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Home / Periods / Roman Republic / Third Servile War

War

Third Servile War

73–71 BCE

The Third Servile War began in 73 BC when gladiators escaped from Capua and formed the core of a growing slave army under Spartacus and other leaders. The revolt moved through Italy, defeating several Roman forces and alarming the republic. It ended when Crassus crushed the rebellion and thousands of survivors were crucified along the Appian Way.

The war mattered because it exposed the violence beneath Rome’s slave economy and the fear of mass revolt among the ruling class. It also enhanced the reputation of Crassus and intersected with the ambitions of Pompey. The rebellion became a lasting symbol of resistance, brutality, and the instability of a society dependent on enslavement.

The Third Servile War is one of the best-known Roman settings because of Spartacus. Ben Kane’s Spartacus novels are directly relevant, and older and modern fiction alike has used the revolt to explore slavery, violence, spectacle, and the fear of social reversal.

Related people for Third Servile War

Catilinec. 108–62 BCE Crixusdied 72 BCE Julius Caesar101 BCE–45 BCE Lucullus118 BCE–58 BCE Marcus Junius Brutus86 BCE–43 BCE Marcus Licinius Crassus116 BCE–54 BCE Pompey106–48 BCE Publius Clodius Pulcherc. 90s BCE–53 BCE Quintus Sertorius124 BCE–73 BCE Spartacus104 BCE–72 BCE Sullac. 138–78 BCE

Books

10 Best Novels About the Third Servile War

Non-Fiction

3 Best Non-Fiction Books About the Third Servile War

Histories, biographies and reference works are listed separately from the historical novels above.