SPARTACUS MONUMENT COMPLEX

Sandanski is known as the birthplace of the legendary Thracian Spartacus. In the history his name is covered with the glory of the main organizer of the uprising, which broke out in the gladiatorial school in Capua city, not far from Rome in ’73 BC. The rebellion grew rapidly and only for months the detachment of Spartacus out of 74 slaves became a 120 thousandth army. It swept everything in the front of itself. To the praetor Marcus Licinius Crassus are given dictatorial powers, the forgotten for decades decimation is introduced in the army, the armies of Pompey  from Spain and Lucullus from Thrace are called to help. In ’71 BC. Crassus won the crucial battle in North Luka near the river Silarus and after that 6,000 captured slaves were crucified all along the Via Appia from Capua to Rome. Among them is Spartacus. The uprising of Spartacus is reflected in the works of many ancient authors and although he was an enemy of Rome, they did not hide their admiration for him. Plutarch, for example, wrote: “Gladiators chose three leaders from which the first became Spartacus, a Thracian man from the tribe Medi, who not only possessed a great courage and physical strength, but also intelligence and humanity.” This passage is very important because it confirms the thesis of the origin of Spartak, from the tribe Medi inhabited the lands around the present town of Sandanski. It is assumed that he was born in the ancient settlement located east of the village of Sklave. Hence the name of the village – “Sclav-” in Latin – slave. Today there is held the annual fair associated with the legend of Spartacus.

This legendary Thracian and his local background are immortalized with Spartacus Memorial Complex, which welcomes and sees off the visitors of Sandanski at the very entrance of the town. The Spartacus Memorial Complex is one of the symbols of Sandanski resting on the remains of an ancient town.