The Legend

To be burned, to be bound, to be beaten and to lay for an eternal rest beneath the sword. 

But the most important thing was to obey their master's will without question.

That was the foundation of what a gladiator lived for. With that, the flames of rebellion were ignited.

It started small, as a group of escaped gladiators decided to stop fighting for others in their yearning for freedom. For that, they decided to do it the way they knew best, by carving the path with their blade.

When the news hit Rome, the senate was too busy handling the war in Spain and the Pontic Empire to spare a thought to a bunch of unruly slaves expressing their frustration. They weren't concerned and sent around 3000 Roman soldiers to the rebels' refuge at Mount Vesuvius, blocking the only passage up the mountain. Their objective was to stall for time and wait until the rebels die of starvation.