descended from Greek colonists and have no love for Rome. Spartacus, now styling himself ‘Imperator’ negotiates a truce with the Council of Thurium, a deal decidedly more in favour of the slave army, who now style themselves the Sun City. They commence the building of a new city, where all are equal, all work for the common good, all share the same (meagre) food. Spartacus enforces new laws with harsh discipline. Fulvius the lawyer from Capua commences a chronicle of the movement (which is never to be completed), and becomes the main political advisor to Spartacus. With a population of 100,000, they receive emissaries from other polities and negotiate treaties and trade relations, including with the pirates that rule the nearby seas. They try unsuccessfully to encourage other slave populations to rise against Rome. But when the sea routes are closed by naval battles, food becomes even more meagre and the murmuring of the population becomes major. One group decides to attack and loot the rich city of Metapontum. The surviving attackers are brought back by Spartacus's loyalists and the leaders crucified, which further increases discontent. Cut off by a large approaching Roman army led by Crassus, they bargain with the pirate fleet to convey them to Sicily, but are abandoned by them after handing over all their remaining money. They finally depart, destroying the Sun City behind them. A group led by Crixus, mainly Celts and Gauls, fights the Roman legions but is destroyed. Spartacus tries to negotiate an honourable surrender with Crassus, but is unsuccessful. Battle is joined. The slave army are defeated and Spartacus killed. The survivors are crucified or sold into slavery. Reception The novel is generally not as well known to English-speaking audiences as the later American novel on this topic, Spartacus (1951), by Howard Fast, a bestseller adapted for Stanley Kubrick's award-winning 1960 film of the same name, which reached wide audiences and stimulated sales of Fast's novel. See also Spartacus (1951) novel by Howard Fast, which was adapted for the 1960 film. Spartacus, 1931 novel by the Scottish writer Lewis Grassic Gibbon. References 1939 British novels Novels by Arthur Koestler Novels about Spartacus British historical novels Jonathan Cape books Novels set in the 1st century BC 1939 debut novels