Second battle on the Silarus

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Second battle on the Silarus
Spartacus by Sanesi.jpg
date 71 BC Chr.
place on the Silarus River (now Sele) in Italy
output decisive Roman victory
Parties to the conflict

an army of insurgent slaves

Roman Empire

Commander

Spartacus †

Crassus

Troop strength
about 75,000 men 8 legions so around 40,000 legionaries + allies
losses

60,000 dead, 6,000 prisoners

few

The Second Battle of the Silarus or Battle of Lucania was a skirmish between Romans and insurgent slaves around 71 BC. Chr.

prehistory

The Spartacus uprising had found so many supporters among the angry slaves in recent years that the army, which, according to contemporary witness reports, now comprised 200,000 armed slaves, became a serious threat to the Roman Empire. Crassus recruited 72 BC. Eight Roman legions and strengthened them with troops of allies. There was also an army of Gnaeus Pompeius , who had just returned from Spain. When Spartacus and his army fled from Pompey in Campania, Crassus got in his way. Around 71 BC The two armies met at the Silarus.

course

After seeing the enemy army, Spartacus killed his horse with the words: “If we lose, I no longer need a horse. If we win, I will have a lot of horses ”. The Roman legionaries were better drilled and well armed. It is believed that Spartacus was killed soon after the battle began (though his body was not found). After the death of their general, many discouraged and surrendered to the Romans. Crassus later had her crucified. The rest of the slave army fled, and before Pompey reached the Silarus , the battle was already over. On his march he caught a few thousand refugees.

consequences

The 6,000 prisoners made in the battle were crucified by the Romans along the Appian Way . The cruel memorial stretched from Capua to Rome . With that the third slave revolt in Rome was put down.

literature