1. Spartacus is described as a Thracian by birth, possibly from the Maedi tribe.
18 Facts About Spartacus
1. 2.
Spartacus's revolt began in 73 BC when he, along with about 70 other gladiators, escaped a gladiatorial school near Capua.
3.
Spartacus proved himself a capable tactician, despite the lack of formal military training among his followers, which included a diverse mix of individuals.
4.
Spartacus was presumed killed in the final battle, although his body was never found.
5.
Spartacus's motives remain a subject of debate, with some sources suggesting he aimed to escape Italy, while others hint at broader social reform goals.
6.
Spartacus's legacy has endured, inspiring cultural works and becoming a symbol for resistance and revolutionary movements, influencing figures like Karl Marx and being likened to the "Black Spartacus," Toussaint Louverture.
7.
Out of all surviving sources on Spartacus, none were written by eyewitnesses and are all later reconstructions, nor were the sources written by slaves or former slaves, and the earliest source was at least a generation after the war.
8.
The name Spartacus is otherwise manifested in the Black Sea region.
9.
Spartacus was trained at the gladiatorial school near Capua belonging to Lentulus Batiatus.
10.
In 73 BC, Spartacus was among a group of gladiators plotting an escape.
11.
At its height, Spartacus's army included many different peoples, including Celts, Gauls, and others.
12.
Spartacus now turned his forces around and brought his entire strength to bear on the legions in a last stand, in which the rebels were routed completely, with the vast majority of them being killed on the battlefield.
13.
Plutarch, Appian, and Florus all claim that Spartacus died during the battle, but Appian reports that his body was never found.
14.
Plutarch writes that Spartacus wished to escape north into Cisalpine Gaul and disperse his men back to their homes.
15.
Adam Weishaupt, founder of the Bavarian Illuminati, often referred to himself as Spartacus within written correspondences.
16.
In modern times, Spartacus became a hero and icon for communists and socialists.
17.
Spartacus has been a great inspiration to left-wing revolutionaries, most notably the German Spartacus League, a forerunner of the Communist Party of Germany.
18.
Spartacus's name was used in athletics in the Soviet Union and communist states of Central and Eastern Europe.