Crixus

Crixus (died 72 BC) was a Gallic gladiator, who along with the Thracian Spartacus, and the fellow Gauls Oenomaus, Castus, Gannicus was one of the leaders of the slave rebellion in the Third Servile War.

He was a Gaul (his name means "one with curly hair" in Gaulish), and had been a slave for several years before the revolt. Crixus had fought for the Allobroges against the Romans and had been captured. Like his companions, Crixus had trained as a gladiator in Capua.

Initially, the slave army proved very successful, defeating the forces the Roman Senate sent to put down the insurrection; however, Crixus separated from Spartacus towards the end of the year.

Crixus was slain by consul L. Gellious in the battle near mount Gar-ganus in 72 B.C. Soon after, Spartacus sacrificed 300 Roman captives to the name of Crixus.

Plutarch’s Description of Crixus Last Events

Following the battle against Gellius legion, Crixus met his death. Spartacus and his forces then battled the army under Lentulus control. Spartacus defeated most of Lentulus’s men. After capturing most of the resources left behind by their opponents, Spartacus moved forward into northern Italy.

Appian’s Description of Crixus Last Events Crixus forces and Gellius men engaged in a fight near Mount Garganus that kindled a strenuous series of military tactics that nearly resulted in the Spartacan men directly attacking the city of Rome. Gellius defeated Crixus and advanced northward. They then pursued Spartacus’s forces who were moving quickly to Cisalpine Gaul. Lentulus and his men stationed themselves in between Cisalpine to block Spartacus’ path, and hoped to capture them. Spartacus’ men finally met Lentulus, and defeated him. Spartacus turned his forces around and beat Gellius’ forces right after that. The men who were left over from Lentulus and Gellius’s forces were manipulated by Spartacus to battle each other to the death. Spartacus did this gladiator like tribute in honor of his friend Crixus's death.

In popular culture

 * Crixus was portrayed by Jon Ireland in the 1960 film Spartacus.
 * Crixus appears as a character in Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of Spartacus, played by ex-Marillion lead singer, Fish.
 * Crixus is portrayed by Paul Kynman in the 2004 TV movie Spartacus.
 * Crixus was played by Manu Bennett in the Starz television series Spartacus: Blood and Sand, the prequel Spartacus: Gods of the Arena and sequels Spartacus: Vengeance and Spartacus: War of the Damned. Contrasting the 1960 film, in which Crixus and Spartacus quickly become close friends, the Starz series initially portrays them as intense rivals with a near-hatred of one another. It is not until the rebellion that the two become respected friends.
 * In the expandable turn-based miniature wargaming system Heroscape, Crixus is a unique gladiator hero, who does not die at Roman hands, but is summoned to the world of Valhalla to follow the Valkyrie General Einar.