6.7

War with the Gladiators, 73–71 BCE

Livy, Epitome 95–97. Appian, Civil Wars 1.14.116 ff. Plutarch, Crassus 8 ff. Orosius, Histories against the Pagans 5.24.

(1) M. Licinius Lūcullus: M. Terentius Varro Lucullus, consul in 73 BCE, was the younger brother of L. Licinius Lucullus, had been adopted by a Varro, and was cousin of Q. Metellus Pius. In 72, as proconsul of Macedonia, he extended Roman rule up to the Lower Danube (Bird).

cōnsōbrīnus Lūcullī: M. Terentius Varro Lucullus is the brother, not cousin, of L. Licinius Lucullus.

quī contrā Mithradātem bellum gerēbat: for the Third Mithridatic War against Mithridates VI of Pontus, see Brev. 6.6

(2) Spartacō: In 73 BCE a Thracian gladiator named Spartacus, who had served in the Roman army as an auxiliary, together with two subordinates, also gladiators, Crixus and Oenomaus, revolted at Capua and defeated two Roman armies. Their forces were augmented by other gladiators and escaped enslaved people of Thracian, Celtic and Germanic origin and moved north to Cisalpine Gaul but instead of scattering to their various homelands they chose to plunder Italy. Crixus and the Celtic contingent were crushed in 72 BCE but Spartacus marched south, overcame two more Roman armies and would have crossed over to Sicily if his pirate allies had not deserted him. Crassus finally cornered Spartacus in Lucania in 71 BCE and destroyed his forces. Pompey caught and killed the few who escaped (Bird).

lūdō: "the gladiatorial school." The gladiators were mostly enslaved people, and were the property of the individuals who trained them and leased them for the games. This school belonged to Lentulus (Hazzard).

paene nōn levius: "not much lighter" (Hazzard), litotes construction (AG 326.c)

quam Hannibal mōverat: for the Second Punic War against Hannibal, see Brev. 3.7ff

armātōrum: enslaved and disaffected peoples joined Spartacus' army as well.

victīque sunt in Āpūliā: they were conquered on the river Silarus, which flows between Lucania and Campania. Spartacus was slain in the battle (Hazzard).

tertiō annō: Spartacus died in 71 BCE.