Battle of Mount Vesuvius

The Battle of Vesuvius was the first conflict of the Third Servile War which pitted the escaped slaves against a military force of militia specifically dispatched by Rome to deal with the rebellion.

For other uses, see Battle of Vesuvius and Battle of Mons Lactarius.
Battle of Mount Vesuvius
Part of the Third Servile War

The Gladiator Mosaic at the Galleria Borghese
Date73 BC
Location
Mount Vesuvius, Italy
Result

Rebel victory

  • Start of the Third Servile War.
Belligerents
Roman Republic Rebel Army
Commanders and leaders
Gaius Claudius Glaber Spartacus
Strength
3,000 militia 70-100 Gladiators

When the militia, led by the Roman Praetor Gaius Claudius Glaber, besieged the group of escaped slaves on Mount Vesuvius, Spartacus's men adopted unusual tactics, rappelling down the steeper cliff face opposite the Roman forces, flanking and defeating them.

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