Spartacus escaped that battle, but was eventually defeated by Crassus in Lucania. Crassus failed in trapping Spartacus in Bruttium, (modern day Calabria), but succeeding in killing 6,000 of Spartacus’ men. Roman leader Marcus Licinius Crassus realized the opportunity this presented to further his own power and influence and moved to crush Spartacus’ forces. With an army of about 100,000, Spartacus and his rebels posed a serious threat to Rome. His fame, though, is derived less from his gladiatorial achievements and more from the fact that he led the largest and most successful slave revolt in the history of the empire. Perhaps the most famous gladiator of all time, Spartacus lived from 111 BC to 71 BC. Here, then, are five things we do know about the age of the gladiator. But Hollywood interpretations - and misinterpretations - make it hard to parse the truth of what really went down in the arena.
#Spartacus fate professional
And the pre-game hype worked: Contests between fighters drew up to 50,000 Roman spectators at a time, making gladiatorial combat the most popular form of entertainment in ancient Roman society.Īlthough the kill-or-be-killed era of professional sports is centuries in humanity’s past, this bloodthirsty period spawned legends that still live on in popular culture, thanks to countless sword-and-sandals epics on the big and small screen.
![spartacus fate spartacus fate](https://cdn.donmai.us/original/47/be/__spartacus_fate_and_1_more_drawn_by_miwa_shirow__47be030ec38905242a12762675118b7a.jpg)
Bills advertising the competitions would be placed on public buildings and outside of houses, as well as sold on the street. The public would be informed about details of upcoming shows, including names of competitors, types of combat, and of course the date of the event.
![spartacus fate spartacus fate](https://cdn.donmai.us/sample/ff/34/sample-ff34aca811de24eb5d54e0ade5f6d58b.jpg)
![spartacus fate spartacus fate](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/F9kAAOSwIZtgm1ji/s-l400.jpg)
Gladiators fought in huge arenas and their match-ups were highly anticipated. Despite the fact that many were slaves or prisoners, being a gladiator was considered a somewhat glamorous, albeit short-lived, profession. Gladiators, as we all know from films and TV, were professional armed combatants who competed during the Roman Empire.