The End of the Third Servile War

My death had ended the slave uprising and the Third Servile War. Crassus wreaked terrible retribution on the slave army ordering that the 6,000 slave captives are crucified along the Appian Way from Brundisium to Rome. Their bodies were left to rot as an example to all slaves and any others who rebel against the authority of Rome. 5,000 of the slave army manage to escape capture and went north. But, they were met by General Pompey as he was returning from Spain, and completely cut to pieces. Crassus had, in reality, brought the War of me to an end, but Pompey took the credit to himself, and wrote to the Senate, saying that Crassus, had most defiantly defeated the enemy, but he had extirpated  them by the roots. Pompey claims credit for ending the slave war and is granted a triumph. Crassus is given just an ovation. The Third Servile War is crushed by the might of the Roman army.  

The End of My Life

The Army of Crassus hastened in pursuit of me and the slave army. We met in Lucania and a desperate battle that is known as the Battle at the River Silarus. This was believed to be the final battle and where it took place of my death. In a document that was written by Appian of Alexandria ( 95B.C-165B.C) he stated that "The fight was long, and bitterly contested, since so many tens of thousands of men had no other hope. Spartacus was wounded in the thigh with a spear and sank upon his knee, holding his shield in front of him and contending in this way against his assailants until he and the great mass of those with him were surrounded and slain". My body was never found.

In Early Spring

After I have broke down Crassus' line, I had suffered two defeats at my hands in Lucania. This is when I retired again to Bruttuim (Calabria), where I defeated two of Crassus' lieutenants who were following him. Encouraged, my men persuaded me to risk a major battle with Crassus. In it, I had about 60,000 of my men that were killed in the battle.

The Wall

Crassus attempts to trap me and my slave army at Calabria by building a ditch and a wall, nearly sixty kilometers long and five meters wide across the toe of Italy from sea to sea. His plan was to contain the army of slaves and cut off their supplies. But, I managed to break through the lines of defence built by Crassus and the slave army escapes towards Brundisium.

The Start of Autumn

In autumn, the revolt was at its height on the season. I had about 120,000 followers, the Senate voted that the commander in chief of all the armies should go to Marcus Licinius Crassus. He had been a praetor in 73 B.C. Crassus was given six new legions plus the four consular legions. When one of his legates attacked me with two legions, I had defeated them. Crassus then used his forces to defeat me. That's when I retreated to Rhegium, in the toe of Italy. I tried to cross the straits into Sicily, but the Cilician pirates betrayed me. When Marcus Licinius Lucullus landed in Brundisium in the heel of Italy with his legions from Macedonia, this is when I finally fought my way out of the toe of Italy. I could not march to Brundisium and take a ship to the east, because of the presence of Lucullus.

Escaping

I escaped with 70-80 gladiators. Before we escaped, we had found some knives in the cook's shop and a wagon full of weapons. We took them so we could survive by ourselves. We camped on Vesuvius and we joined other rural slaves. My chief aides were gladiators from Gaul, named Crixus and Oenomaus. The Senate sent a praetor, Claudius Glaber to fight against us. They were coming to find us in Vesuvius. They thought they had trapped us on the mountain, but I led my men down the other side using vines. We fell on the rear of the Roman soldiers, and routed them. I had defeated two forces of legionary cohorts. I wanted to lead my men across the Alps to escape from Italy, but Gauls and Germans, led by Crixus, wanted to stay. We separated and they went passed the winter near Thurii in southern Italy. I had raised about 70,000 slaves. They mostly came from rural areas where I found them. The Gauls and Germans were defeated by Publicola. This is when Crixus, my old chief aide, had been killed. My army and I had defeated Lentulus, and then Publicola. I now had 300 prisoners from these battles fight in pairs to the death.

The Battles

My first real fight in the arena takes place against Crixus. I lost badly but I produce the sign of surrender so that I may live to fight another day and find my wife. Because I did this, I lost my honor and status as a gladiator. My second fight in the arena is to fight with Crixuss to go against Theokoles.We both had many difficulties, but we found a common purpose to fight. It was for our women. Before Theokoles death, he gets up again and seriously wounds Crixus. I had to fight alone now and I finished off Theokoles and killed him. I was named the new Champion of Capua and becoming a favorite  in the house of Batiatus. I now live in a nice room instead of a prison. Finally, Aulus finds Sura at the very end of her life. He says that their caravan was attacked on the road, and there was nothing he could do. She died in my arms. My next fight was to represent a Romans conquest over the Thracians and I wasn't quiet sure about it. Batiatus told me that if I still want to remain as a Champion of Capua, I need to stop being a Thracian and become a true gladiator. I hesitated and agreed to fight as a Roman. I had to go against six criminals and when I finished them off I wanted to kill myself, because I thought to myself that I am now becoming a criminal.