Spartacus and Crixus began the revolt as brothers in arms — but by the time the Third Servile War reached its bloody final act, the two men had split, their armies divided by strategy as much as survival. This episode traces that fracture: the divorce between Spartacus and Crixus, the battles that followed, and the crushing final defeat that ended Rome's greatest slave rebellion.

Part of Courage and Conflict, a history podcast with original scoring composed and mixed by the host. More stories and free episodes at dwhawkins.com.

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In this episode, we discuss how Spartacus, having defeated Glaber and thumbed his nose in the face of the Roman Senate, rose to what Plutarch described as "Great and Terrible."

It's my favorite part of the story.

A quick note--when speaking of the Roman provinces in 73 BCE, I mixed up my "east" and "west" without realizing it. So, to be clear, Campania and Lucania are on the WEST coast, and Apullia on the EAST. I do it sometimes in my writing, too, so maybe it's something unconscious. Just keep that in mind.

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Thanks for listening.

In this episode, we cover the conditions in Rome after the death of Sulla. The legions fighting in far-flung corners of the Republic, manipulative climbers manning the Senate, and a storm brewing right at home.

We cover the rise of the man, the myth, the legend--Spartacus. His origins, his time as a gladiator, and the tiny act of rebellion that spiraled into an all-out war.

I also talk about where I've been and where the show is going from here. In short, we're starting season two, and expect an episode every two weeks.

Don't forget to follow the show; please like, comment, share, and do all those wonderful things. You can always find out more about me at my website, dwhawkins.com, where you can also enter my fantasy worlds and dive into my books.

Welcome back to Courage and Conflict.