The personality in history is the subject of many philosophical disputes and reflections. Are we creating history, or is it directing the actions of people? There are people who are drawn into the maelstrom of events, and they flow in the stream, obeying him. Others, on the contrary, disagree with reality and take fate into their own hands. The personification of the last option is the story of Spartak, the gladiator who became the leader of the 70,000th army.
The story of the gladiator Spartacus began in the vast expanses of Thrace, located in the northeast of the
Balkan Peninsula. Rome, mired in the wars of conquest, recruited barbarian mercenaries into its army. One of them was Spartacus, who came from a noble family of Thracian warriors. For reasons unknown to us, he deserted from the army, but was captured and enslaved. Since Spartak was a courageous, strong warrior, he was sold to a gladiatorial school, of which there were a lot in Rome. A motley crowd reveled in the contemplation of people beating to death.
Gladiators, by and large, were doomed to death. Entering the arena, each of them knew that he would die himself or kill a friend. Schools of fighters resembled a prison in which harsh penalties were imposed for all who opposed their fate. To keep the will was very difficult. Nevertheless, Roman history has many facts of riots in such schools. The most powerful movement was the revolt of the gladiators led by Spartacus.
At the school of slave fighters in Capua in 74 BC. e. there was an escape of 70 people who were initially perceived as another riot. The runaways needed to be seized and roughly punished so that others would be disgraced. Who knew then that the history of the Spartacus-gladiator would be the most powerful anti-slavery movement throughout the Roman Empire and would keep Roman citizens in fear and tension for several years!
The fugitives took refuge on top of Vesuvius, an extinct volcano, making forays from there. A detachment of militias from Capua was defeated, then the same fate befell the three thousandth army from Rome. The rebels used a
military trick and, descending from the mountain along the stairs woven from the
vine of wild grapes, attacked the enemy camp from the rear. This brought the rebels weapons and glory. Slaves from the neighboring estates began to join Spartak, destitute peasants, its camp was increasing every day. Recruits were armed and trained in the art of war. Realizing the seriousness of the situation, the Senate sent two armies against the army of slaves under the leadership of both consuls, which showed the highest danger for Rome.
Spartak has shown himself all the time as an excellent organizer, military leader, strategist. In addition, he understood that he would not succeed in changing the situation in Italy itself; he had to go beyond the Apennine Peninsula, towards freedom. But not all of his associates shared this opinion. When the rebel army approached the borders of the Alpine mountains through which it was possible to leave Italy, a split occurred in it. The 30000th army, having separated, decided to return to Italy, entered into battle with the government army and suffered a complete defeat. In this situation, Spartacus, instead of crossing the Alps, comes back and defeats the Senate army. A new victory, a new triumph, new participants join the army of Spartacus, but the situation of the rebels is becoming more and more uncertain every day. From the provinces called up the army, the Senate is preparing for a serious confrontation. Under these conditions, the great gladiator heads south, hoping to cross over to Sicily. But his plans did not materialize. Cornered, Spartacus gives the last battle to government troops. In this battle, he was wounded in the hip, but continued to fight, standing on his knee. In an unequal battle, he fell like a hero.
The story of Spartak - a gladiator, a slave who did not reconcile with his fate - speaks of the strength of the human spirit, which cannot be broken. For many centuries, it has inspired people to fight for their freedom. Could the story of Spartak the gladiator end successfully? If we talk about it as the desire of individuals to gain freedom outside the Roman Empire, then this was quite feasible. If Spartacus hadn’t turned back at the Alps, part of his troops would have managed to get to the long-awaited freedom. In the struggle against slavery as with the established structure of society, there could be no success, since the prerequisites for the collapse of the slave system were not yet ripe. After all, history has its own laws.