern Europe. Hearing of Pompey's involvement, Spartacus tried to make a truce with Crassus. He has become a modern-day inspirational figure. Gladiator & Slave. Thank you to all his fans whose love and support have helped carry him to this point. After defeating another Roman force, this one led by a Roman governor named Gaius Cassius Longinus, Spartacuss force was now free to climb the Alps and go to Gaul, Thrace or other areas not controlled by Rome. Andy Whitfield, the British star of US TV drama Spartacus: Blood and Sand, has died at the age of 39. The Roman Stoic Epictetus could not have said it better. Who will suffer your course to be just as you plan it? While Spartacus escaped Crassuss trap he faced serious consequences. Strauss notes that he was a wealthy individual, able to raise a large army and pay them, at least in part, out of his own pocket. Thracians were known to be good horseman, able to tame even wild horses. However, very little is known about Glaber in real life aside from his humiliating defeat at the hands of Spartacus. With about 70 fellow gladiators he escaped a gladiatorial training school at Capua in 73 and took refuge on Mount Vesuvius, where other runaway slaves joined the band. Whitfield played the title role in all 13 episodes of the first series, screened in 2010, and was about to shoot the second series when he was diagnosed with cancer. Spartacus, (died 71 bce), leader in the Gladiatorial War (7371 bce) against Rome. In 2010, Whitfield was a young man with everything to look forward to. 9, Correspondance gnrale, 461-3, no. Get time period newsletters, special offers and weekly programme release emails. Although his uprising was not an attempt at social revolution, his name has frequently been invoked by revolutionaries such as Adam Weishaupt in the late 18th century and Karl Liebknecht, Rosa Luxemburg, and the other members of the German Spartacus League of 191619. This was a remarkable achievement, even given that he had a massiveforce at his disposal. Image Credit: Gautier Poupeau from Paris, France, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons. Marcus Aurelius, the Stoic philosopher-emperor of the late second century CE indeed penned a series of meditations in which he enjoins himself to, exactly, be here now: Do not disturb yourself by thinking of the whole of your life. The details surrounding the death of the real Spartacus remain a mystery to this day. The response of the Romans was hampered by the absence of the Roman legions, which were engaged in fighting a revolt in Hispania and the Third Mithridatic War. His wife, Vashti, described him as "our beautiful young warrior". He joined the Roman legion when he was a teenager, but he really didn't like life in the legion, so he deserted. This was more than a century before it erupted and, in Spartacus time, the mountain was actually covered with vines and had fertile farmland nearby. Additionally, according to ancient sources, Spartacus insisted on equally dividing the spoils, something that made recruitment all the more easier. Spartacus is said to have tried to engage Crassus directly but was wounded and driven to one knee. Plutarch, Appian and Florus all claim that Spartacus died during the battle, but Appian also reports that his body was never found. The real-life battle between the two was likely much more politically driven than personal. Godspeed, Andy! But, for reasons we do not know, he decided to turn around and attack Crassus. Not a whole lot of history regarding Spartacus has survived. There are varying accounts about Spartacuss death but they all end with him being surrounded and killed. He is part of an ARC project on modern engagements with Philosophy as a Way of Life. History Hit brings you the stories that shaped the world through our award winning podcast network and an online history channel. Spartacus represents the pinnacle of the epic film trend which included spectaculars such as Cleopatra, Ben Hur, and Fall of the Roman Empire. Best known for: Leading a slave uprising against Rome. The Romans camped at the bottom of the mountain, trying to starve out the rebels. Around 6,000 men survived the battle but were later captured and crucified by the Roman army. Support my efforts at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com//keithmasseyOr visit my website:https://www.keithmassey.net With about 70 fellow gladiators he escaped a gladiatorial training school at Capua in 73 and took refuge on Mount Vesuvius, where other runaway slaves joined the band. While at the school, Spartacus helped organize a breakout that led to more than 70 gladiators escaping armed with knives, cleavers and other makeshift weapons they got from the kitchen. It may be amongst the more difficult things you can achieve: But all things excellent are as difficult as they are rare.. Destined for the arena, in 73 bce he, with a band of his fellow gladiators, broke out of a training school at Capua . But we do know that he was sent to a gladiator school in Capua where he was trained to fight . [51] Appian also states that he later abandoned that goal, which might have been no more than a reflection of Roman fears. Like in the show, the house resided in Capua and functioned as a school for gladiators, new and experienced alike. He is remembered for his rebellion against the oligarchical Roman reign during 73-72 BC. Several sports clubs around the world, in particular the former Soviet and the Communist bloc, were named after the Roman gladiator. Despite this, the show still finds a very clever way to incorporate Glaber into a larger role in the show (whether he needed this large amount of screen time or not) despite his small mark on history. Gannicus was a Celtic slave, who together with the Thracian Spartacus, Crixus, Castus and Oenomaus, became one of the leaders of rebel slaves during the Third Servile War (73-71 BC). Whatever the reasons were Spartacus led his army back south, through Italy, overcoming resistance along the way, until they arrived at the Strait of Messina, in hopes that they could cross over to Sicily, an island of agriculture and slaves waiting to be liberated. For they are fatal to the ability to live completely whatever our particular fate happens to be: You will hear many men saying: After my fiftieth year I shall retire into leisure, my sixtieth year shall release me from public duties. And what guarantee, pray, have you that your life will last longer? truly, this world is little better than an arena in which gladiators kill and die for the others sport etc. Actor Liam McIntyre took over Whitfield's role in the TV series when he became ill. "On a beautiful sunny Sydney spring morning, surrounded by his family, in the arms of his loving wife, our beautiful young warrior Andy Whitfield lost his 18-month battle with lymphoma cancer," his wife said in a statement. However, in his final battle, Spartacus killed his horse so that he can be on the same level as his soldiers. The administration in Rome now began to take the threat from Spartacus seriously and the Roman politician and general Marcus Licinius Crassus led an army south. National Geographic Headquarters 1145 17th Street NW Washington, DC 20036. His story had clear ties and relevance to the anti-slavery movement. In regards to his ties with the Roman Empire, historians arent quite sure of what exactly happened. Part of the shows grand appeal was the dramatic lifestyle featured in the show, especially between the wealthy and the slaves. Additionally Crassuss force was still largely intact while another force, led by Marcus Terentius Varro Lucullus, was about to land at Brundisium and a third force, led by Pompey, was on its way to Italy from Spain. At first, Rome did not regard the slave army as a serious force and did not send front-line troops against it; Spartacus' army defeats and defeats the first four armies. "How lucky we were to have him grace all our lives. The third season of the series sees actor Todd Lasance in the role of Julius Caesar himself. This rebellion, interpreted by some as an example of oppressed people fighting for their freedom against a slave-owning oligarchy, has provided inspiration for many political thinkers, and has been featured in literature, television, and film. How Did Spartacus Die In Real Life. Chris Albrecht, president and chief operating officer of US TV network Starz, said he was "deeply saddened" by Whitfield's loss. Only a few key changes were made to wrap up some of the shows story arcs. There is no way of knowing how the legendary leader died. The legend of Spartacus has inspired so many fanciful retellings, it's easy to lose track of what actually happened back in 73 BC. The life of an amazing, real-life gladiator. Despite Crassus having cornered Spartacus forces in the toe of Italy, theymanaged to escape. In 72 BC Spartacus and his army marched north towards Gaul (the Roman term for a region covering France, the Low Countries and northern Italy). After her passing, Spartacus forms a relationship with Mira (Katrina Law), a slavegirl at the House of Batiatus. Manu Bennett (seasons 1-3 and prequel) as Crixus - a Gaul, he was Batiatus' top gladiator prior to Spartacus. [6] Appian says he was "a Thracian by birth, who had once served as a soldier with the Romans, but had since been a prisoner and sold for a gladiator".[7]. Born: Around 109 BC. Dan has his regular catch-up with Simon Elliott on all things Roman. Eventually, Spartacus would find himself as a gladiator and earn quite a name for himself as one of the best fighters in the ring. Italy had unprecedented wealth, including over 1 million slaves. He appears to have served. In this area, since 1899, there have been finds of armour and swords of the Roman era. Spartacus waged a brilliant guerrilla campaign against a strong and well-organized enemy, but he could not prevail against a fully mobilized Rome. This page has been archived and is no longer updated. Although 6,000 rebel slaves were crucified in real life . Stay in the now and enjoy every moment.". A Roman soldier who deserted but was later recaptured. Andy Whitfield (season 1 and prequel) and Liam McIntyre (seasons 2-3) as Spartacus - a Thracian slave who becomes a gladiator in the ludus of Lentulus Batiatus before leading a slave uprising. NASA warns of 3 skyscraper-sized asteroids headed toward Earth this week. Anne Franks Legacy: How Her Story Changed the World. The slaves managed to break through the fortifications that Crassus had built to trap them, but were pursued to Lucania where the rebel army was destroyed. Spartacus and his small band of escapees acquired gladiator weapons from a passing cart and made their way to Mount Vesuvius. Spartacus was a Thracian who had served in the Roman army but seems to have deserted. [39] After this, Crassus's legions were victorious in several engagements, forcing Spartacus farther south through Lucania as Crassus gained the upper hand. The pirates, however, had other plans. Rural slaves lived a life that better prepared them to fight in Spartacus's army. Though few in number, they seized kitchen utensils, fought their way free from the school, and seized several wagons of gladiatorial weapons and armour. The Gladiator Mosaic at the Galleria Borghese. The series is surprisingly truthful with many of its finer details surrounding the life of Spartacus, including his escape from Capua, and his role in the Third Servile War; both of which are heavily inspired by real historical events. Updates? Spartacus attempted to lead his rowdy band back home to their native lands, but they preferred to stay and increase their ill-gotten gains. Jack is an avid reader and writer with a plethora of works in all genres. 283", "Tribes, Dynasts and Kingdoms of Northern Greece: History and Numismatics", A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, "Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, page 494", "AUSXIP Spartacus: Blood and Sand TV Show Lucy Lawless Sam Raimi & Rob Tapert", "DC's Legends of Tomorrow: Shawn Roberts in an unexpected guest appearance", Spartacus' Uprising and Soviet Historical Writing, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Spartacus&oldid=1140917772, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia indefinitely semi-protected pages, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2011, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2013, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from October 2013, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Spartak Odesa, a football team competed in the, Spartak Kharkiv, a football team competed in the, The "Spartacus Overture" was written by composer, In the expandable miniature wargaming system. Initial treatment indicated remission. Spartacuss own men probably vetoed him, writes Barry Strauss, a Classics professor at Cornell University, in his book The Spartacus War (Simon & Schuster, 2009). [50][clarification needed], Toussaint Louverture, a leader of the slave revolt that led to the independence of Haiti, has been called the "Black Spartacus". Doing so serves as a great callback to the original film while also showing how Spartacus evolved as an ideal. They were able to build such a formidable force in part because many freedmen and other free commoners joined their ranks along with thousands of fugitive slaves, writes historian Michael Parenti in an essay published in the book "Spartacus: Film and History" (Blackwell, 2006). The real Spartacus was a freeborn provincial from Thrace, who may have served as an auxiliary in the Roman army in Macedonia. Spartacus is believed to be the leader of the gladiatorial rebellion, and co-leader of the slave army with the two Gauls, Crixus and Onemus. Rome initially considered the revolt a nuisance. Human beings are creatures who form beliefs about our lives and the world in which we live and die. Crassus's legions followed and upon arrival built fortifications across the isthmus at Rhegium,[citation needed] despite harassing raids from the rebels. Accounts from only about a dozen ancient writers survive to this day, and none of the surviving reports was written by Spartacus or one of his supporters. Thankfully, they'll all miss. Sarah Appleton, National Geographic Society. [48] Six thousandsurvivors of the revolt captured by the legions of Crassus were crucified, lining the Appian Way from Rome to Capua.[49]. His force was not completely trapped and he likely had at least 30,000 troops able to fight. The accounts vary about Spartacus' death though it is most likely he died in battle, though the film Spartacus depicts him as being cruxified along the Appian way with 6,000 other escaped slaves. The Roman force under Gellius caught up with Crixus, killing the leader along with many of his rebels. This left Spartacus with no choice but to take his force north to face a Roman leader more ruthless than any he had encountered before. Legend tells that when the Romans defeated the slave revolt led by the gladiator Spartacus in 71 BCE, they searched in vain for the real Spartacus. [1] His name means "one with curly hair" in Gaulish. Spartacus eventually managed to break through Crassuss trap by filling in one his trenches (allegedly with human bodies) and using his cavalry to punch through. [3] Although this interpretation is not specifically contradicted by classical historians, no historical account mentions that the goal was to end slavery in the Republic. Rome in the 1st century BC By the 1st century BC, Rome had gathered supreme control of the Mediterranean in a series of bloody wars. This illustration depicts his death in battle. A Thracian by birth, Spartacus served in the Roman army, perhaps deserted, led bandit raids, and was caught and sold as a slave. People worship the gods Ceres and Bacchus for the external bounties of grain and wine. With around 3,000 Romans in pursuit, the escapees headed for Mount Vesuvius, where heavy forest provided cover. Surprisingly enough, however, much of the TV series holds true to the historical time frame. "Spartakus. RELATED:14 Movies To Watch If You Love The Roman Empire. Spartacuss rebel army swelledas it became a magnet for the disaffected. The Rights Holder for media is the person or group credited. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). By the spring of 72 B.C., Spartacus may have had 40,000 troops, some of which stayed in south Italy with his co-leader Crixus while the remainder advanced towards the Alps under the command of Spartacus. Italy hadunprecedented wealth, including over 1 million slaves. Spartacus was an ancient Roman slave and gladiator who led a rebellion against the Roman Republic. These final deeds and words were felt to display the real measure of their philosophies as shaping what Socrates called examined lives. We will send you the latest TV programmes, podcast episodes and articles, as well as exclusive offers from our shop and carefully selected partners. Back in Rome, the senate grew impatient and sent a large army led by the consuls Lucius Gellius Publicola and Gnaeus Cornelius Lentulus Clodianus. Though the show finds a clever way to spin the ending of the show with the actual theories around his death, audiences still get to see Spartacus final moments. According to the surviving sources, Spartacus was from Thrace, an area in southeast Europe that the Romans were often trying to subjugate during the first century B.C.. Andy Whitfield as Spartacus. Read about our approach to external linking. He had reached the strait in the winter of 72-71 BC, a time when the weather was colder. Eventually Spartacus lined up his men for battle and Crassus his. In the winter of 71 BC, Gannicus, along with Castus, broke off from Spartacus, taking a large number of Celts and Germans with them, marking the second detachment of the rebellion. 111 BC was a completely different time in human history. Spartacus defeated the two consuls for the year 72 and fought his way northward toward the Alps, hoping to be able to disperse his soldiers to their homelands once they were outside Italy. Around 130 BC there had been a huge, sustained uprising in Sicily, and smaller conflagrations were frequent. I will always be with you and will always be watching over you. This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. [53][54], Adam Weishaupt, founder of the Bavarian Illuminati, often referred to himself as Spartacus within written correspondences.[55]. He was sold into slavery and trained at the gladiatorial school in Capua, north of Naples. It is to bear up well to whatever befalls him. At the time of his breakout, the Republics military was fighting in Spain, southeast Europe and Crete. And how much I am losing how many years rightfully mine? They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. He is thought to have been born in Thrace (modern day Balkan region) and it has been suggested he was in the Roman army. The show depicts the two groups as collaborators at first, with the Romans eventually turning on the Thracians and enslaving them. Thousands of others were killed by the army of the Roman general Pompey, who then claimed the credit for suppressing the rebellion. Spartacus was apparently both competent and humane, although the revolt he led inspired terror throughout Italy.