The sites and museums along Hadrian’s Wall Path National Trail

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Bowness-on-Solway, Carlisle, complete solitude, Empires the World, epic story of Rome’s rise and fall, Hadrian's Wall Country, Hadrian's Wall Path National Trail, Hexham, Maryport, Newcastle upon Tyne, north of England, Northumberland, rare wildlife, Ravenglass, South Shields, spectacular landscapes, The Roman Empire, vibrant cities, Wallsend, west Cumbrian Roman coastal defences, Whitehaven, wonderful pubs, Workington, world class archaeology, World Heritage Site

Hadrian’s Wall Country stretches across the north of England from the west Cumbrian Roman coastal defences at Ravenglass, through Whitehaven, Workington and Maryport to Bowness-on-Solway, along Hadrian’s Wall through Carlisle to Hexham in Northumberland and on to Newcastle upon Tyne, Wallsend and South Shields.

Unlike many other historic places, Hadrian’s Wall Country has something for everyone – world class archaeology, spectacular landscapes, rare wildlife, complete solitude, vibrant cities, wonderful pubs and a population of friendly and welcoming people. Hadrian’s Wall Country offers infinite opportunities for cherished memories and special moments. The sheer scale of the World Heritage Site combined with the four seasons, the living landscape and the people who live, work and visit here mean it is an ever changing canvas. It is where history is accessible to all, where adults and children learn and it is where the Romans are still part of everyday life 1,600 years after they left.

The Roman Empire was one of the largest, most powerful and influential Empires the World has ever seen. The Frontiers of the Roman Empire World Heritage Site reveals the epic story of Rome’s rise and fall – grand tales of Imperial ambition, personal dramas, political intrigue and commercial exploitation on a scale not seen until modern times.

Read more: The sites and museums along Hadrian’s Wall

Read also Amalia Angellinni’s Vengeance & Remission. It is a fictional story about a Roman soldier, Marcus Lucius, son of the great warrior Maximus, who protects his friends (Appius, Octavian) and falls in love in Julia Fabia, while he is on the way to revenge his killed wife, Decima. It’s a story with many risky actions, intrigues and it’s about friendship, loyalty and of course love. It’s set in the times of the emperor Hadrian.

Book reviews: Amalia Angellinni’s Vengeance & Remission

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Spartacus: the most famous gladiator—and probably the most famous slave—in history

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Amal Donkol, Capua, Celt Gannicus, crucified along the Appian Way from Rome to Capua, fictional versions of Spartacus's story, fight for freedom, fight for liberty, Gauls Crixus, gladiator, Goldsworthy, Σπάρτακος, Kirk Douglas, Lewis Grassic Gibbon, major slave uprising against the Roman Republic, Max Gallo, Oenomaus, probably the most famous slave in history, Raffaello Giovagnoli, revolt, Roman Castus, Roman Republic, Rome, Spartacus, Spártakos, the most famous gladiator, Third Servile War, Thracian gladiator

Mr. Goldsworthy’s books on the ancient world include “Caesar” (2006), “How Rome Fell” (2009) and “Antony and Cleopatra” (2010). Now he published “Spartacus”.

What do we actually know about the most famous gladiator in the history?

Spartacus (Greek: Σπάρτακος, Spártakos; Latin: Spartacus) (c. 109–71 BC) was a Thracian gladiator, who along with the Gauls Crixus and Oenomaus, a Roman Castus, and a Celt Gannicus, was one of the slave leaders in the Third Servile War, a major slave uprising against the Roman Republic. Spartacus is the most famous gladiator—and probably the most famous slave—in history, and yet in many ways we really know very little about him. From 73 to 71 B.C. he led a slave revolt in Italy, shaking the Roman Republic by trouncing army after army until he was finally defeated and killed. The fear he inspired was reflected by the spectacular cruelty of the punishment that followed: 6,000 survivors of the rebel army (which had numbered in the tens of thousands) were crucified along the Appian Way from Rome to Capua, some 130 miles away. This ghastly reprisal was one of the reasons that the Romans never again faced a serious slave rebellion.

Spartacus fought for liberty and ultimately lost, but his story remains intensely romantic and continues to provide inspiration for fictional versions. Little is known about Spartacus beyond the events of the war, and surviving historical accounts are sometimes contradictory and may not always be reliable. All sources agree that he was a former gladiator and an accomplished military leader.

Read more: He Was Spartacus – What do we actually know about the most famous gladiator in history?

Book review by ADRIAN GOLDSWORTHY

Literature (according wikipedia)

• Howard Fast wrote the historical novel Spartacus, the basis of Stanley Kubrick‘s 1960 film starring Kirk Douglas.
• Arthur Koestler wrote a novel about Spartacus called The Gladiators.
• The Scottish writer Lewis Grassic Gibbon wrote a novel Spartacus.
• The Italian writer Raffaello Giovagnoli wrote his historical novel, Spartacus, in 1874. His novel has been subsequently translated and published in many European countries.
• The Reverend Elijah Kellogg‘s Spartacus to the Gladiators at Capua has been used effectively by schoolboys to practice their oratory skills for ages.
• Amal Donkol, the Egyptian modern poet wrote “The Last Words of Spartacus”.
• Max Gallo wrote the novel Les Romains.Spartacus.La Revolte des Esclaves, Librairie Artheme Fayard, 2006.

Read also Amalia Angellinni’s Vengeance & Remission. It is a fictional story about a Roman soldier, Marcus Lucius, son of the great warrior Maximus, who protects his friends (Appius, Octavian) and falls in love in Julia Fabia, while he is on the way to revenge his killed wife, Decima. It’s a story with many risky actions, intrigues and it’s about friendship, loyalty and of course love. It’s set in the times of the emperor Hadrian.