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Capua is the central location for much of the action in Spartacus.


Capua was a provincial city north of Naples (Italy), where Spartacus was trained as a gladiator. The Roman civilization operated many gladiatorial training schools throughout the empire, where prisoners of war and slaves were trained to perform for public entertainment. It was also the linchpin in the great War of Spartacus. H

Capua was founded by the Etruscans sometime around 600 BCE . The Etruscan name for the city was Capeva, meaning 'city of marshes'. By 424 BCE , it submitted to the rule of the Samnites. In 343 BCE, the ruling officials of the city entreated Rome to liberate Capua from bondage to the Samnite League. Capua would become a Socius or 'ally' of Rome in order for its protection against Samnite reprisals, Along with Capua's satellite communities in Campania, such as Calatia, Casilinum and Atella, a large part of the country of Campania fell under Roman rule when the communities were granted Civitas Sine Suffragio (Roman citizenship without voting rights) by the Senate of Rome.

But Capua would prove an untrustworthy ally of Rome during the Second Samnite War, so after the conflict, Rome would confiscate the land on the right bank of the River Volturno for the settlement of Romans, while the authority of Meddices (singular: Meddix), the native governing officials in Campania, were limited and superseded by the Praefecti Capuam Cumae, who were governing officials appointed by the Roman Senate for the region of Campania. 

In 312 BCE, the Via Appia was constructed, directly linking Capua with Rome itself. The gate situated upon the Servian Walls which connected with the Via Appia bore the name Porta Capena.

By the Third Century BCE , Capua was the second most important city in Italy after Rome itself. It was considered able to provide Rome with thirty thousand infantry and four thousand cavalry in times of war. During the Second Punic War, its fidelity to Rome would falter after the catastrophic defeat at Cannae by Hannibal Barca. Capua unsuccessfully petitioned Rome to elect one of its consuls from the city, perhaps in the event of a Carthaginian takeover of Rome itself to ensure the Roman seat of power could be transferred to Capua itself. But Rome's refusal would compel the ruling oligarchy in Capua to volutarily switch it allegiances and open its gates to Hannibal Barca, whom made the city his winter quarters in 216 BCE . Capua would be retaken in a siege by Rome in 211 BCE and its inhabitants punished by the sacking of the city. After which, the native magistracies (Meddices) were abolished, the surviving inhabitants were stripped of Roman citizenship and the territory was declared Ager Publicus (belonging to the Senate and the People of Rome). The land around Capua was settled by military veterans from Rome and Latium, most of which were settled at the new colonia of Volturnum and Liternum.

The aftermath of the Second Punic War would see the development of the Munera from a funerary custom to a popular spectator sport. Campania was the testing ground for what would become the arena games.

Revolt of SpartacusEdit

The following text is quoted from Plutarch's Lives: Crassus.




Map of the Rebellion of Spartacus.



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