One of the most known events that took place along the Appian Way involved the gladiator Spartacus. Spartacus was a shepherd who had been captured by the Romans and was sent to be a gladiator. In 73 B.C. Spartacus and eighty other slaves escaped from the gladiator school. They then took weapons from a cart going to another town. Spartacus and the other slaves got many more slaves to run away from their masters and join them in the revolt. This uprising was very important and crucial because about 1/3 of Italy's population were slaves. Spartacus fought for more than two years and defeated several Roman armies. While he was trying to escape Italy at the port of Brundisium, the ending of the Appian way; he moved his forces to Apulia. This was not a good decision because this allowed Rome to pin his forces between two of their armies. After the slaves defeat, they were deemed no longer deserving of life. In 71 B.C. 6,000 slaves were crucified along the Appian Way.
St. Peter was an apostle of Jesus and he was said to be the leader of the disciples. He took the Appian Way out of Rome to flee from Nero's persecutions in 64 A.D. According to legend, this is when Peter saw Christ, who was crucified years earlier. Peter then asked Christ "Domine, quo vadis?" which translates to "Lord, where are you going?". This phrase became very popular and became the name of the church that was built in that spot. There was more christianity involved with the Appian Way. In the villas that surrounded the road, early Christian converts allowed other Christians to worship and to ultimately be buried beneath their gardens. This caused many catacombs to be built along the Appian Way.
St. Peter was an apostle of Jesus and he was said to be the leader of the disciples. He took the Appian Way out of Rome to flee from Nero's persecutions in 64 A.D. According to legend, this is when Peter saw Christ, who was crucified years earlier. Peter then asked Christ "Domine, quo vadis?" which translates to "Lord, where are you going?". This phrase became very popular and became the name of the church that was built in that spot. There was more christianity involved with the Appian Way. In the villas that surrounded the road, early Christian converts allowed other Christians to worship and to ultimately be buried beneath their gardens. This caused many catacombs to be built along the Appian Way.