Commentary

• ducibus .... Oenomao: Spartacus was a Thracian-born gladiator who had at served as a part of the Roman army at some point as a Roman auxiliary. Crixus and Oenomaus were both Gallic gladiators. This group of words is an ablative absolute whose construction is similar to the dating of years by the reign of consuls. AblAbs
• effracto Capuae ludo: A ludo was a gladiatorial training school. This particular ludo was located in
  Campania near Rome. AblAbs
non levius...quam: Quam here is not a relative pronoun is used with the comparative adjective levius. Tanslate as "than." CompAdv When Hannibal had crossed into Italy with his troops, he struck great blows against the Roman people across the peninsula. The Romans suffered a great loss of human life.
• Moving across Italy, Spartacus' men were joined by runaway slaves and herdsmen. His troops eventually numbered around 70,000.