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{{Short description|1st century BC Roman military commander}}
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'''Gaius Claudius Glaber''' was a military commander of the late [[Roman Republic]], holding the offices of [[legatus|legate]] and military [[praetor]] in 73 BC. He was defeated in a battle on [[Mount Vesuvius]] against the forces of [[Spartacus]] during the [[Third Servile War]].<ref>Appian conflates the names of Varinius and Claudius Glaber, writing ''Varinios Glabros'', not Varinius Faber, as in the Ancient Sourcebook translation, cf. Broughton 2.115 n. 1</ref>

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'''Gaius Claudius Glaber''' was a [[Commanding officer|military commander]] of the late [[Roman Republic]], holding the office of [[praetor]] in 73&nbsp;BC. During his term he was defeated in the [[Battle of Mount Vesuvius]] against the forces of [[Spartacus]] during the [[Third Servile War]].<ref>Appian conflates the names of Varinius and Claudius Glaber, writing ''Varinios Glabros'', not Varinius Faber, as in the Ancient Sourcebook translation, cf. Broughton 2.115 n. 1</ref>


==History==
==History==
{{further|Third Servile War}}
{{further|Third Servile War}}
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Glaber was a member of a Roman [[plebeian]] family. He might have a distant connection with the famous [[Patrician (ancient Rome)|patrician]] [[Claudia (gens)|Claudii]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Strauss|first=Barry S.|title=The Spartacus War|year=2009|publisher=Simon & Schuster|location=New York|isbn=978-1-4165-3205-7|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=j3LowhKACVwC|edition=1st Simon & Schuster hardcover|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=lSjmpur9sJ4C&dq=Gaius+Claudius+Glaber+plebeian&pg=PT30 3]}}</ref>
[[File:Vesuvius from Pompeii.jpg|thumb|The slopes of [[Mount Vesuvius]] as seen from [[Pompeii]].]]
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Glaber was a member of a Roman [[plebeian]] family. He probably had very distant familial connections to the [[Claudia (gens)|Claudian]] clan.<ref>{{cite book|last=Strauss|first=Barry S.|title=The Spartacus War|year=2009|publisher=Simon & Schuster|location=New York|isbn=978-1-4165-3205-7|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=j3LowhKACVwC|edition=1st Simon & Schuster hardcover|page=[http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=lSjmpur9sJ4C&lpg=PT30&ots=i_PW9lMms8&dq=Gaius%20Claudius%20Glaber%20plebeian&pg=PT30#v=onepage&q=Gaius%20Claudius%20Glaber%20plebeian&f=false 3]}}</ref>


Glaber, who was one of eight elected praetors in 73 BC, is only mentioned by classical historians in connection with his disastrous military leadership against Spartacus. They note his force of [[Military of ancient Rome|Roman militia]] (not [[Roman legion|professional legionaries]])<ref name="1:116">Appian, ''Civil Wars'', [http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Appian/Civil_Wars/1*.html#116 1:116].</ref> was destroyed because he was unable to adapt to the gladiators' unorthodox tactics.<ref name="Book I, 5:20–22">Frontinus, ''Stratagems'', [http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Frontinus/Strategemata/1*.html#5.20 Book I, 5:20–22] and [http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Frontinus/Strategemata/1*.html#7.6 Book VII:6].</ref>
Glaber, who was one of eight elected praetors in 73 BC, is only mentioned by classical historians in connection with his disastrous military leadership against Spartacus. They note his force of [[Military of ancient Rome|Roman militia]] (not [[Roman legion|professional legionaries]])<ref name="1:116">Appian, ''Civil Wars'', [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Appian/Civil_Wars/1*.html#116 1:116].</ref> was destroyed because he was unable to adapt to the gladiators' unorthodox tactics.<ref name="Book I, 5:20–22">Frontinus, ''Stratagems'', [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Frontinus/Strategemata/1*.html#5.20 Book I, 5:20–22] and [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Frontinus/Strategemata/1*.html#7.6 Book VII:6].</ref>


After Glaber besieged the slaves on slopes of Mount Vesuvius, he failed to anticipate what they would do next. Spartacus' forces used [[rappel]]ling lines made from local vegetation to scale down the cliffs on the other side of the mountain.<ref name="Book I, 5:20–22"/> They then outflanked Glaber's militia, annihilating his forces.<ref>Plutarch, ''Crassus'', [http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/Lives/Crassus*.html#9 9:1–3]; Frontinus, ''Stratagems'', [http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Frontinus/Strategemata/1*.html#5.21 Book I, 5:20–22]; Appian, ''Civil Wars'', [http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Appian/Civil_Wars/1*.html#116 1:116]; Broughton, ''Magistrates of the Roman Republic'', p. 109. Note: Plutarch and Frontinus write of expeditions under the command of "Clodius the praetor" and "Publius Varinus", while Appian writes of "Varinius Glaber" and "Publius Valerius".</ref>
After Glaber besieged the slaves on slopes of Mount Vesuvius, he failed to anticipate what they would do next. Spartacus' forces used [[rappel|rappelling]] lines made from local vegetation to scale down the cliffs on the other side of the mountain.<ref name="Book I, 5:20–22"/> They then outflanked Glaber's militia, annihilating his forces.<ref>Plutarch, ''Crassus'', [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/Lives/Crassus*.html#9 9:1–3]; Frontinus, ''Stratagems'', [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Frontinus/Strategemata/1*.html#5.21 Book I, 5:20–22]; Appian, ''Civil Wars'', [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Appian/Civil_Wars/1*.html#116 1:116]; Broughton, ''Magistrates of the Roman Republic'', p. 109. Note: Plutarch and Frontinus write of expeditions under the command of "Clodius the praetor" and "Publius Varinus", while Appian writes of "Varinius Glaber" and "Publius Valerius".</ref>


Roman records makes no further mention of Glaber following this defeat. It is not known whether he was killed during the battle, or was simply considered too obscure for further mention by classical historians.<ref name="Strauss 52">Strauss, p. 61.</ref> Classics professor [[Barry S. Strauss]] has noted that his obscurity might have also been another sign of how little attention the [[Roman Senate]] gave Spartacus in 73 BC.<ref name="Strauss 52">Strauss, [http://books.google.com/books?id=j3LowhKACVwC&pg=PA52 p. 52]</ref>
Roman records make no further mention of Glaber after this defeat. It is not known whether he was killed during the battle, or was simply considered too obscure for further mention by classical historians.<ref>Strauss, p. 61.</ref> Classics scholar [[Barry S. Strauss]] noted that his obscurity might also have been another sign of how little attention the [[Roman Senate]] gave Spartacus in 73 BC.<ref name="Strauss 52">Strauss, [https://archive.org/details/spartacuswar00stra/page/52 p. 52].</ref>


==Portrayals==
==Portrayals in fiction==
In screen adaptations of the life of Spartacus, Glaber has been portrayed:
In screen adaptations of the life of Spartacus, Glaber has been portrayed:
* by [[John Dall]] as "Glabrus", a character loosely based on Glaber, in the 1960 film ''[[Spartacus (film)|Spartacus]]''
* by [[John Dall]] as "Glabrus", a character loosely based on Glaber, in the 1960 film ''[[Spartacus (film)|Spartacus]]''
* by [[Ben Cross]] as "Titus Glabrus" in the 2004 TV miniseries ''[[Spartacus (2004 film)|Spartacus]]''
* by [[Ben Cross]] as "Titus Glabrus" in the 2004 TV miniseries ''[[Spartacus (2004 film)|Spartacus]]''
* by [[Craig Parker]] in the 2010 TV series ''[[Spartacus: Blood and Sand]]'', and its 2012 sequel ''[[Spartacus: Vengeance]]''. In contrast to other versions, Glaber is portrayed as Spartacus' personal enemy who is responsible for making him a slave.
* by [[Craig Parker]] in the 2010 TV series ''[[Spartacus: Blood and Sand]]'', and its 2012 sequel ''[[Spartacus: Vengeance]]''. In contrast to other versions, Glaber is portrayed as Spartacus' personal enemy who is responsible for making him a slave, and who is killed by Spartacus in one-on-one combat.


==Notes==
==Notes==
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===Further reading===
===Further reading===
*{{cite book|last=Broughton|first=T., Robert S.|title=Magistrates of the Roman Republic, vol. 2|publisher= Cleveland: Case Western University Press|year= 1968|pages=109,115}}
*{{cite book|last=Broughton|first=T., Robert S.|title=Magistrates of the Roman Republic, vol. 2|publisher= Cleveland: Case Western University Press|year= 1968|pages=109,115}}
*{{cite book|last=Bradley|first= Keith|title=Slavery and Rebellion in the Roman World|publisher= Bloomington: Indiana University Press|year= 1989|pages=93–94| ISBN= 0-253-31259-0}}
*{{cite book|last=Bradley|first= Keith|title=Slavery and Rebellion in the Roman World|url=https://archive.org/details/slaveryrebellion00brad|url-access=registration|publisher= Bloomington: Indiana University Press|year= 1989|pages=[https://archive.org/details/slaveryrebellion00brad/page/93 93–94]| isbn= 0-253-31259-0}}
*{{cite book|last=Strauss|first=Barry S.|title=The Spartacus War|year=2009|publisher=Simon & Schuster|location=New York|isbn=978-1-4165-3205-7|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=j3LowhKACVwC|edition=1st Simon & Schuster hardcover}}
*{{cite book|last=Strauss|first=Barry S.|title=The Spartacus War|year=2009|publisher=Simon & Schuster|location=New York|isbn=978-1-4165-3205-7|url=https://archive.org/details/spartacuswar00stra|url-access=registration|edition=1st Simon & Schuster hardcover}}


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{{DEFAULTSORT:Claudius Glaber, Gaius}}
{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. -->
| NAME = Glaber, Gaius Claudius
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
| SHORT DESCRIPTION =Ancient Roman military commander
| DATE OF BIRTH =
| PLACE OF BIRTH =
| DATE OF DEATH =
| PLACE OF DEATH =
}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Glaber, Gaius Claudius}}
[[Category:Roman Republican praetors]]
[[Category:Roman Republican praetors]]
[[Category:1st-century BC Romans]]
[[Category:1st-century BC Romans]]
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[[Category:Third Servile War]]
[[Category:Third Servile War]]
[[Category:Spartacus]]
[[Category:Spartacus]]
[[Category:Claudii|Glaber, Gaius]]
[[Category:Roman Republican generals]]
[[Category:1st-century BC births]]
[[Category:1st-century BC deaths]]

Latest revision as of 15:49, 27 February 2024

Gaius Claudius Glaber was a military commander of the late Roman Republic, holding the office of praetor in 73 BC. During his term he was defeated in the Battle of Mount Vesuvius against the forces of Spartacus during the Third Servile War.[1]

History

[edit]
Further information: Third Servile War

Glaber was a member of a Roman plebeian family. He might have a distant connection with the famous patrician Claudii.[2]

Glaber, who was one of eight elected praetors in 73 BC, is only mentioned by classical historians in connection with his disastrous military leadership against Spartacus. They note his force of Roman militia (not professional legionaries)[3] was destroyed because he was unable to adapt to the gladiators' unorthodox tactics.[4]

After Glaber besieged the slaves on slopes of Mount Vesuvius, he failed to anticipate what they would do next. Spartacus' forces used rappelling lines made from local vegetation to scale down the cliffs on the other side of the mountain.[4] They then outflanked Glaber's militia, annihilating his forces.[5]

Roman records make no further mention of Glaber after this defeat. It is not known whether he was killed during the battle, or was simply considered too obscure for further mention by classical historians.[6] Classics scholar Barry S. Strauss noted that his obscurity might also have been another sign of how little attention the Roman Senate gave Spartacus in 73 BC.[7]

Portrayals in fiction

[edit]

In screen adaptations of the life of Spartacus, Glaber has been portrayed:

Notes

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Appian conflates the names of Varinius and Claudius Glaber, writing Varinios Glabros, not Varinius Faber, as in the Ancient Sourcebook translation, cf. Broughton 2.115 n. 1
  2. ^ Strauss, Barry S. (2009). The Spartacus War (1st Simon & Schuster hardcover ed.). New York: Simon & Schuster. p. 3. ISBN 978-1-4165-3205-7.
  3. ^ Appian, Civil Wars, 1:116.
  4. ^ a b Frontinus, Stratagems, Book I, 5:20–22 and Book VII:6.
  5. ^ Plutarch, Crassus, 9:1–3; Frontinus, Stratagems, Book I, 5:20–22; Appian, Civil Wars, 1:116; Broughton, Magistrates of the Roman Republic, p. 109. Note: Plutarch and Frontinus write of expeditions under the command of "Clodius the praetor" and "Publius Varinus", while Appian writes of "Varinius Glaber" and "Publius Valerius".
  6. ^ Strauss, p. 61.
  7. ^ Strauss, p. 52.

Bibliography

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Ancient sources mentioning Glaber include:

Further reading

[edit]
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