Stories like Whitfields, and Marcus very repetitions of such key Stoic meditations reflect thathowever critics of this conception of philosophy paint it, superciliously, as facileto attain such philosophical serenity is anything but easy. In his 2 years of revolt, Spartacus won at least 9 major victories against Roman forces. This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. Italy had unprecedented wealth, including over 1 million slaves. Part of the shows grand appeal was the dramatic lifestyle featured in the show, especially between the wealthy and the slaves. The name Spartacus is otherwise manifested in the Black Sea region. After about a year, the group mobilized and started traveling throughout the Roman Empire. "Spartakus. Socrates, on trial for his life, protested that all his philosophising had aimed at doing was turning the Athenians attention away from the pursuits of money, power and fame towards taking care, first of all, of their inner lives. The Roman force under Gellius caught up with Crixus, killing the leader along with many of his rebels. However, according to Cicero (Ad Atticum VI, ii, 8) at the beginning his followers were much less than 50. communist states of Central and Eastern Europe, Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of Spartacus, "Oeuvres 53, vol. Plutarch wrote that, just before the battle, Spartacus got off his horse, killed the beast, and told his men that if he won the battle, he would have many fine horses that belonged to the enemy, but if he lost he would have no need of a horse. The battle went poorly. Spartacus took the initiative, having his newly liberated slaves build rope out of wild vines so they could move down the mountainside to a spot the Roman had neglected to defend. In reality, his forces had sneaked off and were able to orchestrate an ambush.. Spartacus was eventually defeated by a much larger, 8-legion army under the leadership of Crassus. Be Here Now is as good an example of what this philosophical paradox might mean as we can offer to our students. Spartacuss own men probably vetoed him, writes Barry Strauss, a Classics professor at Cornell University, in his book The Spartacus War (Simon & Schuster, 2009). He deserted the army, was outlawed, captured, sold into slavery, and trained at the gladiatorial school of Batiatus in Capua. Hecontinues to embody class struggle in a very clear and resonant way. [4], The Greek essayist Plutarch describes Spartacus as "a Thracian of Nomadic stock",[5] in a possible reference to the Maedi tribe. In one of the more powerful moments in Be Here Now, Vashti reminds her husband of how, before each scene in the Spartacus series, Andy would steel or rev himself up for the combat. Though little is known about Spartacus early life, historians believe he may once have served in the Roman army. For those unfamiliar with it, Spartacus was a Starz original TV series that ran from 2010-2013 and focused on the legend of the famous figure. With around 3,000 Romans in pursuit, the escapees headed for Mount Vesuvius, where heavy forest provided cover. Additionally Crassuss force was still largely intact while another force, led by Marcus Terentius Varro Lucullus, was about to land at Brundisium and a third force, led by Pompey, was on its way to Italy from Spain. Now seriously alarmed, the Romans sent in a second military force under Publius Varinius. Associate Professor in Philosophy, Deakin University, Matthew Sharpe works at Deakin. The move against Spartacus on Mount Vesuvius unfolded in a very similar manner to real life. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Spartacus was around 30 years old at the time he started his revolt,[17] which would put his birth year around 103 BC. Most known for: the leader of the slave revolt against Rome in the first century BC. National Geographic Headquarters 1145 17th Street NW Washington, DC 20036. Spartacus defeated the two consuls for the year 72 and fought his way northward toward the Alps, hoping to be able to disperse his soldiers to their homelands once they were outside Italy. Leading his army of runaway slaves, which has been estimated to have reached 100,000 men, Spartacus defeated a series of Roman attacks using tactics which would now be called guerrilla warfare. All sources agree that he was a former gladiator and an accomplished military leader. The series comes to an end in an epic battle of troops and a personal mano-a-mano bloody, bloody sword fight between Spartacus and Crassus. [29] They spent the winter of 7372 BC training, arming and equipping their new recruits, and expanding their raiding territory to include the towns of Nola, Nuceria, Thurii and Metapontum. [48] Six thousandsurvivors of the revolt captured by the legions of Crassus were crucified, lining the Appian Way from Rome to Capua.[49]. 1996 - 2023 National Geographic Society. Little is known about this fighting enslaved man from Thrace beyond his role in the spectacular revolt that became known as the Third Servile War (73-71 BCE). The last straw might simply have been the sight of the Alps. After being carried off by Agron, he died peacefully as a contingent of former slaves he worked to free and protect indeed made it to safety. Corrections? For information on user permissions, please read our Terms of Service. Initial treatment indicated remission. Different peoples and generations discover and rediscover these across time, faced with the same difficulties that attend finite human lives, independently of culture and discourse. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Rome dispatched militia under the command of the praetor Gaius Claudius Glaber, who besieged Spartacus and his camp on Mount Vesuvius, hoping that starvation would force Spartacus to surrender. She or he will best know the preferred format. Despite Crassus having cornered Spartacus forces in the toe of Italy, theymanaged to escape. While Glaber himself was very real, there is nothing to suggest that the two men knew each other by anything other than reputation. Even after all medical options had been exhausted and his death became imminent, Andys actions bespeak very clearly which choice he had made. Doing so serves as a great callback to the original film while also showing how Spartacus evolved as an ideal. Gradually, more escaped slaves joined their . Spartacus: 5 Things That Are Historically Accurate (& 5 Things That Are Completely Fabricated), 15 Best Movies Set In Ancient Rome, Ranked (According To Rotten Tomatoes), Quintus Batiatus might not make a lot of sense in the show, 14 Movies To Watch If You Love The Roman Empire, whether he needed this large amount of screen time or not, The Most Historically Accurate Movies, According To IMDb, 5 Things That Are Historically Accurate In Peaky Blinders (& 5 That Aren't). The real-life battle between the two was likely much more politically driven than personal. Find out more about how the BBC is covering the. "How lucky we were to have him grace all our lives. Biography: Early Life. Sarah Appleton, National Geographic Society. However, in a moment of extraordinary ingenuity, the rebels abseiled down the mountain with ropes created fromvines. You cannot download interactives. Genner, Michael. 111 BC was a completely different time in human history. Who will suffer your course to be just as you plan it? It is a matter, not of words, but of facts. Anne Franks Legacy: How Her Story Changed the World. Italy hadunprecedented wealth, including over 1 million slaves. After defeating two Roman forces in succession, the rebels overran most of southern Italy. In 2010, Whitfield was a young man with everything to look forward to. truly, this world is little better than an arena in which gladiators kill and die for the others sport etc. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. The ethic of the gladiators is a kind of grim Stoicism, as this ancient philosophy is usually understood: one of joylessly facing down adversity, buoyed only by the hopeless hope of glory in the arena. [8] The authors refer to the Thracian tribe of the Maedi,[9][10][11] which occupied the area on the southwestern fringes of Thrace, along its border with the Roman province of Macedonia present day south-western Bulgaria. In 73 BC Spartacus escaped from the gladiatorial barracks with around 70 comrades, armed with kitchen implements and a few scattered weapons. However, both versions of the famous quote are entirely fictitious. He undertakes, in total, some eleven rounds of chemotherapy, and one bout of radiography: exhausting every possible therapeutic avenue. In his military life he was even more ruthless. It served as a visual demonstration to his own men of what would happen to them if they did not win, wrote Appian. Spartacuss cavalry was apparently unable to reach Crassuss missile throwers and archers. Regardless of his true death, the story of Spartacus ends after the Third Servile War. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Read about our approach to external linking. Unfortunately, this famous saying is purely derived from the example set by Spartacus and isnt actually a part of his history. After defeating another Roman force, this one led by a Roman governor named Gaius Cassius Longinus, Spartacuss force was now free to climb the Alps and go to Gaul, Thrace or other areas not controlled by Rome. He was considered a brave and able leader who fought against tremendous odds with remarkable success. This man, and another person named Publius Valerius, whom they despatched later, did not command the regular citizen army of legions, but rather whatever forces they could hastily conscript on the spot, wrote Appian, a writer who also lived in the second century A.D. (translation by Brent Shaw). [58] This name was also used for the mass gymnastics exhibition held every five years in Czechoslovakia. Spartacus (approximately 100-71 BCE), was a gladiator from Thrace who led a major revolt against Rome. According to Plutarch, Spartacus made a bargain with Cilician pirates to transport him and some 2,000 of his men to Sicily, where he intended to incite a slave revolt and gather reinforcements. The series focused on Spartacus during three key moments in his life, from his time as a slave all the way to his death. Andy Whitfield knew for at least three months that, at age 39, he was going very soon to pass away. In modern times, Spartacus became an icon for communists and socialists. Spartacus. In regards to his ties with the Roman Empire, historians arent quite sure of what exactly happened. People worship the gods Ceres and Bacchus for the external bounties of grain and wine. Additionally the Roman governor of Sicily, Gaius Verres, had fortified some of the best landing spots. BBC 2014 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. The Romans, still in camp, never saw them coming. However, in his final battle, Spartacus killed his horse so that he can be on the same level as his soldiers. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). [24], The rebels also defeated a second expedition against them, nearly capturing the praetor commander, killing his lieutenants, and seizing the military equipment. Thracian gladiator who led a slave uprising. Rural slaves lived a life that better prepared them to fight in Spartacus's army. Dan has his regular catch-up with Simon Elliott on all things Roman. Strauss says that we cannot be sure where it was fought but it was likely somewhere in the Upper Silarus Valley. Strauss notes that he was a wealthy individual, able to raise a large army and pay them, at least in part, out of his own pocket. Whatever the truth of the story, you are unlikely to learn much about it by watching the 2010-2013 Starz series Spartacus which dramatizes the Thracian slave-come-gladiators epic story. Even Cicero is not so well remembered, writes Strauss. History Hit brings you the stories that shaped the world through our award winning podcast network and an online history channel. How Much of Tacitus Agricola Can We Really Believe? I will always be with you and will always be watching over you. Spartacus, Crixus, and Oenomaus led their army efficiently and cleverly. Updated on July 28th, 2022 by Stuart Kilmartin: Almost ten years since Spartacus concluded its three-season run with Spartacus: War of the Damned, the series continues to be one of the best sword-and-sandal television shows set during the Ancient Roman period. [31] The two legions were initially successfuldefeating a group of 30,000 rebels commanded by Crixus near Mount Garganus[32]but then were defeated by Spartacus. Gradually, more escaped slaves joined their ranks. [50][clarification needed], Toussaint Louverture, a leader of the slave revolt that led to the independence of Haiti, has been called the "Black Spartacus". It was acclaimed as the first truly intelligent epic, but its director, the highly acclaimed Stanley Kubrick, has largely disowned it.Kubrick took the assignment, partially as a way of escaping the ill-fated One-Eyed Jacks project he was . Indeed, slave rebellions were not uncommon. Spartacus was a Roman slave and gladiator who led a revolt against Rome, which turned into the Third Servile War (73 B.C.E. This illustration depicts his death in battle. At one point, explaining why he is not raging at his fate, Whitfield explains simply that there are two ways he could respond. Whether he realistically threatened Rome is debatable, but he certainly won a number of sensational victories and was thus written into the history books. AOC under investigation for Met Gala dress, Mother who killed her five children euthanised, The children left behind in Cuba's exodus, US sues Exxon over nooses found at Louisiana plant, Alex Murdaugh jailed for life for double murder, Coded hidden note led to Italy mafia boss arrest. He joined the Roman legion when he was a teenager, but he really didn't like life in the legion, so he deserted. Read more. This was a remarkable achievement, even given that he had a massiveforce at his disposal. Hearing of Pompey's involvement, Spartacus tried to make a truce with Crassus. Whitfield died on Sunday in Sydney, Australia, 18 months after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, his family and manager said. Whatever the reasons were Spartacus led his army back south, through Italy, overcoming resistance along the way, until they arrived at the Strait of Messina, in hopes that they could cross over to Sicily, an island of agriculture and slaves waiting to be liberated. However, while the legend of Spartacus is based on true events, much of the legend is still fictional. National Geographic Society is a 501 (c)(3) organization. It is speculated that he died at the end of the Third Servile War when Marcus Crassus forces finally overwhelmed Spartacus soldiers. Crixus was a Gallic gladiator and military leader in the Third Servile War between the Roman Republic and rebel slaves. Though the show finds a clever way to spin the ending of the show with the actual theories around his death, audiences still get to see Spartacus final moments. He also revived a practice called decimation where units that ran away from the enemy would draw lots and have a random number of soldiers killed by being clubbed or stoned to death. Around 6,000 of his followers who escaped were hunted down and crucified. Spartacus was an ancient Roman slave and gladiator who led a rebellion against the Roman Republic. [57] A January 1919 uprising by communists in Germany was called the Spartacist uprising. What's the least amount of exercise we can get away with? Born in Gaul, he was enslaved by the Romans under unknown circumstances and trained as a gladiator in Capua. Strauss points out that he had killed his horse before the battle and probably did not embellish his armor. Due to the previous Social War (9187 BC), some of Spartacus's ranks were legion veterans. These final deeds and words were felt to display the real measure of their philosophies as shaping what Socrates called examined lives. It is believed that Spartacus died in this battle; there were so many corpses that his . He even reports feeling selfish to the extent that he has achieved this peace, knowing that his children will miss their father, and his wife her best friend and husband. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Audiences see Spartacus as he trains under the house of Cornelius Batiatus. This success resulted in new recruits flocking to the force of Spartacus. It is generally accepted that Spartacus was born in Thrace (today's the Balkans). Actor Liam McIntyre took over Whitfield's role in the TV series when he became ill. "On a beautiful sunny Sydney spring morning, surrounded by his family, in the arms of his loving wife, our beautiful young warrior Andy Whitfield lost his 18-month battle with lymphoma cancer," his wife said in a statement. Furthermore a split emerged in the rebel camp. "We were fortunate to have worked with Andy in Spartacus and came to know that the man who played a champion on-screen was also a champion in his own life," Albrecht said in a statement. Spartacus. Likewise, most major battles that take place in the show actually took place in real life. Roman slave and gladiator, and leader of a famous slave revolt. He appears to have served. Not a whole lot of history regarding Spartacus has survived. 283", "Tribes, Dynasts and Kingdoms of Northern Greece: History and Numismatics", A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, "Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, page 494", "AUSXIP Spartacus: Blood and Sand TV Show Lucy Lawless Sam Raimi & Rob Tapert", "DC's Legends of Tomorrow: Shawn Roberts in an unexpected guest appearance", Spartacus' Uprising and Soviet Historical Writing, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Spartacus&oldid=1140917772, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia indefinitely semi-protected pages, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2011, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2013, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from October 2013, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Spartak Odesa, a football team competed in the, Spartak Kharkiv, a football team competed in the, The "Spartacus Overture" was written by composer, In the expandable miniature wargaming system. Once again, the first season of the show reflects a lot of accurate history. , If you should live three thousand years, yet remember this, that no man loses any other life than that he now lives; and that he now lives no other life than what he is parting with, every instant . [54] Spartacus Books, one of the longest running collectively-run leftist book stores in North America, is also named in his honour. Can Nigeria's election result be overturned? The Romans despatched a praetor named Gaius Claudius Glaber to form an army to crush the slaves. Why were the legionaries so successful, and how did they maintain that success for several centuries? Destined for the arena, in 73 bce he, with a band of his fellow gladiators, broke out of a training school at Capua . Instead, he was considered part of the dregs of society. He appears to have served in a Roman auxiliary unit for a time, deserted and became either a bandit or insurgent against the Romans. Spartacus attempted to lead his rowdy band back home to their native lands, but they preferred to stay and increase their ill-gotten gains. Season one of Spartacus focuses heavily on how the legend began. Here's how to watch. Eine Gegengeschichte des Altertums nach den Legenden der Zigeuner". Sources differ on why Spartacus took this course of action. He is married to Senator Albinius's favored daughter, Ilithyia, who both supports her husband's actions politically and emotionally, by personally seeing to it that Glaber's greatest enemy, Spartacus, suffers as much pain as possible. Spartacus was believed to have died in this battle. Spartacus was sold into slavery, perhaps due to rebellion against or desertion from the army. Most people worship heroes like Hercules, or the Spartacus depicted for adolescents in series like Spartacus: Blood and Sand, for their great bodily strength and feats: However, unless our hearts are purified, what battles and dangers must then insinuate themselves in us, against our will! Although the Cilicians made an agreement with Spartacus and accepted his gifts, they deceived him and sailed away, wrote Plutarch. Legend tells that when the Romans defeated the slave revolt led by the gladiator Spartacus in 71 BCE, they searched in vain for the real Spartacus. Born in roughly 109 B.C.E., his life's mostly a mystery to history until he became a thorn in the side of the Roman Empire. How did Spartacus die in real life? Spartacus had not only escaped the trap but had mauled the Roman army, allowing his troops to march to the Alps. Your job, she tells him, is notimpossibly to control what he cannot. In this scene, as Spartacus and his army are captured, Spartacus stands up declaring I am Spartacus as a means of hoping to spare the rest of his allies. Spartacus represents the pinnacle of the epic film trend which included spectaculars such as Cleopatra, Ben Hur, and Fall of the Roman Empire. The legend of Spartacus is so popular that it has been adapted into several forms of media over the years, including the 1960 film by Stanley Kubrick. Why he did this is a mystery. This was a well-established source for slaves, and Spartacus was just one of the many who made the trek into Italy. "[28], In these altercations, Spartacus proved to be an excellent tactician, suggesting that he may have had previous military experience. [41], At this time, the legions of Pompey returned from Hispania and were ordered by the Senate to head south to aid Crassus. Jack is an avid reader and writer with a plethora of works in all genres. [30] The distance between these locations and the subsequent events indicate that the slaves operated in two groups commanded by the remaining leaders Spartacus and Crixus. Spartacus was now isolated further. [citation needed], In the spring of 72 BC, the rebels left their winter encampments and began to move northward. In many ways, however, the real story of the series Spartacus unfolded off-screen. He is thought to have been born in Thrace (modern day Balkan region) and it has been suggested he was in the Roman army. For they are fatal to the ability to live completely whatever our particular fate happens to be: You will hear many men saying: After my fiftieth year I shall retire into leisure, my sixtieth year shall release me from public duties. And what guarantee, pray, have you that your life will last longer? There was a bit of Graffiti found in Pompeii showing Spartacus fighting written in the local Oscan language. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. When the Romans fled, the slaves seized their camp, Plutarch wrote. Several sports clubs around the world, in particular the former Soviet and the Communist bloc, were named after the Roman gladiator. Copyright 20102023, The Conversation Media Group Ltd, But all things excellent are as difficult as they are rare, Associate Lecturer, Creative Writing and Literature, Lecturer / Senior Lecturer, Emerging Technologies, Committee Member - MNF Research Advisory Committee. He defeated Lentulus legates and captured all of their supplies, Plutarch writes. And this usage reflects one, much older sense of the Greek word philosophia than that or those confusedly used today. [25] Due to these successes, more and more slaves flocked to the Spartacan forces, as did many of the herdsmen and shepherds of the region, swelling their ranks to some 70,000. He has become a modern-day inspirational figure. A Roman soldier who deserted but was later recaptured. The maxim Be Here Now reflects a philosophical attitude to existence close to the heart of Buddhism, in the East, and to Stoicism in particular, in the West. . The show plays out a lot of similar battle strategies used by the Romans and depicts the results rather accurately. The slaves not only annihilated this army as well but "Spartacus himself actually . This left Spartacus with no choice but to take his force north to face a Roman leader more ruthless than any he had encountered before. Each man may have commanded 10,000 troops. A dissident group led by Castus and Gannicus, which included many Celtic and German troops, broke away from Spartacus and set off on their own. In this area, since 1899, there have been finds of armour and swords of the Roman era. Spartacus is said to have hacked down two centurions in this final attempt, however it was in vain. [27] Of the slaves that joined Spartacus ranks, many were from the countryside. Undeterred Spartacus ordered his troops to assemble boats of their own and, while they succeeded in building a number of them, their attempt to cross the strait failed, leaving his troops stuck on the Italian mainland. Rome did not respond to Spartacus growing force seriously. [51] Appian also states that he later abandoned that goal, which might have been no more than a reflection of Roman fears. Spartacus is written into history as a significant enemy who posed a very real treat to Rome. He was captured and subsequently sold as a slave. The Father of History: Who Was Herodotus. Appian and Florus write that he intended to march on Rome itself. He then turned back south in an effort to reach Sicily but was defeated by Marcus Licinius Crassus. This story is told in the extraordinary documentary: Be Here Now: the Andy Whitfield Story. [20], About 70[21] slaves were part of the plot. He also certainly did not infiltrate Spartacus armies and spy on him in any manner. At this point, many of the herdsmen and shepherds from the surrounding regions hard-bodied and swift-footed men came to join the slaves.. Five out of twenty Kings of the Thracian Spartocid dynasty of the Cimmerian Bosporus[13] and Pontus[14] are known to have borne it, and a Thracian "Sparta" "Spardacus"[15] or "Sparadokos",[16] father of Seuthes I of the Odrysae, is also known. [56] Spartacus has been a great inspiration to left-wing revolutionaries, most notably the German Spartacus League (191518), a forerunner of the Communist Party of Germany. In actuality, his wife actually spent time with him at the house and even escaped with him and the other slaves. Legend tells that when the Romans defeated the slave revolt led by the gladiator Spartacus in 71 BCE, they searched in vain for the real Spartacus. At the same time, the Roman Senate, alarmed by the defeat of the praetorian forces, dispatched a pair of consular legions under the command of Lucius Gellius and Gnaeus Cornelius Lentulus Clodianus. He enjoys writing screenplays and comics in his free time and considers himself to be incredibly nerdy. It may be amongst the more difficult things you can achieve: But all things excellent are as difficult as they are rare.. Though ordered not to engage the rebels, Mummius attacked at a seemingly opportune moment but was routed. The classical philosopher Plato claimed in his Phaedo that to philosophise is to learn how to die. Other characters, such as Gannicus and Castus, were also real-life individuals who participated in Spartacus rebellion. [26] At its height, Spartacus's army included many different peoples, including Celts, Gauls, and others. Whitfield played the title role in all 13 episodes of the first series, screened in 2010, and was about to shoot the second series when he was diagnosed with cancer. Rome in the 1st century BC By the 1st century BC, Rome had gathered supreme control of the Mediterranean in a series of bloody wars. He turned to a group of Cilician pirates (as Plutarch called them) who frequented the area and, who Strauss notes, were equipped with speedy boats and navigational knowledge, things Spartacus needed to make the crossing successfully. In an interview with the Deadline Hollywood website last year, Whitfield said having cancer had taught him some important lessons. Owen Jarus is a regular contributor to Live Science who writes about archaeology and humans' past. Little is known about him beyond the events of the war, and surviving historical accounts are sometimes contradictory. The body of Spartacus was apparently never identified. Spartacuss force was now divided and increasingly surrounded and the stage was set for the final battle. This philosophy, never explicitly discussed, was evidently very deeply influenced by Buddhismas well as by the profound strength and support of the love of his life. With about 70 fellow gladiators he escaped a gladiatorial training school at Capua in 73 and took refuge on Mount Vesuvius, where other runaway slaves joined the band. Image credit: Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons. One of the people Spartacus escaped with was his wife, a Thracian woman whose name is lost to history. Manu Bennet asCrixus played an especially big role, much like the real Crixus did. Around 130 BC there had been a huge, sustained uprising in Sicily, and smaller conflagrations were frequent. He tried to leave the army. Which is better only God knows. They marched as far north as Gaul (modern-day France). Conditions were ripe for a massive slave revolt. Classical historians were divided as to the motives of Spartacus. I am like a butterfly with broken wings. In 71 B.C.E., General Marcus Licinius Crassus defeated the rebel army at Lucania, about 56 kilometers (35 miles) southeast of Naples. Spartacus originated from Thrace (largely modern day Bulgaria). The show featured a very large supporting cast, many of whom audiences grew attached to. His army of nearly 100,000 overran most of southern Italy and fought its way up the entire length of the Italian Peninsula to the Alps. When you reach out to him or her, you will need the page title, URL, and the date you accessed the resource. Here, Marcus Crassus made his final stance against Spartacus, and with vastly superior numbers.