Archaeologists have discovered a 2.7-kilometer (1.7-mile) long Roman defensive wall and moat in the southern Italian region of Calabria that was originally built by Roman general Marcus Licinius Crassus to contain Spartacus, a Thracian gladiator and leader of a slave revolt, and his forces.
A 2,070-year-old Roman wall in the Dossone della Meria Forest in south-central Calabria, Italy. Image courtesy of the University of Kentucky.
Spartacus He was a Thracian gladiator who became one of the most famous leaders of a major slave revolt against the Roman Republic known as the Third Servile War (73-71 BC).
Born around 103 BC in what is now Bulgaria, he initially served in the Roman army before being captured and sold into slavery.
In 73 BC, Spartacus and about 70 fellow gladiators Run away They escaped from the gladiator training school in Capua and took refuge on Mount Vesuvius, where they were soon joined by other fugitive slaves.
Spartacus proved to be a skilled leader and tactician, defeating the Roman armies multiple times. Military expansion to an estimated 70,000 slaves and others.
He was not the only leader of the rebellion: two other fugitive gladiators, Crixus and Oenomaus, formed the remaining two factions of the Slave Triumvirate.
This rebellion posed a great threat to Rome, and the Senate sent several legions to put it down.
Despite initial success, Spartacus and his forces were eventually cornered by the Roman general Marcus Licinius Crassus.
In 71 BC, Spartacus' forces were defeated in a final battle in Lucania and he was killed, although his body was never found.
Although the Spartacus rebellion was not intended to be a social revolution, it has served as an inspiration to many throughout history as a symbol of resistance against oppression.
“We believe that Spartacus attacked the newly discovered wall to escape a trap set by Crassus,” said archaeologist Paolo Visona of the University of Kentucky.
The Dossone della Meria forest in south-central Calabria, Italy, is home to 2.7 km of ancient stone walls and earthworks.
Archaeologists also unearthed numerous broken iron weapons, including sword hilts, large curved blades, spear tips, spearheads and other metal fragments.
“The discovery was made possible thanks to a tip-off from local environmental groups who knew the wall existed but had no idea what it was,” Prof Visonagh said.
“We surveyed the walls and trenches using ground-penetrating radar, LIDAR, magnetic measurements and soil core sampling.”
Source: www.sci.news
