The Bizarre Life Of The Man Who Killed Spartacus

If you only know Marcus Crassus as the man who killed Spartacus, then there's plenty more to learn about him, like the crooked ways he made his money and his comically tragic end. Here are some of the strangest details about "the richest man in Rome."

In the Roman naming system of the late Republic, male citizens typically had three names. The first was a personal name, largely meant to distinguish men from their brothers. The second was the name of their larger clan, while the third indicated the branch of that clan they were from. Thus, Marcus Licinius Crassus was from the Crassus branch of the Licinian clan. Many of these third names originated as nicknames, often based around a notable physical trait. Crassus, in this case, means "fat," "stupid," or "gross," the source of the English word "crass." That doesn't mean that Marcus Crassus himself was fat and gross, just that one of his ancestors was.

One branch of Crassus' family got a nicer nicknamed tacked on. They were known as the Crassi Divites or the "rich Crassuses." Despite his renown for great wealth, Marcus Crassus wasn't actually part of this branch. His much-lauded riches were acquired, not inherited.

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Succeeding despite his name | 0:00
The world's fanciest cave | 1:03
Flipping houses | 1:59
Private army | 3:04
Fire departments for extortion | 4:01
Rivalry with Pompey | 5:02
Losing credit | 5:59
The other guy | 7:17
Ill-advised invasion | 8:19
Tragic triumph | 9:18

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