How a band of escaped gladiators outsmarted Rome's militia on Mount Vesuvius
In 73 BC, a small group of gladiators fled a Capuan training school, arming themselves with kitchen tools. When Rome sent a militia to starve them out on Mount Vesuvius, the rebels executed a daring, unorthodox maneuver that annihilated the Roman force and ignited the Third Servile War.
The conflict began when roughly 70 gladiators, led by Spartacus, Crixus, and Oenomaus, escaped the school of Lentulus Batiatus. Initially, Roman authorities dismissed the uprising as a mere crime wave rather than a military threat, as the revolt occurred in Campania, a region favored by the wealthy. Consequently, the Praetor Gaius Claudius Glaber was dispatched with a hastily assembled militia of 3,000 men to contain the rebels on Mount Vesuvius.
Glaber’s strategy was simple: block the mountain's only known exit and wait for starvation to force a surrender. However, the rebels displayed remarkable ingenuity. Using vines and trees found on the slopes, they fashioned ropes and ladders to rappel down the steep, unguarded cliff face opposite the Roman position. By flanking the militia, they successfully annihilated Glaber’s forces, marking the first major victory of the Third Servile War.
Following this success, the rebel ranks swelled to approximately 70,000 as they were joined by local herdsmen and shepherds. While the rebels gained momentum, the cost was significant; one of their original leaders, Oenomaus, was lost during the campaign. Rome responded by sending a second expedition under Publius Varinius, who divided his command between subordinates Furius and Cossinius. This force also suffered defeat, with the rebels seizing their equipment and nearly capturing Varinius himself. By the winter of 73–72 BC, the rebels had expanded their reach to towns including Nola and Thurii, using the time to train and equip their growing army for the conflicts ahead.
Source: Battle of Mount Vesuvius
