Rebellious Facts About Spartacus
Famous in modern culture for his many adaptations into film and television, most notably Kirk Douglas and his “I'm Spartacus!” line in the Stanley Kubrick film, the story of this slave leading a revolt has captivated us for over half a century.
Here are some facts to fill you in on who the man actually was, and help you separate fact from fiction.
Spartacus Facts
27. Nomadic Stock
Born around 111 BC, Spartacus was a Thracian, an Indo-European tribe on the outskirts of the Roman Empire, in Bulgaria. It is believed he was nomadic, but not much is known about his early history.
26. In the Army
Spartacus was initially a member of the Roman army. He wasn’t really a fan of not being able to have his life in his own hands, so he fled the army in order to live life as a free man.
Some historians argue that Spartacus was actually a Roman auxiliary officer before escaping, which would mean that he originally volunteered service.
25. Captured
Running away from any army, let alone the Roman army, is usually not a good idea. After going AWOL, Spartacus was captured and forced into slavery as punishment for his desertion. What did he think was going to happen?
