Plutarch makes no further mention of events…

Plutarch makes no further mention of events in the Third Servile War until the initial confrontation between Crassus and Spartacus in the spring of 71 BCE, omitting the march on Rome and the retreat to Thurii described by Appian.

However, as Plutarch describes Crassus forcing Spartacus' followers to retreat southwards from Picenum, one might infer that the rebel slaves approached Picenum from the south in early 71 BCE, implying that they withdrew from Mutina into southern or central Italy for the winter of 72–71 BCE.

Why they might do so, when there was apparently no reason for them not to escape over the Alps—Spartacus' goal according to Plutarch—is not explained.

Despite the contradictions in the classical sources regarding the events of 72 BCE, there seems to be general agreement that Spartacus and his followers were in the south of Italy in early 71 BCE.