Rome\'s most able general?

[Marcus Julius]

If I recall correctly, Roman citizen could not be sent to slavery without first revoking his citizenship, nor could he be punished by flogging or crucifixion. However, he could be beaten by the rods carried by lictors.

Well, I did start off by saying "if he had been a citizen". Had he been, he was a deserter, and desertion from the military was certainly grounds for expatriating someone.
Anyway, I brought up that point about Caesar being labeled an enemy of the Republic, basically to show a point: The histories are typically written by the victors. Both of these men started out on the side of good and were then considered to be enemies of Rome. Why shouldn't we consider Spartacus as one of the great leaders of his time? Is it because he was a slave, or is it because he lost? Maybe a combination of both.

The difference between a rebellion and a revolution is merely a question of who wins.

The Nazi's lost WW2, but Rommel is still considered one of the best military leaders of the time (Certainly out of period, but others have brought up Patton in the thread).