Spar ‧ ta ‧ cus /ˈspɑːtəkəs $ ˈspɑːr-/ BrE AmE
(died 71 BC) a Roman ↑ gladiator (=a man who fought against other men or wild animals to entertain people) , who led a large army of ↑ slave s in a ↑ revolt against their Roman owners. Eventually they were defeated by Roman armies, and many of them were killed by being crucified (↑ crucify ). His story is told in the film Spartacus (1960).