(1) Annō urbis Rōmae sexcentēsimō septuāgēsimō octāvō Macedoniam prōvinciam M. Licinius Lūcullus accēpit cōnsōbrīnus Lūcullī, quī contrā Mithradātem bellum gerēbat.

(2) Et in Ītaliā novum bellum subitō commōtum est. Septuāgintā enim et quattuor gladiātōrēs duce Spartacō, Crixō, et Oenomaō effrāctō Capuae lūdō fūgērunt et per Ītaliam vagantēs paene nōn levius bellum in eā, quam Hannibal mōverat, parāvērunt. Nam multīs ducibus et duōbus simul Rōmānōrum cōnsulibus victīs sexāgintā ferē mīlium armātōrum exercitum congregāvērunt victīque sunt in Āpūliā ā M. Liciniō Crassō prō cōnsule et post multās calamitātēs Ītaliae tertiō annō bellō huic est fīnis inpositus.

    War with the Gladiators, 7371 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.

    Core Vocabulary | Numbers | Dates

    Macedonia, ae, f.

    an extensive country north of Greece, between Thessaly and Thrace

    M.

    M., abbreviation of the praenomen Marcus; M'., abbreviation of the praenomen Manius

    Licinius, ī, m. the name of a Roman gens.

    (1) C. Fabius Licinius, consul 273 B.C.; (2) (P. Flavius) Licinius, Roman emperor 307–324 A.D.

    Lūcullus, ī, m.

    the name of a Roman family. (1) L. Licinius Lūcullus, consul 74 B.C.; (2) M. Licinius Lūcullus, brother of (1)

    cōnsōbrīna, ae [con + soror], f. a first cousin
    Mithradātēs, is, m.

    surnamed the Great, king of Pontus 12063 B.C.

    commoveō, ēre, mōvī, mōtus

    to arouse, disturb, move, influence

    gladiātor, ōris [gladius], m. a gladiator
    Spartacus, ī, m.

    a Roman gladiator who led an insurrection of gladiators and slaves in 73 B.C.

    Crixus, ī, m.

    one of the gladiators who revolted with Spartacus

    Oenomaus, ī, m.

    a leader of the gladiators who revolted with Spartacus

    effringō, ere, frēgī, frāctus to break off, break open
    Capua, ae, f.

    a Greek city near Naples, in Campania

    lūdus, ī, m.

    play, game; place of training, school

    Ītalia, ae, f. Italy
    vagor, ārī, ātus sum to wander
    Hannibal, alis, m.

    the son of Hamilcar Barca, the great general of the Carthaginians in the second Punic war

    armātus, i, m. an armed man, a soldier, = mīles
    congregō, āre, āvī, ātus [con + grex, a herd] to collect, unite
    Apūlia, ae, f.

    a district in the southeastern part of Italy

    Crassus, ī, m.

    a Roman family name. (1) Appius Claudius Crassus, decemvir; (2) M. Licinius Crassus, the triumvir, consul 70 B.C.; (3) P. Licinius Crassus, consul 171 B.C.; (4) P. Licinius Crassus, called Dives Mucianus, consul 131 B.C.

    calamitās, ātis, f. a calamity, defeat

     

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