[spahr-tuh-kuh
s] 
| died 71 b.c., Thracian slave, gladiator, and insurrectionist. |
| Spar·ta·cus (spär'tə-kəs) Thracian gladiator who led a slave revolt in Italy (73-71). He defeated Roman armies in southern Italy, but his forces were crushed at Lucania (71), where Spartacus was killed and many of his troops were crucified. |
A Roman slave of the first century b.c. He led an insurrection of slaves that defeated several Roman armies before being crushed.