This essay shall examine, at first, a revolt that failed and then a revolt that was successful. The events leading up to the revolts, its leaders, their opposition, their armies, and the manner of their death shall be analyzed and compared. As an example of a failed revolt the Third Servile revolt of 73-71 BCE shall be compared to the only successful slave revolt in history, that of Haitian revolution of 1791-1803 CE.
Hitherto 73 BCE Rome had experienced two prior slave revolts in its history. What would come to be called the Third Servile War serves as the slave's most successful failure. The event is written about by Plutarch in his “Life of Crassus” in The Parallel Lives. A camp was established to "recruit" and train slaves at the Roman city of Capua, outside of Rome. In 73 BCE revolt brewed within the gladiatorial camp. Gladiators could win manumission through fighting and often dying in the arena.
Thus, this meant that the Romans were virtually training these slaves to fight a war against Rome. They were looked down upon by the patrician class of Rome as they were "undesirables". This meant that they might be criminals or they might have been obtained in warfare. As Plutarch recounts, the slaves at Capua armed themselves with “cleavers and splints”.
Originally, 200 men planned to make their escape, but Plutarch notes that only 78 followed through. So, 78 men emerged from Capua and they pillaged carts of gladiatorial weapons destined for another city and took a defensible position. Achieving this, they elected three leaders. The German contingent, ever proud, demanded to be lead by one of their own; Crixus was given the task.
A Thracian named Spartacus was given overall "command" of the ragtag army. Plutarch describes Spartacus with the following: “The first of these was Spartacus, a Thracian of Nomadic stock, possessed not only of great courage and strength, but also in sagacity and culture superior to his fortune, and more Hellenic than Thracian“. Spartacus was probably given command as it was believed that he was a solider from the Thracian auxiliary who deserted the Roman army. Regardless, he possessed knowledge of tactics reinforced by his experience as a gladiator.
The Slave army would grow, enticing slaves from the surrounding areas to fight alongside them. Eventually some 120,000 people would come to fight for this cause. Spartacus' army defeated anything the Roman senate threw against them. However, not all was well in the camp of Spartacus. For, the leader of the German contingent, Crixus wanted to stay and plunder while Spartacus wished to emancipate his soldiers back to their homelands.
This lead to a diversion in leadership; which resulted in Crixus' army of almost 30,000 finding death at the hands of a Roman consular army. It was said that after the death of Crixus, Spartacus ordered 300 captured Roman prisoners of war to fight to the death in gladiatorial games like they had years earlier. Defeating Roman army after Roman army, the slaves' pride started to grow. They gained a feeling of invincibility.
Next, consular armies [those commanded by the two highest ranking people in Rome] were sent to quell the rebellion, but were defeated. Thus, prompting the senate to enlist Marcus Licinius Crassus to lead Rome's response. Crassus was most likely picked as he was the richest man in Rome at the time and exerted much influence in the senate. However, this is just speculation. He marched to decisive battle with Spartacus. Unable to convince his troops that journeying over the Alps was in their best interest, Spartacus found himself trapped. Trapped in the toe of Italy, Spartacus saw no other option; fighting was his only recourse. Plutarch tells us that Spartacus inspired his troops onward, by performing a selfless act.
Plutarch says: “In the first place, when his horse was brought to him, he drew his sword, and saying that if he won the day he would have many fine horses of the enemy's, but if he lost it he did not want any, he slew his horse.” Spartacus reasoned that this act would push his troops onward to carry the day, sadly he was defeated.
It is said that in the final battle, Spartacus saw a chance to kill Crassus outright, and cut down two centurions before being killed himself by Roman legionaries. Finally defeating Spartacus in open pitched battle, Crassus ordered 6,000 of his followers crucified along the Apian way from the gates to Rome to the start of the rebellion in Capua. Shockingly, he ordered the bodies to be left on the crosses to rot. In Crassus' mind, this served as an object lesson to any slave that wished to revolt again. According to various ancient sources, Spartacus' body was never found; thus denying Crassus the victory he felt he truly deserved.
