The Resume

(120 BC-71 BC)
Escaped from a gladiator school with 70-80 followers (73 B.C.)
Raised a rebel army at Mount Vesuvius composed of 70,000 escaped slaves
Commanded the slave uprising during the Third Servile War (73-71 B.C.)
Defeated by Crassus and Pompey

Why he might be annoying:

He deserted the Roman army and became an outlaw.
He was captured and sold into slavery.
Supposedly, a snake coiled itself on his face while he was sleeping.
He benefited greatly from the Roman government, underestimating his forces.
He wanted to escape Italy through the Alps, but he changed his mind under pressure from his men, who wanted more plunder.
He then made the fatal decision to march on Rome.
He lost control of his army when they became too confident in their own numbers and decided to pillage the countryside.
He paid Cilician pirates to take him and his army to Sicily, but they took his money and sailed away.
He crucified 300 Roman prisoners to show his men what would happen to them if they lost.
His men abandoned him as he got closer to Rome.
The famous bio-pic 'Spartacus (1960)' based on his revolt is highly inaccurate and makes him out to be an ancient age communist.

Why he might not be annoying:

He is described as a man 'not only of high spirit and valiant, but in understanding, also, and the gentleness superior to his condition.'
He handed the Roman empire many defeats and managed to raise a huge army.
He was able to get poor non-slaves to join his revolt.
He allowed women, children and elderly men to enter his army.
It took three of Rome's better generals (Crassus, Lucullus and Pompey) to finally take him down.
His slave revolt is well-documented by ancient historians Plutarch, Appian, Florus, Orosius and Sallust.
Of the three slave revolts Rome had, his was the most successful.
As he was chopped into pieces, his body was never identified.
He is an inspiration to modern revolutionaries.

Credit: Captain Howdy

Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

• Ancient Times
• Ancient Times: Europe
• Ancient Times: Rome
• Captain Howdy's Profiles [Series 3]
• I was a Slave
• I Was Crucified
• Known By a Single Name
• Look at Me, I Got My Arms Folded
• Look at Me, I'm Naked
• Look at Me, My Picture Is Art
• Profiles 14001-14250 (Ranked: 14087)

Year In Review:

For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 4 Votes: 0% Annoying
In 2023, Out of 19 Votes: 15.79% Annoying
In 2022, Out of 4 Votes: 0% Annoying
In 2021, Out of 11 Votes: 27.27% Annoying
In 2020, Out of 4 Votes: 0% Annoying
In 2019, Out of 8 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2018, Out of 2 Votes: 0% Annoying
In 2017, Out of 19 Votes: 42.11% Annoying
In 2016, Out of 5 Votes: 20.0% Annoying
In 2015, Out of 5 Votes: 60.0% Annoying
In 2014, Out of 20 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2013, Out of 16 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2012, Out of 15 Votes: 26.67% Annoying
In 2011, Out of 18 Votes: 38.89% Annoying
In 2010, Out of 81 Votes: 60.49% Annoying
In 2009, Out of 96 Votes: 43.75% Annoying
In 2008, Out of 51 Votes: 37.25% Annoying
In 2007, Out of 249 Votes: 44.18% Annoying
In 2006, Out of 235 Votes: 44.68% Annoying
In 2005, Out of 258 Votes: 42.25% Annoying