I am Spartacus!

12. Picenum

Roma, Lazio

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By now, Spartacus commanded an army of over 120,000 men and there were serious concerns back in Rome, The Senate had furious debates, which led to the appointment of the city's wealthiest man, Marcus Licinius Crassus, as the leader of a force of 50,000 Roman soldiers. Many were the remnants of the defeated force led by Publius Varinius. They were charged with the task of, once and for all, ending the slave revolt. The eight legions were subjected to harsh treatment in order to crush any disquiet within their ranks, and Crassus reinstated the disciplinary practice of decimation. This was when a group of ten men would select one person within their ranks and kill him. After the victories beneath Mount Garganus and Mutina, Spartacus had turned his force south and once more headed for the now familiar territory of Luciana. The Roman General Crassus decided that, rather than face them in open battle, he would place the majority of his force in wait at Picenum and instruct two units to follow the rebels and report on their progress. Legate Mummius took charge of the two scout legions, and they worked their way around the rebels with orders not to attack them. However, near Picenum, Mummius believed he had found a weakness in the enemy's organization and decided to ignore Crassus' orders, charging on the rebel positions. This proved to be a dreadful mistake, and the legate soon found his forces totally annihilated.