Lentulus Batiatus was a Roman lanista from Capua who was the master of Spartacus before his slave uprising in 73-71 BC.
Biography[]
Batiatus in Libya, 73 BC
Lentulus Batiatus was a lanista, a trainer and trader of gladiators, based in the Roman port city of Capua in southern Italy. He sought to pursue money, power, and political status, and he married the Roman noblewoman Lucretia, who was just as ambitious as he; he was also great friends with the politician Gracchus. Batiatus' ambition led to his former friend Marcus Decius Solonius becoming his rival, and Batiatus accused Solonius of having inferior gladiators and of constantly plotting. Batiatus himself was a plotter, attempting to curry favor with the powerful Marcus Licinius Crassus and his supporters.
In 73 BC, Batiatus purchased the Thracian slave Spartacus and made him a gladiator, and Spartacus became a very successful champion of his after being trained by the former gladiator Marcellus. Batiatus would later face a rebellion by 70 gladiators when they escaped from his gladiatorial school, with Spartacus and Batiatus' former champion, Crixus, leading them; Marcellus was the first killed during the uprising. Batiatus was ruined by the loss of his gladiators, and he later came to Crassus and attempted to convince him to make him the agent at the auction of the captured slave rebels following the uprising's suppression in 71 BC. However, Crassus instead had all of the slaves executed when they refused to give up their leader, Spartacus, and Batiatus was flogged when he protested. Batiatus' ally Gracchus then hired him, for 2,000,000 cisterces, to rescue the slave Varinia (who used to belong to Batiatus) from Crassus. Batiatus brought her to Gracchus, who gave her freedom papers and sent her with Batiatus to escape to Gallia Aquitania, where Batiatus had relatives. On the way out of Gracchus' estate, Varinia came across a crucified Spartacus and showed him their baby before bidding farewell to him and leaving with Batiatus.