Ask someone for a name of a gladiator and there’s a good chance that he’ll say Spartacus. This is because he’s one of the most popular, if not the most popular gladiator of all time. He’s been long dead, but his legend continues to grow thanks in part to the fact that he’s been featured countless of times in movies, books and TV.

While many of you may know Spartacus from the TV show based on his life, the history behind this gladiator is one to remember. One of the deepest pearls of wisdom to be taken from the life of Spartacus was his alliance with Crixus. Essentially, Spartacus would eventually team up with his rival from his ludus, Crixus. Both men were formidable leaders and fighters and rather than exhausting their efforts against one another, figured that they would be capable of great things if they worked together. Lesson learned: rivalry and competition is healthy. You don’t necessarily have to hate or want to destroy your opponents in life, but you will elevate one another to do great things. Eventually, you may or may not want to put your differences aside to work together. Regardless, like we always say here at Confitdent – train like your enemy is waiting for you.

The Life of Spartacus

Most sources agree on the fact that he was a Thracian or a member of a group of tribes of Indo-European descent that occupied a vast area in Southeastern and Central Europe. Plutarch said that he was a Thracian with Nomadic roots, while Appian said that he’s a Thracian who served with the Romans as a soldier, before he was imprisoned and later on sold as a gladiator.

He was then trained in a school for gladiators owned by Lentulus Batiatus. He was a part of a group that planned an escape, and escaped they did even if their plot was betrayed. About 70 of them used kitchen equipment to fight their way to freedom, seizing several wagons full of armor and weapons used by gladiators. A small force was sent after them, only to be defeated by these gladiators. They went on to plunder several regions around Capua, recruiting other slaves in the process. They then established camp and settled in Mount Vesuvius for better defenses.

Looking for leaders, the group turned to Spartacus and two others, Oenomaus and Crixus, and promoted them as the leaders.

Some Famous Tales

spartacusHis legend started during that escape, but it sure didn’t end at that. In fact, it grew during the Third Servile War against the Roman militia led by Gaius Claudius Glaber. The militia had a good strategy which was to besiege the camp of Spartacus in Mount Vesuvius, hoping that they’ll starve and surrender. However, Spartacus ordered his men to turn vines into ropes, so they were able to climb down the cliff and surprise the Roman camp which was then unfortified. They were able to kill most of the men.

The legend of the gladiator turned leader grew, and more and more men joined him. There was a point in time wherein his camp had 70,000 men. This is partly because of the string of successes of the group, including the defeat of the second expedition sent by the Romans. With that victory, they were able to kill the top lieutenants of Glaber, with the latter barely escaping capture. They were also able to strengthen their ranks with the weapons that they seized.

How Spartacus is Remembered

With his leadership, several men have turned him into some sort of a hero. Karl Marx called Spartacus one of his heroes. Adam Weishaupt, founder of the Bavarian Illuminati, referred to himself as Spartacus in his writings. He was also the inspiration of several revolutions in modern times.

His legend was immortalized in a movie and TV show bearing his name. His story was also told in several episodes of different TV shows like Xena: Warrior Princess. Several known writers like Howard Fast and Arthur Koestler also wrote novels about him.

By Daniel

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