Guy Claudius Glabr

Gaius Clavdius Glabr ( Latin: Gaius Claudius Glaber ; II century BC - 73 BC, the vicinity of Vesuvius ) - Roman praetor in 73 BC e., known for losing the battle of Vesuvius during the uprising of Spartacus.

Some time after the start of the uprising of Spartacus , in 73 BC. e. Rome sent a military force to suppress the uprising, led by praetor ^[1] . There are disagreements with respect to his name among ancient authors: Titus Livius names him Claudius Pulhr ^[2] , Plutarch - Claudius ^[1] , Flor - Claudius Glabr, Frontin and Orosius - Claudius. However, Claudius is a form of the name of Claudius, popular among the plebs. Thus, with certainty we can only talk about the nomen - Claudius. He gathered forces of 3,000 people, but not as a legion, but as a police force, consisting of “not citizens, but all sorts of random people, hastily recruited in passing” ^[3] . Glabr besieged slaves on Vesuvius, blocking the only known descent from the mountain ^[1] . Thus, Glabr was about to wait until hunger forced the rebels to surrender.

Although the slaves lacked military skills, Spartak’s troops showed ingenuity in using available materials at hand, as well as in using unusual tactics in a clash with a disciplined Roman army. Once under siege, the people of Spartak made ropes and stairs from the vine and trees growing on the slopes of Vesuvius, and used them to descend the rocks from the opposite side of the mountain ^[1] . Flor puts forward the version that the rebels descended with the help of ropes, woven from vines, into the hollow vent of Vesuvius and went outside through a through cave ^[4] . Then the gladiators went around the foot of Vesuvius and destroyed the Glabra soldiers. The further fate of the praetor is unknown. Perhaps he died in this battle.