Crixus

When the Roman Republic and insurgent slaves engaged in the Third Servile War, Crixus, a Gallic gladiator, served as a military commander. He was a Gaulish native and trained as a gladiator at Capua.

In a family of strong warriors, Crixus was raised in Gaul. When he was a young guy, he saw the Arverni tribe assault his hamlet and murder his family before his very eyes. He was then purchased by Tullius and sold into slavery, where he was made to labor in the arena and would engage in combat.

Crixus was descended from a long line of warriors, thus fighting runs in his blood. However, he was nothing more than a common brute before becoming a gladiator and lacked any significant abilities. Crixus outperformed many other gladiators following his training, growing swiftly in strength and ability, ultimately becoming the Champion of Capua. This is no ordinary title. Crixus has established himself as one of the best warriors to have set foot on a battlefield or an arena. Unlike Spartacus and Gannicus, who rely more on dexterous moves that frequently elevate them above their foes, Crixus uses physical power and well-founded strikes more frequently. He enjoyed using a shield and sword in tandem and frequently broke down Roman fortifications by leaping on his adversaries and pinning them to the ground.

Crixus participated in a rebellion in 73 that had its start with a little slave revolt at the Lentulus Batiatus gladiator school in Capua when roughly 70 gladiators managed to flee. After overcoming a small army dispatched to bring them back, the escaped slaves set up camp on Mount Vesuvius' slopes. As word of the gladiators' uprising spread, additional slaves who had escaped joined them. At this time, Crixus was chosen as one of the group's commanders along with Thracian Spartacus and Gaul Oenomaus. The Third Servile War witnessed significant military victories for fugitive slaves during the movement. By landing on Mount Vesuvius' cliffs and attacking the Roman camp from behind, Crixus' army chased away the militia that the Roman Senate had dispatched to put down the uprising. With these early triumphs, tens of thousands of slaves joined them, and eventually, they had over 150,000 people. Crixus and some 30,000 supporters, however, seem to have broken away from Spartacus and the main army of escaped slaves as late as 73 BC for unclear reasons. Two explanations for the divide have been postulated by modern historians. One account is that Spartacus and his supporters sought to cross the Alps to Gaul and be free, whereas Crixus and his supporters intended to pillage the Roman countryside. According to the second theory, Spartacus and Crixus engineered the split in order to further their respective strategic objectives. Whatever the cause of the division, Crixus' army was ambushed by Roman forces led by Lucius Gellius Publicola in 72 BC on Mount Gurganus. In the battle, Crixus, who is reported to have battled valiantly in an unsuccessful attempt, was killed in the conflict.

To conclude, Crixus:

• was once Capua's champion and battled to become one of the best gladiators of Lentulus Batiatus.
• became one of the first rebel commanders and a dependable friend of Spartacus.
• was known as the Undefeated Gaul.