10 interesting facts about crucifixion

7. Spartacus’s Revolt

Photo credit: Fyodor Andreyevich Bronnikov

Spartacus, a Roman slave of Thracian origin, escaped from a gladiator training camp in Capua in 73 BC and took about 78 other slaves with him. Spartacus and his men exploited the pathological concentration of wealth and social injustice of Roman society by recruiting thousands of other slaves and destitute country folks. He eventually built an army that defied Rome’s military machine for two years.

Roman General Crassus ended the revolt, which was the setting for one of the most famous cases of mass crucifixion in Roman history. Spartacus was killed, and his men were defeated. The survivors, more than 6,000 slaves, were crucified along the Via Appia, the road between Rome and Capua.