Slaves and Slavery in Ancient Rome

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Main text
Conclusion
Works cited

Introduction

The revolt of slaves under the direction of Spartacus 73-71 BC is considered the most significant event of the period of crisis of the Roman republican regime in the first century DC and is estimated as the brightest display of class struggle in an antiquity.

Main text

Spartacus was born in Thrace (modern Bulgaria). Antique authors give inconsistent data on its life. According to one source, he was a prisoner of war, he has got in slavery and has been sent to the school of gladiators at Capua. “Spartacus, a Thracian by birth, who had once served as a soldier with the Romans, but had since been a prisoner and sold for a gladiator, and was in the gladiatorial training school at Capua, persuaded about seventy of his comrades to strike for their own freedom rather than for the amusement of spectators” (Appian, The Civil Wars, I. 1ll; 116-121).

Under the other version, Spartacus served as the mercenary in the Roman army, and then he ran and, on having been taken prisoner, has been given in gladiators. Spartacus was famous for his physical strength, dexterity, and boldness, he skillfully used the weapon. For his capabilities he has received freedom and became the teacher of fencing at gladiatorial school. Spartacus had the huge authority among gladiators school at Capua, and later among the rebelled slaves of Ancient Rome.

The greatest in the Ancient world revolt of slaves had under itself the favorable circumstances. Wars have flooded Italy with slaves of various ethnic groups: Gauls, germen, inhabitants of Asia and Syria. The revolt in Italy governed by the Thracian gladiator in 73 “proved to be the catalyst to a major attack on Sulla’s constitutional arrangements” (Shotter, 1994, p. 50).

The main mass of slaves has been involved in agriculture and was in the heaviest conditions. The life of the Roman slaves because of their severe conditions of life was rather short However, it did not really worried slaveholders, as victorious campaigns of the Roman army provided uninterrupted deliveries of cheap slaves on slave markets.

If to consider city slaves it is possible to say that on special positions there were gladiators. Any festival did not pass without gladiatorial performances in Ancient Rome that epoch. Well-skilled and trained gladiators came to the arena in order on joy of thousand Roman citizens to kill each other. There were special schools where physically strong slaves trained in gladiatorial art. One of the most known schools of gladiators was in the province Campaign, in the city of Capua.

In arenas mostly battled the condemned criminals from the slaves. It was the lowest social class, people deprived of civil rights. Basically there were Gauls and Thracians, not without reason considered in Rome as aggressive and rebellious people. “At this time, gladiatorial combat was becoming increasingly popular at Rome because of its close association with the ideology of Roman power, as ambitious politicians sought to manipulate spectacles in the arena to demonstrate their political and military authority to the Roman masses” (Futrell, 1997, 29-33).

It is not inconceivable that the certain percent from them made prisoners of war, who only recently have lost their freedom, and have not got used to slavery. In such conditions for the revolt they needed only the leader, and Spartacus has became it, being born leader and organizer, brave and courageous man.

The revolt of slaves in Ancient Rome has begun that the group of slave-gladiators (nearby 70 persons) ran from the school at Capua after disclosing of the plot and has found a refuge at the top of the volcano Vesuvius. Fugitives have become stronger at remote mountain top, having transformed it in military camps. To the beginning of 73 BC the group of Spartacus has quickly grown up to 10 thousand persons. Numbers of the risen gladiators every day were filled up with ran away slaves, gladiators, poor peasants of the province Campaign, deserters from the Roman legions. Spartacus sent small groups on neighboring estates, everywhere releasing slaves and taking Roman’s weapons and foodstuff away.

Soon the whole Campaign, except for the cities protected by strong fortifications, has appeared in hands of the risen slaves. Soon Spartacus gained a number of convincing victories over the Roman armies, which tried to suppress the revolt of slaves and to destroy its participants. Spartacus has shown excellent organizing capabilities, having transformed an army of the risen slaves in well-organized army on the sample of the Roman legions. The army of the risen slaves had high moral spirit and discipline.

We almost do not know anything about other heads of powerful revolt of slaves in Ancient Rome. In the history were kept only the names of Crixus and Oenomaus, two most likely germen, who have been selected by the risen gladiators in assistants to Spartacus and became military leaders of his army.

It is possible to agree with Gruen (1974, p. 20), who claimed that It was not the governing class alone “that would react in horror to the prospect of a slave insurrection. Whatever the grievances of men disenfranchised and dispossessed by Sulla, they would have found unthinkable any common enterprise with Thracian or Gallic slaves. It causes no surprise that Marxist historians and writers have idealized Spartacus as a champion of the masses and leader of the one genuine social revolution in Roman history. That, however, is excessive. Spartacus and his companions sought to break the bonds of their own grievous oppression. There is no sign that they were motivated by ideological considerations to overturn the social structure”.

Spartacus revolt has deeply shaken Ancient Rome and it slaveholding regime it has entered into the world history as the largest revolt of slaves at all times. This revolt has accelerated transition of the government in Rome from the republican form of board to imperial one. Created by Spartacus military organization has appeared so strong, that for a long time could resist with success to perfect Roman army.

The image of Spartacus has found wide reflection in world fiction and art. “Since the eighteenth century, popular versions of the story of Spartacus have been inspired by his “age-old fight for freedom,” but have typically concentrated on private conflicts and family drama, interpreting his political importance through a personal lens” (Joshel, Malamud, & McGuire, 2005, p. 79).

Conclusion

The image of Spartacus has continued its existence in revolutionary France. It is not known, who first has “anew opened” the invincible leader of slaves after many years of oblivion, but the excited minds has liked it. The Gallic temperament has literally uplifted Spartacus on a pedestal. His name has started to be mentioned with addition of an epithet “hero”. Here certainly there is some element of idealization. But it is necessary to give due to Spartacus.

The sources, which have reached us, represent him as a noble and brave person. Even those Roman historians, who concerned extremely hostile to the revolt as a whole and to its participants, nevertheless recognized personal qualities of Spartacus. They describe Spartacus as a person, not only having outstanding courage and physical strength, but also sharp mind and special features of character.

Works cited

Gruen, Erich S. The Last Generation of the Roman Republic. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1974.

Futrell, Alison. Blood in the Arena. The Spectacle of Roman Power. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1997.

Joshel, Sandra R., Margaret Malamud, and Donald T. McGuire. Imperial Projections Ancient Rome in Modern Popular Culture. Arethusa books. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2005.

Shotter, D. C. A. The Fall of the Roman Republic. Lancaster pamphlets. London: Routledge, 1994.

Yavetz, Zvi. Slaves and Slavery in Ancient Rome. New Brunswick, N.J., USA: Transaction Books, 1988.

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Slaves and Slavery in Ancient Rome

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