In the year 73 BC, Rome faced one of its greatest threats to its existence.

An army of over 100,000 liberated slaves

rose up in revolt and threatened the very fabric of the Roman Republic.

The revolt was led by a gladiator slave who led his Mali army and to the

astonishment of Rome managed to defeat many Roman legions. The end of this

rebellion resulted in one of the most horrific displays in all of ancient history.

Learn more about Spartacus and the Third Servile War on this episode of Everything Everywhere

Daily. Book your ticket to happiness with Sun Express Airlines. To understand what happened in the Spartacus Uprising, we first need to understand

the institution of Roman slavery.

The Roman economy, and indeed all of Roman society, was heavily dependent upon slavery at the time of the Republic.

Slaves were mostly taken from conquered lands.

For example, when Julius Caesar conquered Gaul, which happened several decades after the events in this episode, it's estimated

that he enslaved over a million people. Likewise, slaves were taken from pretty much

everywhere Roman armies went, including Germany, Greece, and Britain.

While those represented the vast majority of slaves,

people could be enslaved in other ways.

Very poor families were known to sell their children

into slavery to survive.

If you were found guilty of a crime, the Romans didn't really have prison, so you could be enslaved.

If you deserted from the army and you weren't executed, you could be enslaved.

Slavery was often used for people who defaulted on debts. You could literally use

yourself or your children as collateral for a loan. Slaves were used in almost every segment

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