Spartacus and the Slave Wars A Brief History with Documents

by Shaw, Brent D.

• ISBN13: 9780312183103
• ISBN10: 0312183100
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-01-12
• Publisher: Bedford/St. Martin's

Summary

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. In 73 B.C., in the heart of Rome's Mediterranean empire, a slave named Spartacus ignited one of the most violent episodes of slave resistance in the history of the Roman Empire indeed in the world annals of slavery. Organizing 80 original Greek and Latin source translations into topical chapters on the daily life of slaves trained as gladiators and those who labored on farms in Italy and Sicily, Shaw includes accounts of revolts that preceded and anticipated that of Spartacus. In a carefully crafted introductory essay, Shaw places Spartacus in the broader context of first and second century B.C. Roman Italy and Sicily and explains why his story continues to be a popular symbol of rebellion today. The volume also includes a glossary, chronology, selected bibliography, 3 maps, an annotated list of ancient writers, and questions for consideration.

Author Biography

Brent D. Shaw is professor of Classical Studies and chair of the Graduate Group in Ancient History at the University of Pennsylvania. He has been published in many major historical, sociological, and anthropological journals, including Past & Present, American Historical Review, History Today, Journal of Roman Studies, Man, and American Journal of Sociology and is editor of the collected papers of Sir Moses Finley. 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 study of violence in Roman society, especially in civil conflict in the later Roman Empire, helped inspire this volume.

Table of Contents

Foreword	iv
Preface	v
List of Maps and Illustrations	xiv
PART ONE Introduction: The Roman Slave Wars and History	1	(30)
The Slave Wars in Italy and Sicily	2	(12)
Spartacus: The Man, the Myth, and the Modern Symbol of Rebellion	14	(10)
Reading Greek and Roman Historical Sources	24	(5)
A Note about the Text	29	(2)
PART TWO The Documents	31	(156)
Slave Life on the Large Farms: Work, Organization, and Surveillance	33	(8)
Columella, Agricultural Slaves and the Slave Barracks, First Century A.D.	33	(2)
Varro, Slave Ranches: Master Herdsmen and Slave Shepherds, First Century B.C.	35	(2)
Cato the Elder, The Vilicus: The Slave Farm Manager and His Duties, Second Century B.C.	37	(2)
Columella, How to Choose a Vilicus, First Century A.D.	39	(2)
Gladiators, Slaves, and Resistance	41	(10)
Graffiti on Pompeii's Walls: Gladiators and Gladiatorial Games, First Century A.D.	42	(3)
Sallust, Gladiators as Dangerous Men: The Criss of 63 B.C.	45	(1)
Cicero, Gladiators as Dangerous Men: The Criss of 49 B.C.	45	(1)
Julius Caesar, Gladiators as Dangerous Men: The Crisis of 49 B.C.	46	(1)
Cassius Dio, Gladiators as Dangerous Men: The Crisis of 44 B.C.	47	(1)
Tacitus, Gladiators as Participants in War and Rebellion, Second Century A.D.	48	(1)
Seneca, Individual Gladiators Resist Their Fate, First Century A.D.	49	(1)
Symmachus, Twenty-nine Gladiators Kill Themselves, A.D. 393	50	(1)
Fugitive Slaves and Maroon Communities	51	(18)
Roman Laws on Runaway Slaves	51	(1)
Ulpian, The Legal Definition of a Fugitive Slave, Third Century A.D.	51	(2)
Ulpian, The Law concerning Fugitive Slaves, third Century A.D.	53	(2)
Fugitive Slave Posters	55	(1)
A Census Declaration Including Notices on Runaway Slaves, Tebtunis, Egypt, A.D. 189	55	(1)
A Declaration concerning a Runaway Slave, Egypt, August 13, 156 B.C.	56	(1)
An Official Notice of a Runaway Slave, Egypt, A.D. 151	57	(1)
Posters for Runaway Slaves, Oxyrhynchus, Egypt, Third Century A.D. (?)	57	(1)
An Official Notice of a Runaway Slave, Oxyrhynchus, Egypt, A.D. 128	58	(1)
A Legal Notice concerning a Runaway Slave, Oxyrhynchus, Egypt, ca. A.D. 250-270	59	(1)
Delegation of Authority to Arrest a Runaway Slave, Oxyrhynchus, Egypt, A.D. 298	59	(1)
Authorization for the Arrest of a Fugitive Slave, Oxyrhynchus, Egypt, Fourth Century A.D.	60	(1)
A Roman Praetor in Sicily Hunts Down Runaway Slaves, 131-130 B.C.	61	(2)
Maroon Communities	61	(2)
Cicero, Free Communities in Cilicia Harbor Runaway Slaves, 51-50 B.C.	63	(1)
Athenaeus, Drimakos: The Fugitive Slave Bandit King, Second Century A.D.	64	(3)
Cassius Dio, Bulla Felix: The Bandit King, Third Century A.D.	67	(2)
Slave Revolts in Italy and Sicily before the Great Slave Wars	69	(10)
Livy, Slave Rebellions at Setia and Praeneste in 198 B.C., First Century B.C.	69	(2)
Livy, A Slave Rebellion in Etruria Is Suppressed in 196 B.C., First Century B.C.	71	(1)
Livy, Actions of Roman Praetors in Bruttium and Apulia in 190 B.C., First Century B.C.	72	(1)
Livy, Roman Praetors in Bruttium and Apulia in 189 B.C., First Century B.C.	72	(1)
Livy, Roman Praetors in Bruttium and Apulia in 188 B.C., First Century B.C.	73	(1)
Livy, The Bacchanalian Conspiracy at Rome in 186 B.C., First Century B.C.	73	(2)
Measures Decreed by the Roman Senate concerning the Bacchanals, 186 B.C.	75	(2)
Livy, A Slave Uprising in Apulia in 185 B.C., First Century B.C.	77	(1)
Livy, The Repression of Slave Shepherds and the Bacchanals in Southern Italy in 184 B.C., First Century B.C.	78	(1)
Livy, The Continued Repression of Slave Shepherds and the Bacchanals in Southern Italy in 182 B.C., First Century B.C.	78	(1)
The First Sicilian Slave War, 135-132 B.C.	79	(28)
Diodorus Siculus, The First Slave War on the Island of Sicily: First Version, First Century B.C.	80	(7)
Diodorus Siculus, The First Slave War on the Island of Sicily: Second Version, First Century B.C.	87	(8)
Livy, A Brief Summary of the Main Events of 136-129 B.C., First Century B.C.	95	(1)
Julius Obsequens, The Slave War in Sicily and Contemporary Slave Rebellions in Italy in 134-132 B.C., Fifth Century A.D.	96	(1)
Orosius, The Slave War in Sicily and Contemporary Slave Rebellions in Italy and Greece, Fifth Century A.D.	96	(2)
Posidonius, The Cause of the Slave War, First Century B.C.	98	(1)
Appian, The Tribune of the Plebs on the Dangers Posed by the Slave War in Sicily, Second Century A.D.	99	(1)
Cicero, The Behavior of the Rebel Slaves at Enna, First Century B.C.	99	(1)
Strabo, The Devastation of Sicily, First Century A.D.	100	(1)
Florus, The Extent of the Devastation of Sicily Caused by the Slaves, Second Century A.D.	101	(2)
Valerius Maximus, Stories of Bravery and Cowardice of Romans and Slaves in the War, First Century A.D.	103	(2)
Slingshot Ammunition Used by Roman Soldiers, 133 B.C.	105	(2)
The Second Sicilian Slave War, 104-100 B.C.	107	(23)
Diodorus Siculus, Events That Portended the Second Great Slave War: The Rebellion of Titus Vettius, First Century B.C.	108	(2)
Diodorus Siculus, The Second Slave War on the Island of Sicily: First Version, First Century B.C.	110	(5)
Diodorus Siculus, The Second Slave War on the Island of Sicily: Second Version, First Century B.C.	115	(5)
Athenaeus, The Second Slave War on the Island of Sicily and the Contemporary Slave Rebellion at Athens, Second Century A.D.	120	(1)
Cassius Dio, The Actions of the Roman Governor of Sicily, Publius Licinius Nerva, in 104 B.C., Third Century A.D.	121	(1)
Florus, Athenion as Leader of the Second Slave War, Second Century A.D.	122	(1)
Cassius Dio, Athenion's Attack on the City of Messana, Third Century A.D.	123	(1)
Cicero, Athenion as a Model of Evil Power, First Century B.C.	124	(1)
Cicero, The Destruction of Sicily Caused by the Slaves, First Century B.C.	124	(1)
Cicero, Aquillius Is Compelled to Dispense Aid to Sicilian Cities, First Century B.C.	125	(1)
Cicero, The Romans Reward Aquillius for Ending the Slave War, First Century B.C.	125	(1)
Cicero, Roman Governors of Sicily Take Measures to Prevent the Recurrence of Slave Uprisings, First Century B.C.	126	(2)
Slingshot Ammunition Used by the Slaves and Greek Allies of the Romans, ca. 104-100 B.C.	128	(2)
The Spartacus Slave War, 73-71 B.C.	130	(57)
Plutarch, The Spartacus Slave War, Second Century A.D.	131	(7)
Plutarch, Pompey the Great's Involvement in the Repression of Spartacus, Second Century A.D.	138	(1)
Plutarch, Marcus Crassus and the Final Defeat of Spartacus, Second Century A.D.	139	(1)
Plutarch, Cato the Younger in the Spartacus War, Second Century A.D.	139	(1)
Appian, The Spartacus Slave War, Second Century A.D.	140	(4)
Appian, King Mithradates of Pontus and Spartacus, Second Century A.D.	144	(1)
Sallust, The Spartacus War, First Century B.C.	145	(4)
Livy, A Brief Account of the Beginning of the War in 73 B.C., First Century B.C.	149	(1)
Livy, A Brief Account of the Events of 73-72 B.C., First Century B.C.	150	(1)
Livy, A Brief Account of the End of the War in 71 B.C., First Century B.C.	150	(1)
Orosius, An Account of the Opening and Closing Phases of the War, Fifth Century A.D.	151	(2)
Velleius Paterculus, A Brief Synopsis of the Spartacus War, First Century A.D.	153	(1)
Florus, A Detailed Synopsis of the Spartacus War, Second Century A.D.	153	(2)
Athenaeus, A Brief Synopsis of the Spartacus War, Second Century A.D.	155	(1)
Varro, Spartacus Becomes a Gladiator, First Century Century B.C.	156	(1)
Diodorus Siculus, Spartacus as a Good Man, First Century B.C.	156	(1)
Frontinus, Stratagems Used by Spartacus against the Romans, First Century A.D.	157	(1)
Cicero, Roman Governor Verres Faces the Threat Posed by Spartacus, First Century B.C.	158	(2)
Cicero, Verres Represses Slave Conspiracies on Sicily, First Century B.C.	160	(4)
Aulus Gellius, Marcus Crassus Celebrates His Victory over Spartacus, Second Century A.D.	164	(1)
Suetonius, Operations against Remnant Rebel Slaves of the Spartacus War in Southern Italy in the Late 60s B.C., Second Century A.D.	165	(2)
APPENDIXES
List of the Principal Authors and Literary Sources	167	(6)
Glossary of Greek and Latin Terms	173	(3)
A Chronology of the Slave Wars (198-60 B.C.)	176	(4)
Questions for Consideration	180	(2)
Selected Bibliography	182	(5)
Index	187