As the warrior slept, a snake coiled around his face. Instead of a threat, his wife saw an omen– a fearsome power that would lead her husband to either glory or doom. For now, however, he was only a slave – one of millions taken from the territories conquered by Rome to work the mines, till the fields, or fight for the crowd’s entertainment. A nomadic Thracian from what is now Bulgaria, he had served in the Roman Army but was imprisoned for desertion. His name was Spartacus.
Dok je ratnik spavao, zmija mu se omotala oko lica. Njegova supruga u tome nije vidjela prijetnju, već znak – strahovite moći koja će njezinu suprugu donijeti slavu ili propast. Zasad je, međutim, bio samo rob – jedan od milijuna koji su odvedeni s teritorijâ koje je osvojio Rim kako bi radili u rudnicima, obrađivali polja ili borbama zabavljali mase. Nomadski Tračanin s prostora današnje Bugarske služio je u rimskoj vojsci, a potom je zatočen zbog dezertiranja. Ime mu je bilo Spartak.
Spartacus had been brought to Capua by Batiatus, a lanista, or trainer of gladiators. And life at the ludus, or gladiator school, was unforgiving. New recruits were forced to swear an oath “to be burned, to be bound, to be beaten, and to be killed by the sword,” and to obey their master’s will without question. But even harsh discipline couldn’t break Spartacus’s spirit. In 73 BCE, Spartacus led 73 other slaves to seize knives and skewers from the kitchen and fight their way out, hijacking a wagon of gladiator equipment along the way. They were done fighting for others– now, they fought for their freedom.
Spartaka je u Capuu doveo Bacijat, lanist, tj. učitelj gladijatora. A život u gladijatorskoj školi (ludus) bio je nesmiljen. Novaci su se morali zakleti da će „biti spaljivani, okovani, udarani i pogibati od mača” i da će se bespogovorno pokoravati volji svojega gospodara. No čak ni čelična disciplina nije mogla slomiti Spartakov duh. Godine 73. pr. Kr. 73 roba predvođena Spartakom ugrabila su noževe i ražnjeve iz kuhinje i uspjela pobjeći, otevši usput teretna kola s gladijatorskom opremom. Bilo im je dosta borbe za druge – sada su se borili za vlastitu slobodu.
When the news reached Rome, the Senate was too busy with wars in Spain and the Pontic Empire to worry about some unruly slaves. Unconcerned, praetor Claudius Glaber took an army of three thousand men to the rebel’s refuge at Mount Vesuvius, and blocked off the only passage up the mountain. All that remained was to wait and starve them out– or so he thought. In the dead of night, the rebels lowered themselves down the cliffside on ropes made from vines, and flanked Glaber’s unguarded camp. Thus began the legend of Rome’s defiant gladiator.
U doba kad je vijest doprla do Rima, Senat je bio previše zauzet ratovima u Španjolskoj i Pontskom Kraljevstvu da bi ga zabrinjavali nekakvi neposlušni robovi. Nimalo zabrinut, pretor Klaudije Glaber poveo je vojsku od tri tisuće ljudi do pubunjeničkog utočišta na planini Vezuvu i blokirao jedini prilaz planini. Trebalo je samo pričekati dok ne izgladne – barem je tako mislio. U gluho doba noći pobunjenici su se spustili niz liticu na konopcima od lijana i opkolili Glaberov izloženi logor. Tako je rođena legenda o rimskom buntovnom gladijatoru.
As news of the rebellion spread, its ranks swelled with escaped slaves, deserting soldiers, and hungry peasants. Many were untrained, but Spartacus’s clever tactics transformed them into an effective guerrilla force. A second Roman expedition led by praetor Varinius, was ambushed while the officer bathed. To elude the remaining Roman forces, the rebels used their enemy’s corpses as decoy guards, stealing Varinius’s own horse to aid their escape.
Kako se vijest o pobuni širila, pobunjenicima su se masovno pridruživali odbjegli robovi, dezerteri i gladni seljaci. Mnogi od njih nisu prošli vojnu obuku, no Spartakova ih je pametna taktika preobrazila u učinkovitu gerilsku silu. Druga rimska ekspedicija, koju je predvodio pretor Varinije, napadnuta je iz zasjede dok se zapovjednik kupao. Kako bi umaknuli preostalim rimskim trupama, pobunjenici su s pomoću neprijateljskih leševa odvratili pažnju stražarima, i uspjeli pobjeći služeći se Varinijevim vlastitim konjem.
Thanks to his inspiring victories and policy of distributing spoils equally, Spartacus continued attracting followers, and gained control of villages where new weapons could be forged. The Romans soon realized they were no longer facing ragtag fugitives, and in the spring of 72 BCE, the Senate retaliated with the full force of two legions. The rebels left victorious, but many lives were lost in the battle, including Spartacus’ lieutenant Crixus. To honor him, Spartacus held funeral games, forcing his Roman prisoners to play the role his fellow rebels had once endured.
Inspirativnim pobjedama i pravednom raspodjelom plijena, Spartak je privlačio sve više sljedbenika i osvojio sela u kojima su mogli kovati novo oružje. Rimljani su ubrzo shvatili da više nemaju posla s neorganiziranim bjeguncima i u proljeće 72. pr. Kr. Senat je uzvratio udarac punom snagom dviju legija. Pobunjenici su pobijedili, ali mnogo ih je poginulo u bitki, među njima i Spartakov poručnik Krikso. Njemu u čast Spartak je održao pogrebne igre, prisilivši rimske zarobljenike da preuzmu negdašnje uloge njegove pobunjeničke braće
By the end of 72 BCE, Spartacus’ army was a massive force of roughly 120,000 members. But those numbers proved difficult to manage. With the path to the Alps clear, Spartacus wanted to march beyond Rome’s borders, where his followers would be free. But his vast army had grown brash. Many wanted to continue pillaging, while others dreamed of marching on Rome itself. In the end, the rebel army turned south– forgoing what would be their last chance at freedom.
Do kraja 72. pr. Kr. Spartakova vojska bila je već ogromna sila od oko 120 000 članova. No tolikim je mnoštvom bilo teško upravljati. Budući da je put do Alpa bio otvoren, Spartak je želio napustiti rimski teritorij i poći negdje gdje bi njegovi sljedbenici bili slobodni. No njegova se ogromna vojska uzoholila. Mnogi od njih željeli su nastaviti s pljačkom, dok su drugi sanjali o pohodu na sami Rim. Naposljetku je pobunjenička vojska krenula na jug – ostavljajući za sobom posljednju priliku za slobodu.
Meanwhile, Marcus Licinius Crassus had assumed control of the war. As Rome’s wealthiest citizen, he pursued Spartacus with eight new legions, eventually trapping the rebels in the toe of Italy. After failed attempts to build rafts, and a stinging betrayal by local pirates, the rebels made a desperate run to break through Crassus’s lines– but it was no use. Roman reinforcements were returning from the Pontic wars, and the rebels’ ranks and spirits were broken. In 71 BCE, they made their last stand. Spartacus nearly managed to reach Crassus before being cut down by centurions. His army was destroyed, and 6000 captives were crucified along the Appian Way– a haunting demonstration of Roman authority.
U međuvremenu je Marko Licinije Kras preuzeo kontrolu nad ratom. Kao najbogatiji rimski građanin krenuo je u potjeru za Spartakom s osam novih legija i naposljetku uhvatio pobunjenike u klopku u „prstu” talijanske čizme. Nakon što su im propali pokušaji izgradnje splavi, a lokalni ih gusari podlo izdali, pobunjenici su se očajnički pokušali probiti kroz Krasove redove – ali uzalud. Rimske snage dobile su pojačanje u povratnicima iz pontskih ratova, a pobunjenički redovi, kao i njihov duh, bili su slomljeni. Godine 71. pr. Kr. pružili su posljednji otpor. Spartak je gotovo uspio dohvatiti Krasa prije nego što su ga centurioni ubili. Njegova je vojska uništena, a 6000 zarobljenika razapeto je na križ duž Apijeve ceste, kao zlokobno svjedočanstvo rimske moći.
Crassus won the war, but it is not his legacy which echoes through the centuries. Thousands of years later, the name of the slave who made the world’s mightiest empire tremble has become synonymous with freedom– and the courage to fight for it.
Kras je pobijedio u ratu, no nije njegova ostavština ono što odjekuje stoljećima. Tisućama godina kasnije ime roba koji je uzdrmao najmoćnije carstvo na svijetu postalo je sinonim za slobodu – i hrabrost da se za nju bori.