Chapter 17: Slave Revolt (1)
Chapter 17: Slave Revolt (1)
Rumors of a slave revolt in Capua quickly spread throughout Rome. Rome had already faced two slave wars in Sicily, which were caused by the large-scale use of slaves on Sicily’s farms. These revolts had been brutally suppressed by the Roman army.
The current unrest could be seen as the third major slave rebellion, or the third slave war. Naturally, this issue was a topic of discussion at family meals across Rome, including in the Crassus household.
"Father, what is the Senate's response to the slaves who escaped from Capua?" Marcus asked.
"Well, since only about 70 slaves escaped, it seems manageable to organize a response force in Capua. The general consensus is that this isn’t an issue for the Senate," Crassus replied, dismissing the situation.
This perspective was common among Romans at the time. Few believed that a group of 70 slave gladiators could cause significant trouble. Even the more progressive senators expected the issue to be resolved within a month.
Crassus took a bite of well-cooked roasted pig and then addressed Spartacus, who was standing by Marcus’s side. "I know you’re from Capua too. Do you have any acquaintances among those who escaped?"
Spartacus, still visibly affected by the news, replied with a sad expression, "The teacher and a close friend of mine seem to be leading the escape."
"Really? That must be troubling for you. If he had endured a little longer, he might have had his day to shine. It seems your friend didn’t think things through. Since you’re not looking well, you should rest."
"Thank you for your consideration," Spartacus said, leaving with a heavy heart.
Once Spartacus was out of sight, Crassus expressed his doubts to Marcus. "Can we trust him?"
"Absolutely. He is completely loyal to me," Marcus assured him.
"Even if they’re close friends, their loyalty might falter if they are subdued," Crassus pointed out.
"I chose him because he values his convictions highly. Even if he grieves for his friend, his loyalty to me will not waver. I guarantee it."
"Alright, I’ll trust you for now. But if I notice any suspicious behavior, I’ll handle it myself. Agreed?"
Marcus nodded. Crassus’s caution was justified; in such situations, vigilance was crucial.
Spartacus, who overheard the conversation, acknowledged, "It’s natural to be suspicious. I was indeed the most famous gladiator in Capua."
"Yes, but you're now part of our family. If you remain calm and careful, the suspicions will eventually fade, so try not to worry too much."
Even so, their doubts wouldn't completely disappear, especially if the rebellion dragged on. Immediate suppression might resolve the issue quickly, but a prolonged conflict would require a strategic response.
"Yes. But Young Master, what will happen to Crixus now? If I go and try to persuade him..."
"How can you persuade him? To make him surrender? If that’s the goal, crucifixion would be replaced by beheading. If he had merely fled, there might have been a chance for mercy, but having killed a Roman citizen and then escaped, he won’t escape punishment."
Under Roman law, a Roman citizen could not be executed without a trial. Anyone who kills a Roman citizen without a death sentence becomes an enemy of Rome. Thus, a slave who kills his Roman master faces only death.
Spartacus buried his face in his hands and murmured, "Crixus… why couldn’t you have waited a little longer?"
"His anger must have overwhelmed him, making it impossible to think clearly. But the law is the law. There’s nothing you can do for Crixus in this situation."
"Is there no way for him to survive?"
"At least within the Roman territory, survival is impossible. If he heads north and escapes to Gaul or Germania, he might have a chance, but it won’t be easy."
"I see. As expected..."
Even if he traveled 8 hours a day from Mount Vesuvius to the Alps, it would take nearly a month. During that time, evading Roman forces and managing essentials like food, clothing, and shelter would be nearly impossible.
The only viable option was to defeat the pursuing army.
Marcus had several things to consider and actions to take in this regard.
In Spartacus’ rebellion, there were three main leaders. One of them, Oinomaus, died early on. Spartacus and Crixus later led the remaining slaves.
While Spartacus was the primary leader, Crixus also had considerable influence. With Crixus now leading alone, there was no guarantee the rebellion would follow the same course as in history.
In fact, it was more likely that the situation would differ. Whether Crixus would be easily subdued by initial forces or whether he would lead a large army of slaves depended entirely on his competence as a commander.
If Crixus possessed leadership skills comparable to, if not surpassing, Spartacus’s, this rebellion could potentially last as long as history's account.
“I know that Crixus is a formidable warrior, comparable to you, but what about his leadership skills? The other day we talked, and you’ve already mastered the basics of military science. Is Crixus the same?”
“Yes, I taught Crixus military science. While I can’t say for certain if he knows everything, I was much weaker than Crixus when we first met. Crixus helped me a lot and offered valuable advice. I wanted to return the favor by sharing my knowledge with him.”
“In fact, while military science isn’t as useful in individual battles, it proves surprisingly effective in group conflicts. Crixus, in particular, had a similar grasp of surprise tactics as I do.”
“Oh, so you taught Crixus about military science, and he taught you swordsmanship? It sounds like you both learned from each other.”
This information was valuable for Marcus. Historically, Crixus was known for his rough demeanor and deep resentment towards Rome, but it was clear he possessed significant abilities.
Marcus began to anticipate how the situation might unfold.
“For now, it’s absolutely impossible to subdue them with just the Capua suppression army.”
This would remain true until the suppression forces were reinforced with more armament.
Marcus couldn’t predict what would happen with Judge Glaber, who was leading 3,000 new recruits, rather than seasoned troops, against the rebels.
If Glaber failed, Crixus’ rebellion could escalate into a nationwide slave revolt, as it did historically.
“Praetor Glaber and later commander Barinius were both defeated by Spartacus’ surprise tactics. If Crixus excels in this type of strategy, I need to prepare accordingly.”
**
Marcus' prediction proved accurate.
Crixus easily defeated the riot forces sent from Capua and seized their weapons, forming a large bandit group.
Eventually, the Capua government requested help from Rome as the situation spiraled out of control.
Yet even then, Rome underestimated the slave army’s capabilities.
Glaber, leading 3,000 recruits rather than regular legionnaires, was not adept at improvisation. He planned to block the road to Mount Vesuvius and eliminate the slave army gradually.
Though this approach was standard, Glaber’s confidence led him to neglect his rear.
Crixus, using wild vines, lowered a rope down a cliff and attacked the Romans from behind. The Roman army, believing the threat was only from the front, was caught completely off guard.
They were so confident that they hadn’t even stationed proper sentries in the rear.
The Roman army faced a sudden and devastating attack from the slave army.
Crixus and his forces attacked ruthlessly, overwhelming the Romans like wolves descending on a flock.
“Let’s kill all the Romans!”
“What! They said the enemy was in front! This is not what I expected!”
The Roman army, attacked unexpectedly at night, crumbled without even managing to fight back. Over a hundred troops were cut down by the surprise attackers, and nearly three hundred Roman soldiers were soon lying dead on the ground.
“Don’t panic! Form up! The enemy is just slaves and bandits! Stand as you’ve been trained!”
The centurion’s desperate orders went unheard, drowned out by chaos.
Crixus, cutting through the enemy lines with impressive speed, targeted the commanding officers first. With their leaders falling, the demoralized Roman soldiers were overwhelmed by the gladiators who followed Crixus, resulting in a mountain of corpses.
“Run away!”
“I’m not just a slave!!”
A sense of fear spread among the undisciplined soldiers.
Crixus, who had single-handedly slaughtered dozens of soldiers, appeared almost demonic to the Romans. The vivid red of the blood he was covered in stood out starkly even in the dead of night.
The Legion's morale had been brutally shattered. The soldiers, haunted by their defeat, lacked the strength to resist.
"Ahh!"
"Kwaaaak!"
The soldiers who emerged from the barracks fled in panic, abandoning any thought of forming ranks. Their morale was so low that they even discarded their standards, the very symbol of their Legion.
Distraught, Glaber only ordered a retreat after nearly 1,000 men had been killed.
"Hu.., retreat! All troops retreat!"
But retreating was no easy task. The Romans were ambushed from behind and faced a rugged mountain road in front of them.
The gladiators showed no mercy to the fleeing Romans. Crixus, in particular, led the charge with ruthless determination.
When a soldier threw down his weapon and surrendered, Crixus sneered and slashed the soldier’s throat.
He roared with murderous intent and hatred, “There is no surrender! Kill, kill, kill! Let’s flood this mountain with Roman blood!”
“Oohhhh!”
The gladiators responded with a frenzied roar. The Romans, realizing too late, understood that they were not just fighting a battle but facing a massacre.
The mountain echoed with the sounds of flesh being cut and bones breaking. The blood soaking the ground accumulated into a large puddle.
The only reason some Romans managed to escape was that the Roman army outnumbered the slaves. The bloody slaughter continued until the remaining Romans were out of sight.
Having secured a great victory, Crixus ordered his men to collect all the equipment and supplies left behind by the Romans.
“We’ve been running low on weapons, armor, and food. This battle will give us a much-needed reprieve.”
Ashre, a fellow gladiator who had escaped from Capua with Crixus, approached him with a smile.
“Since you defeated the Romans so decisively, Oenomaus-sama can finally rest in peace.”
“Yes. I hope so.”
Oenomaus, who had helped lead the escape with Crixus, was killed by an arrow while fleeing towards Vesuvius. Although Crixus had killed the archer, he felt that revenge was still incomplete.
Despite the slaughter of a thousand Romans, he remained unsatisfied.
Ashre, unable to contain his frustration, said, “If Spartacus-sama had been here…”
“Don’t ever mention that name!”
Crixus cut Ashre off sharply. His voice was filled with anger as he continued, “He’s gone to Rome and is living his own life. The traitor has nothing to do with us. Do not mention his name again!”
"All right."
"Remember! Spartacus is not a Capuan gladiator anymore. Unless he escapes from Rome and joins us, he is nothing but a traitor. Inform the rest of your comrades. Anyone who shows sympathy for the traitor will be considered a spy for the enemy. I will not tolerate any disloyalty."
"Sorry, I didn't think it through."
Ashre bowed his head and apologized.
Crixus's point was clear. No matter how much Spartacus had once been a leader among the gladiators, he was now just a traitor who had sold himself for gold. It angered Crixus that Ashre still believed Spartacus might be on their side.
Ashre quickly went to pass on Crixus's orders to the others.
Left alone, Crixus smiled, his earlier anger now seeming like a distant memory. He sat on a flat rock and gazed up at the moon.
“In Rome, the moon must be shining brightly too.”
He drank from a flask of diluted wine he had taken from Glaber’s supplies. The cool wine was refreshingly soothing after the fierce battle.
“You’ll probably be angry when we meet again. Why didn’t I wait? I couldn't help it. I’m not like you. So I hope you live well there. Yes, you’re better than that moon. Let the sun shine even brighter.”
Spartacus had chosen a future filled with hope, but Crixus had chosen the present. He had no illusions of destroying Rome; he accepted that defeat was inevitable. But defeat didn't matter to him.
Crixus was determined to prove their worth by killing at least one more Roman, showing that they were not merely trash to be trampled upon. He hoped to make Rome feel at least a small fraction of the pain they inflicted.
"But I don't want to be a burden to you by doing that."
Crixus had declared Spartacus a traitor to sever all ties completely. Even though their paths had diverged, Crixus was determined to move in the direction he believed in.
He shook his head, laughing softly at himself for being so sentimental.
“It’s strange to feel this way, even though I’m not drunk. Maybe it’s because I’ve used the knowledge I learned from you.”
Crixus knew his strengths and weaknesses well. He was a talented fighter but lacked experience as a commander. He often reflected on the lessons he had learned from Spartacus.
What tactics would Spartacus have used in his position? How would he have countered the enemy? If he hadn’t learned these strategies, he wouldn’t have thought to use vines to descend the cliff.
Although his close friends were no longer by his side, the lessons he learned from them remained with him.
Crixus vowed to continue fighting until his last breath. He knew he might never reach the moon, but he extended his hand towards it and made a fist, filled with firm determination to stand by his choices, regardless of the outcome.