NOVEL NEXT Chapter 13: Settling in Vesuvius
Maximus was intrigued, “Are these large farms you mentioned in the Mount Vesuvius area?”
“That’s right, right there!” The old man emphasized, speaking with certainty. “Those large farms occupy thousands of jugers[1] of extremely fertile land, with hundreds or even thousands of slaves, countless grains and livestock, and even some beautiful female slaves——”
“Hey!” Maximus interrupted him, bluntly saying, “Old man, are you trying to incite us to rob those large farms?”
“N-no, I just wanted to tell you the truth,” the old man denied, shaking his head.
Maximus sneered. The old man’s words triggered a memory of the previous Maximus, “Facing competition from these large farms, can this farm sell its wheat and wool? How much money will it cost to sell them?”
The old man fell silent.
Although there were no large farms around Capua, the surrounding markets were mostly flooded with agricultural products produced by these large farming estates. According to the memory of the previous Maximus, most of the owners of these large farms were Roman patricians who took advantage of the fertile soil of Mount Vesuvius and the abundance of cheap slaves to cultivate better wheat, grapes, and olives….. They sold these agricultural products at the same or even lower prices, naturally attracting the masses. Even the owner of this smaller farm, who owned several hundred jugers of land, often lamented about not being able to sell their own produce. It seemed that the owner of this farm was probably not doing well, let alone the common people…
Thinking of this, Maximus regained his composure and said to the people in the kitchen, “Have you all eaten? Then continue working and bake another three hundred loaves of bread.”
………………………………………………
The next morning, after having porridge and bread, the gladiators released the people from the farm and prepared to continue their journey south.After interrogating the young man and learning about the surrounding situation the previous night, Spartacus requested that the gladiators be fully armed as they moved forward.
Hamilcar and Maximus exchanged the donkey cart for a farm wagon, increasing the number of wagons in the convoy to six, and providing ample space for carrying weapons, food, and wounded soldiers.
As an intermittently erupting active volcano, Mount Vesuvius had a vast coverage of volcanic ash, spanning over 150 square kilometers. Therefore, not long after leaving the farm, the gladiator’s group entered the Vesuvius area.
Along the way, besides the thriving wheat fields, there were also many vineyards. The number of farmers working in the fields had noticeably increased. Occasionally, overseers wielding whips and wearing long robes could be seen shouting loudly, while shackled and battered slaves trembled in fear.
The gladiators were eager to act, but Spartacus and Crixus did their best to restrain them. After all, their primary task now was to reach the foothills of Mount Vesuvius and find a place to settle.
However, trouble found them despite Spartacus’ intention to avoid it.
The free-spirited gladiators walked through the fields, inevitably trampling on the wheat seedlings. When an overseer from a large farm noticed this, he immediately brought the farm guards and aggressively approached the group to confront them.
It appeared that news of Spartacus leading the gladiators in a rebellion hadn’t spread to this area yet. These people mistook the gladiators as city guards and arrogantly claimed that the owner of this farm was a certain senator of Rome. They demanded compensation from the gladiators, threatening that their master would make them regret it otherwise.
The gladiators burst into laughter, they drew their short swords and cut them down one by one.
Other overseers and guards realized the danger and fled in fear. Many slaves also tried to escape, but with their shackles, they couldn’t run fast. Some slaves remained in place, observing curiously.
“We are gladiators rebelling against Roman oppression. Do you want to join us, fight against the Romans, and seek freedom together?!” Spartacus exclaimed loudly.
After some hesitation, the observing slaves stumbled over, dragging their shackles.
The leader among them spoke in broken Latin, saying loudly, “We… come from Iberia… the Celtic people in the mountains… the Romans captured our tribes… and took us captive here…”
“Welcome to join us! As long as we defeat the Romans, we will find a way to get everyone back home!” Spartacus smiled and made a promise. Compared to the few slaves in the previous farm who declined to join the group last night, he felt relieved by the smooth inclusion of these Celts today. It seemed that his decision to come to Vesuvius for recruitment was the right one.
The gladiators even caught up with the farm overseer, cut him down, and took the keys to help the slaves unlock their shackles. The slaves cheered with excitement.
Maximus, who was driving a wagon, also heard the slaves’ words. It sparked something in his mind: In his previous life, when he had researched the history of the Spartacus uprising, he vaguely remembered that at this time, Rome was engaged in two wars, one in Asia Minor and the other in Iberia. That “Pompey the Great” should be in Hispania!
The addition of the slaves did not change the gladiators’ route. As the group advanced, the terrain became uneven, gradually rising towards Mount Vesuvius. They had entered the foothills of Vesuvius, where wheat fields were replaced by vineyards.
The volcanic ash soil, weathered over time, was particularly suitable for growing grapes. The Falernian, Statanian, and Calenian wines produced from these vineyards were considered the best in all of Italy. The Romans would undoubtedly make good use of every piece of land here. While there were no wheat fields, there were plenty of slaves, even more than before. Taking care of grapevines requires more precision than cultivating wheat seedlings. Besides tilling the soil, fertilizing, and watering, the main tasks involved pruning and training the vines and constructing trellises. Some female slaves could also be seen working in the vineyards.
Killing overseers and inviting slaves to join them became a routine for the gladiators as they marched. By the afternoon, when the group stopped moving, the number of joined slaves had reached 150. One-third of them were from Iberia, one-third from Asia Minor, and one-third from northern Greece. These were newly enslaved individuals who had been here for less than three years.
Spartacus, Crixus, and the other leaders’ main task along the way was to observe the terrain and find a suitable place to settle. Eventually, they unanimously chose a large farm.
It was situated on a gentle mountainside, with the terrain behind it gradually steepened, forming a protective barrier for the estate, with only a small road leading up to it.
Whether it was Spartacus from Thrace or Crixus from Gaul, they were both mountain people. Given the constant threat of Roman military action, living in the mountains made them feel safer. Therefore, capturing this large farm and establishing their base here became the unanimous decision of the leaders.
The farm was surrounded by a wall over two meters high, and there were several guards inside. As soon as they sensed danger, they closed the wooden gate and assumed a defensive posture. The person in charge even climbed up the wall, warning the approaching gladiators to leave immediately, or else they would face the wrath of the Roman senator.
Spartacus ignored the warning and ordered an attack.
Although the farm had walls, there were fig trees planted outside the walls with grapevines climbing on them, forming what was called “grape trees.” This was another way of trellising grapes. The gladiators easily climbed the walls using the fig trees and entered the estate. They swiftly overpowered the guards and overseers who dared to resist, and soon the entire estate was under their control.
Translator's Notes:
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