By the 1st century BC, the gladiatorial games were becoming more and more common as a form of entertainment (and mob distraction). As the political system of the Republic unraveled in the late to mid 1st century, hosting gladiator games were a near essential way for politicians to gain enough popularity for election. With the mass influx of slaves from provincial conquests, the numbers of these combatants soared. It was typical for large schools to house many gladiators either in training or for permanent residence. One such school in Capua became the scene of one of the most potent slave revolts in history. Spartacus was the gladiator who led it.