Spartacus and the Slave Wars
A Brief History with DocumentsSecond Edition ©2018
In this examination of the Roman institution of slavery, Brent Shaw presents a compelling selection of the ancient testimony relating to Spartacus and the Slave Wars. A revised introduction places Spartacus in the context both of recent historical work and in relation to images of Spartacus in telev...
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In this examination of the Roman institution of slavery, Brent Shaw presents a compelling selection of the ancient testimony relating to Spartacus and the Slave Wars. A revised introduction places Spartacus in the context both of recent historical work and in relation to images of Spartacus in television and film media. The existing collection of translated Greek and Latin sources has also been fully revised, and now includes additional documents that flesh out the Roman responses to the Spartacus slave revolt. A new image has also been provided to illustrate the nature of the slave villas of the period. Along with the existing Glossary, annotated list of ancient writers, and maps, the new edition also features a fully revised and updated Bibliography, Chronology, and set of Questions for Consideration.
“Here Shaw provides a virtually comprehensive collection of translated sources for Rome’s major slave wars, superbly contextualized for the undergraduate student. As a bonus, the reader gets an eye-opening essay on Spartacus as a modern historical icon, the best short introduction to the nature of Roman rural slavery that one is likely to find, and a thoughtfully selected bibliography. Even specialists in ancient slavery will have much to learn from Shaw’s incisive analysis.”
–T. Corey Brennan, Rutgers University
Table of Contents
Foreword
Preface
List of Maps and Illustrations
PART ONE
Introduction: The Roman Slave Wars and History
The Slave Wars in Italy and Sicily
Spartacus: the Man, the Myth, and the Modern Symbol of Rebellion
Reading Greek and Roman Historical Sources
A Note about the Text
PART TWO
The Documents
1. Slave Life on the Large Farms: Work, Organization, and Surveillance
1. Columella, Agricultural Slaves, and the Slave Barracks, First Century C.E.
2. Cato the Elder, The Vilicus: The Slave Farm Manager and His Duties, Second Century B.C.E.
3. Columella, How to Choose a Vilicus, First Century C.E.
2. Gladiators, Slaves, and Resistance
4. Graffiti on Pompeiis Walls: Gladiators and Gladiatorial Games, First Century C.E.
5. Sallust, Gladiators as Dangerous Men: The Crisis of 63 B.C.E.
6. Cicero, Gladiators as Dangerous Men: The Crisis of 49 B.C.E.
7. Julius Caesar, Gladiators as Dangerous Men: The Crisis of 49 B.C.E.
8. Tacitus, Gladiators as Participants in War and Rebellion, Second Century C.E.
9. Seneca, Individual Gladiators Resist Their Fate, First Century C.E.
3. Fugitive Slaves and Maroon Communities Roman Laws on Runaway Slaves
10. Ulpian, The Legal Definition of a Fugitive Slave, Third Century C.E.
11. Ulpian, The Law concerning Fugitive Slaves, Third Century C.E.
Fugitive Slave Posters
12. A Census Declaration Including Notices on Runaway Slaves, Tebtunis, Egypt, C.E. 189
13. A Declaration concerning a Runaway Slave, Egypt, August 13, 156 B.C.E.
14. Posters for Runaway Slaves, Oxyrhynchus, Egypt, Third Century C.E. (?)
C.E.
15. A Legal Notice concerning a Runaway Slave, Oxyrhynchus, Egypt, ca. C.E 250–270
16. Authorization for the Arrest of a Fugitive Slave, Oxyrhynchus, Egypt, Fourth Century C.E.
17. A Roman Praetor in Sicily Hunts Down Runaway Slaves, 131-130 B.C.E.
Maroon Communities
18. Cicero, Free Communities in Cicilia Harbor Runaway Slaves, 51-50 B.C.E.
19. Athenaenus, Drimakos: The Fugitive Slave Bandit King, Second Century C.E.
20. Cassius Dio, Bulla Felix: The Bandit King, Third Century C.E.
4. Slave Revolts in Italy and Sicily before the Great Slave Wars
21. Livy, Slave Rebellions at Setia and Praeneste in 198 B.C.E., First Century B.C.E.
22. Livy, A Slave Rebellion in Etruria Is Suppressed in 196 B.C.E., First Century B.C.E.
23. Livy, Actions of Roman Praetors in Bruttium and Apulia in 190 B.C.E., First Century B.C.E.
24. Livy, Roman Praetors in Bruttium and Apulia in 189 B.C.E., First Century B.C.E.
25. Livy, Roman Praetors in Bruttium and Apulia in 188 B.C.E., First Century B.C.E.
26. Livy, The Bacchanalian Conspiracy at Rome in 186 B.C.E., First Century B.C.E.
27. Measures Decreed by the Roman Senate concerning the Bacchanals, 186 B.C.E.
28. Livy, A Slave Uprising in Apulia in 185 B.C.E., First Century B.C.E.
29. Livy, The Repression of Slave Shepherds and the Bacchanals in Southern Italy in 184 B.C.E., First Century B.C.E.
30. Livy, The Continued Repression of Slave Shepherds and the Bacchanals in Southern Italy in 182 B.C.E., First Century B.C.E.
5. The First Sicilian Slave War, 135–132 B.C.E.
31. Diodorus Siculus, The First Slave War on the Island of Sicily: First Version, First Century B.C.E.
32. Diodorus Siculus, The First Slave War on the Island of Sicily: Second Version, First Century B.C.E.
33. Livy, A Brief Summary of the Main Events of 136–129 B.C.E., First Century B.C.E.
34. Julius Obsequens, The Slave War in Sicily and Contemporary Slave Rebellions in Italy in 134–132 B.C.E., Fifth Century C.E.
35. Orosius, The Slave War in Sicily and Contemporary Slave Rebellions in Italy and Greece, Fifth Century C.E. 96
36. Posidonius, The Cause of the Slave War, First Century B.C.E.
37. Appian, The Tribune of the Plebs on the Dangers Posed by the Slave War in Sicily, Second Century C.E.
38. Cicero, The Behavior of the Rebel Slaves at Enna, First Century B.C.E.
39. Strabo, The Devastation of Sicily, First Century C.E.
40. Florus, The Extent of Devastation on Sicily Caused by the Slaves, Second Century C.E.
41. Valerius Maximus, Stories of Bravery and Cowardice of Romans and Slaves in the War, First Century C.E.
42. Slingshot Ammunition Used by Roman Soldiers, 133 B.C.E.
6. The Second Sicilian Slave War, 104–100 B.C.E.
43. Diodorus Siculus, Events that Portended the Second Great Slave War: The Rebellion of Titus Vettius, First Century B.C.E.
44. Diodorus Siculus, The Second Slave War on the Island of Sicily: First Version, First Century B.C.E.
45. Diodorus Siculus, The Second Slave War on the Island of Sicily: Second Version, First Century B.C.E.
46. Athenaeus, The Second Slave War on the Island of Sicily and the Contemporary Slave Rebellion at Athens, Second Century C.E.
47. Cassius Dio, The Actions of the Roman Governor of Sicily, Publius Licinius Nerva, in 104 B.C.E., Third Century C.E.
48. Florus, Athenion as Leader of the Second Slave War, Second Century C.E.
49. Cassius Dio, Athenions Attack on the City of Messana, Third Century C.E.
50. Cicero, Athenion as a Model of Evil Power, First Century B.C.E.
51. Cicero, The Destruction of Sicily Caused by the Slaves, First Century B.C.E.
52. Cicero, Aquillius Is Compelled to Dispense Aid to Sicilian Cities, First Century B.C.E.
53. Cicero, The Romans Reward Aquillius for Ending the Slave War, First Century B.C.E.
54. Cicero, Roman Governors of Sicily Take Measures to Prevent Recurrence of Slave Uprisings, First Century B.C.E.
55. Slingshot Ammunition Used by the Slaves and Greek Allies of the Romans, ca. 104-100 B.C.E.
7. The Spartacus Slave War, 73-71 B.C.E.
56. Plutarch, The Spartacus Slave War, Second Century C.E.
57. Plutarch, Pompey the Greats Involvement in the Repression of Spartacus, Second Century C.E.
58. Plutarch, Marcus Crassus and the Final Defeat of Spartacus, Second Century C.E.
59. Plutarch, Cato the Younger in the Spartacus War, Second Century C.E.
60. Appian, The Spartacus Slave War, Second Century C.E.
61. Appian, King Mithradates of Pontus and Spartacus, Second Century C.E.
62. Sallust, The Spartacus War, First Century B.C.E.
63. Livy, A Brief Account of the Beginning of the War in 73 B.C.E., First Century B.C.E.
70. Livy, A Brief Account of the Events of 73-72 B.C.E., First Century B.C.E.
71. Livy, A Brief Account of the End of the War in 71 B.C.E., First Century B.C.E.
72. Orosius, An Account of the Opening and Closing Phases of the War, Fifth Century C.E.
73. Velleius Paterculus, A Brief Synopsis of the Spartacus War, First Century C.E.
74. Florus, A Detailed Synopsis of the Spartacus War, Second Century C.E.
75. Athenaeus, A Brief Synopsis of the Spartacus War, Second Century C.E.
76. Varro, Spartacus Becomes a Gladiator, First Century B.C.E.
77. Diodorus Siculus, Spartacus as a Good Man, First Century B.C.E.
78. Frontius, Strategems Used by Spartacus against the Romans, First Century C.E.
79. Cicero, Roman Governor Verres Faces the Threat Posed by Spartacus, First Century B.C.E.
80. Cicero, Verres Represses Slave Conspiracies on Sicily, First Century B.C.E.
81. Aulus Gellius, Marcus Crassus Celebrates His Victory over Spartacus, Second Century C.E.
82. Suetonius, Operations against Remnant Rebel Slaves of the Spartacus War in Southern Italy in the Late 60s B.C.E., Second Century C.E.
APPENDIXES
List of the Principal Authors and Literary Sources
Glossary of Greek and Latin Terms
A Chronology of the Slave Wars (198–60 B.C.E.)
Questions for Consideration
Selected Bibliography
Index
Authors
Brent D. Shaw
Brent D. Shaw is the Andrew Fleming West professor of Classics at Princeton University. His major recent historical study is *Sacred Violence: African Christians and Sectarian Hatred in the Age of Augustine*. He is the recipient of the Lindback Foundation Award for Distinguished Teaching at the University of Pennsylvania, and has been Commonwealth Scholar at Cambridge University, honorary visiting Fellow at Churchill College, Cambridge, and Goldman Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton. His interests in violence in Roman society, especially in civil conflicts in the later Roman Empire, helped inspire the Bedford/St. Martin’s volume Spartacus and the Slave Wars (2001).
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