Camalatrum (71 BC)

After Spartacus escaped the Roman siege in Bruttium, the Gallic section of his slave army moved separately under the command of Cannicus and Castus. Marcus Licinius Crassus was now in a race, not only with the enemy, but also with …

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After Spartacus escaped the Roman siege in Bruttium, the Gallic section of his slave army moved separately under the command of Cannicus and Castus. Marcus Licinius Crassus was now in a race, not only with the enemy, but also with his rival, Gnaeus Pompey. The Senate had recalled Pompey and his army from Spain to reinforce Crassus. However, Crassus felt he had nearly won this war, and now wanted to complete it before Pompey could arrive and steal any of his glory. Desperate to annihilate the slaves before Pompey’s arrival, Crassus saw a possible move. He dispatched Quintus Marcius Rufus to make a flank march and gain the rear of the Gallic detachment of the slave army. Two Gallic women spotted Marcius’ flanking force and raised the alarm. Marcius’ smaller command was in great danger until Crassus, after a forced march, engaged the Gauls in battle from the front. The two Roman forces would have overwhelmed the Gauls, had not Spartacus come to their rescue with the rest of the slave army, allowing them to escape. Crassus scored an incomplete victory, and Spartacus continued his retreat.

Basilicata, Italy

The Third Servile War, also called by Plutarch the Gladiator War and The War of Spartacus, was the last in a series of slave rebellions against the Roman Republic, known as the Servile Wars. The Third was the only one directly to threaten the Roman heartland of Italy. It was particularly alarming to Rome because its military seemed powerless to suppress it.

Wikipedia: Third Servile War

Slave

Roman

Third Servile War