Hello, and welcome to the history of Rome.

Episode 36, I am Spartacus.

Last week, we traced the early career paths of Crassus and Pompey, leaving them both on

the edge of political prominence.

This week, we will cover the event that broke them into the big time.

Prior to the third servile war, Crassus was just another fat cat, and Pompey was just

another ambitious young man on the make.

But after the slave revolt, both turned their well deserved and not so well deserved

to claim into a shared consulship, a claim, and the fact that both refused to stand down

their armies until the Senate agreed to make sure the elections produced the result

that was in everyone's best interest.

In 73 BC, Pompey was in Spain trying to pin down the rebellious Marian general, Quintessertorius,

and Crassus was in Rome doing whatever it was that Crassus did, probably dickering with

a drowning man over the price of tossing him a lifeline.

Spartacus, though, was at Gladiator School in Capua.

He was supposed to be learning how to put on a good show for his Roman masters, but mostly

he was plotting his escape.

Kirk Douglas was born in New York in 1916, to a literate Russian immigrants.

His real name was Isur Dinyelovich, but he spent his early years answering to the name

of Izzy Demsky.

He began acting in high school, and knew from the moment he first stepped out on stage

that he wanted to be an actor.

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