Spartacus and the Slave Revolt

Presented by William Markham

Roman Society in the late Republic

Slave owning society

Army recruited from Roman citizens and allies

Conquest of Hellenistic world brought Luxuries

Reverence for ancestors

Rule by Consuls

Roman Religion

Pre Christian Era therefore Pagan

Many Gods, home grown and adopted

At this stage, mainly borrowed from the Greeks

Zeus = Jupiter

Aphodite = Venus

Posiedon = Neptune

Athena = Roma

Sacrifices to the Gods

Turbulent times before Spartacus

104 BC Wars of Marius against Teutons and Cimbri

90 BC Social War – Marius and Sulla defeat Italians

80 BC Wars in the East by Lucullus against Mithrdates of Pontus

Sulla

Marius

100 BC Sicilian Slave revolt suppressed

87 BC Subjugation of Greece and sack of Athens – Sulla

Early life of Spartacus/Prelude to war

Born in Thrace (modern Bulgaria) in 109 BC

May have had some military experience – Roman Army

Captured, made a slave, trained as a Gladiator in Capua, Italy

73 BC Escapes and sets up camp on Mount Vesuvius

Slaves join Spartacus to form an army

Thracians under Spartacus and Gauls under Crixus

THIRD SERVILE WAR

73 to 71 BC

Roman force under Glaber defeated by Spartacus

Elite Roman troops in Spain and Asia Minor

More victories – Spartacus army now 70,000

Ravage Southern Italy, incl Nuceria & Metapontum

Slaves move Northward – 2 Roman Armies defeated

Wanted to cross the Alps – followers refused

THIRD SERVILE WAR continued

Roman Senate alarmed by defeats

Marcus Licinius Crassus appointed to conduct war – 8 legions

Crassus instils discipline and uses “decimation” to punish troops

Spartacus hemmed in Southern Italy

Spartacus consults with Pirates for passage to Sicily – betrayed

Map of Final Campaigns

Death of Spartacus and aftermath

71 BC defeated by Crassus

Spartacus body was never found after the battle

6,000 captured slaves crucified from Capua to Rome

No serious slave uprising again in Roman times

Slavery ended 2,000 years later

About Gladiators

Introduced to the Romans by Etruscans

Early Republic – Gladiators matched pairs at funerals

Became a form of entertainment

“Gladiator” from the latin word for sword – Gladius

Gladiators could be prisoners of war, freemen,

slaves and criminals

Gladiators freed after winning many fights – wooden sword

Gladiators – different types

Retiarius Samnite Secutor

Gladiators – different types - continued

Thracian Bestarius Hoplomachus

Gladiator Mosaics – Empire Period

Gladiator Mosaics – continued

Gladiator Mosaics – continued

Arenas of the Games

Ancient Sources

Appian, The Civil Wars

Plutarch, The Fall of the Roman Republic

Sullust, Conspiracy of Catiline and the War of Jugurtha

Spartacus on Film

Spartacus with Kirk Douglas, 1960 The television series Spartacus with Andy Whitfield

2010 to 2013

Thracian Gladiators worn helmets

Referee in the arena

Gladiatorial bouts in film

The film portrays Spartacus and the rebelling slaves as ancient freedom fighters,

Struggling to change a corrupt Roman society and end institution of slavery.

No historical account mentions the goal of the rebel slaves was to end slavery in the

Republic,

Nor do any of the actions of rebel leaders, who themselves committed numerous

atrocities, seem specifically aimed at ending slavery,

All he wanted to do was probably escape Roman rule to be free in another country.

Aims of Spartacus

Questions or Comments?