Second Servile War facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Second Servile War |
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| Part of the Servile Wars | |||||||||
 Plaque in Caltabellotta marking the 2,100th anniversary of the revolt. (2001) |
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
| Roman Republic | Slaves of Sicily | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Publius Licinius Nerva Lucius Licinius Lucullus Gaius Servilius Manius Aquilius |
Salvius Athenion † |
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The Second Servile War was a big rebellion by slaves against the Roman Republic on the island of Sicily. This war lasted from 104 BC to 100 BC. It was one of three major Servile Wars that happened about 30 years apart.
Contents
Why the War Started
In 104 BC, a Roman leader named Gaius Marius was gathering soldiers. He needed more troops for a war in the North. He asked King Nicomedes III of Bithynia, a Roman ally, for help.
The King said he couldn't send soldiers. He explained that many of his people had been taken as slaves by Roman tax collectors. They became slaves because they couldn't pay their taxes.
The Roman Senate, a powerful governing group, heard this. They ordered that no slaves should be taken from Rome's allies. They also said that any such slaves should be set free right away.
Slaves Freed, Then Not
In Sicily, a Roman governor named Publius Licinius Nerva followed this order. He freed about 800 slaves. This made other slaves, who were not from allied lands, upset because they were not freed.
It also made the rich plantation owners in Sicily angry. They didn't like losing their slaves. Because of this anger, Nerva changed his mind. He stopped freeing slaves. This sudden change made the slaves very angry, and they decided to rebel.
Salvius Tryphon Leads the Rebels
Governor Nerva didn't act quickly enough. He tried to trick some rebels into returning to slavery. But he ignored a bigger uprising near Heraclea.
Nerva sent 600 soldiers to stop the rebels near Heraclea. But the soldiers were defeated and killed. This victory gave the slaves more confidence. They also got many weapons.
Their new strong leader was a former slave named Salvius. He took the name Tryphon, like a famous king.
Rebels Take Morgantina
After his victory, Salvius attacked the city of Morgantina. Nerva marched against him with Sicily's local army, but he was also defeated. The slaves then successfully captured the city.
After taking Morgantina, Salvius's slave army grew much larger. It had 2,000 horsemen and 20,000 foot soldiers. At the same time, another rebellion started in western Sicily. This one was led by Athenion, another slave leader. He joined Salvius's army after hearing about the Morgantina victory.
Roman General Lucullus Arrives
In 103 BC, the Roman Senate sent a general named Lucius Licinius Lucullus. He had just stopped another revolt in Italy. Lucullus was sent to end the rebellion in Sicily.
Lucullus arrived in western Sicily with 17,000 Roman and allied soldiers. He marched towards the rebel stronghold of Triocala.
The Battle of Scirthaea
When Salvius Tryphon, the Slave King, heard Lucullus was coming, he wanted to stay safe inside Triocala. But his general, Athenion, convinced him to fight the Romans in an open battle.
The rebels marched to meet Lucullus. They set up camp at Scirthaea, about twelve miles from the Roman camp. The next day, the two armies prepared to fight. According to ancient writers, Tryphon's army had about 40,000 fighters.
After some small fights, the main battle began. At first, it looked like the rebels might win. Athenion and his cavalry caused many problems for Lucullus's soldiers. But then, Athenion was wounded and fell from his horse. He pretended to be dead to save himself.
The rebels thought their general was dead. They lost hope and ran away. Salvius Tryphon also fled back to Triocala. Later that night, Athenion, though wounded, escaped the battlefield. Thousands of slaves were killed in the retreat. About 20,000 rebels died, which was half of Tryphon's army.
Siege of Triocala
After the battle, Lucullus slowly moved towards Triocala. He brought Roman control back to the areas he passed through. At Triocala, the rebels had dug in and prepared to defend the city.
Lucullus started a siege, surrounding the city to cut off supplies. He was waiting for his command to be extended. But when he heard he was being replaced by a new general, Gaius Servilius, he became angry. Lucullus ended the siege, burned his siege equipment, camp, and supplies. He then left and sent his army home. He did this to make it harder for the new general.
Athenion Takes Charge
In 102 BC, Athenion became the new slave-king after Salvius died. Athenion surprised Gaius Servilius's camp. Servilius's army was defeated and scattered. This undid all of Lucullus's earlier success.
The Rebellion Ends
Finally, in 101 BC, a Roman leader named Manius Aquillius was given command in Sicily. The main Roman leader, Gaius Marius, sent some of his soldiers from Gaul to help Aquillius.
With these soldiers and others he trained, Aquillius arrived and defeated Athenion's slave army. It is said that Aquillius himself killed Athenion. The rebellion was finally put down.
About 1,000 slaves who surrendered were sent to Rome. They were meant to fight wild animals in an arena for entertainment. But to show their defiance, they refused to fight. Instead, they killed each other quietly with their swords until the last one fell on his own blade. This was the second of three major slave revolts in the Roman Republic. They were all caused by similar unfair treatment in Sicily and Southern Italy.
Images for kids
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Plaque in Caltabellotta marking the 2,100th anniversary of the revolt. (2001)
