Marcus Crassus: The Life and Legacy of Ancient Rome's Richest Man

The reasons for Spartacus's enduring appeal are obvious, but his uprising has overshadowed the fact that his was actually the third such uprising against the Roman Republic in a short span. Preceding this, the First and Second Servile Wars had already demonstrated that revolts against Rome and the whole institution of slavery could gain momentum, and these earlier uprisings provided a blueprint for the larger attempt by Spartacus to win freedom.

At the same time, it's often overlooked how...