Spartacus and the Slave Wars Essay

Rebellion has always been the cornerstone of change. Wherever a rebellion has surfaced a change has soon followed, whether it is political change such as an overthrow of a government or just the overthrow of an oppressor such as a slaver. Some rebellions however are less justified than others; none more so than slave rebellions. Slavery in America was one of our biggest mistakes as a nation and was by far the most terrible time in African American history. However most slaves although poorly treated were given places to live and enough food to survive. They weren’t treated as people but as property and had about as many rights as a sack of potatoes. This led to most, if not all, slaves feeling a lot of animosity towards their owners. The more educated of slaves tried to find ways to get out of their servitude. When all peaceful means of getting out of their servitude had failed they went to flat out rebellion. Slave rebellions tended to be extremely violent and usually very rash. And when the rebellions were better planned they tended to be even more violent and disturbing. These rebellions however were completely unjustified and the slaves had no right to revolt the way they did.

Randolph B. Campbell's An Empire for Slavery: The Peculiar Institution in Texas provides in an in depth look at the slavery existence in the state of Texas. He provides the factors that explain the establishment and growth of slavery. Campbell also explains the economic and legal institution of Texas, and explores the physical and psychological effects of both slaves and their masters prior to the Civil War, during, and after emancipation. Campbell provides clear detail of slavery's impact on Texas slaveholders and society, and how the Civil war affected slavery prior to its destruction.

Beginning on September 9,1739, the Stono Rebellion was one of the largest slave uprisings in colonial America (Stono's Rebellion). It was the first known slave revolt in the continent of North America in 1739 (Slave Rebellions). Though it was one of the largest slave revolts in colonial America, it was still unsuccessful, but because it was so large, it had several effect on America and its government.

Throughout the Greek world at this time, a great period of expansion and colonization took place, chiefly due to land hunger. Sparta attacked neighboring Messenia and engaged in a series of wars, reducing the population to serfdom. The success in these wars enabled Sparta to double the agricultural resources. At some point after the Messenia wars, the Spartans undertook a drastic and revolutionary reorganization of their social and political systems. The whole state became geared to a militaristic way of life; a new system of law and order, or eunomia was

One significant event within classical history that occurred within and had an impact on how Roman society functioned was the slave revolt of Spartacus. This war was the third in a cycle of three - named the servile wars. These wars began away from Rome, in Sicily, but later directly threatened the senate when Spartacus began the third servile war that lasted from 73-71BC and involved many slaves who escaped their punishment to fight, although none were recorded to have survived after the final battle where Spartacus died in battle.

In roughly 73 BCE, a small group of about seventy slaves, training at a gladiatorial school near Capua, plotted an escape plan from the Romans. Among these slaves was their leader, Spartacus. These slaves seized kitchen implements and fought their way out of the school. After being victorious in the battle to escape, they acquired real weapons and armor, and recruited more slaves into their forces. Rome sent a militia to try to put down Spartacus and his men before things got too out of hand.

The nature of the revolution fell behind the main two leaders of the resistance who were Toussaint L’Ouverture and Jean Jacques Dessalines. Although the very first major slave rebellion in the North began in 1791 with the Voodoo ceremony at Bois Caïman, which L’Ouverture did not partake in. L’Ouverture, who became a great military leader after attaining freedom from slavery, in 1791 he got involved with the negotiations between the French Governor ad rebel leaders to at least create better conditions for the slaves. These conditions were first declined and then a couple years later into the revolution he became completely committed to the abolition of slavery. L’Ouverture and his army fought for abolition, finally in 1794 the French government

There were three main leaders involved. Such as Spartacus, Crixus and Oenomaus. At first the Rome did not consider the revolt a serious threat.4 “After Spartacus and his army conquered two smaller forces sent to conquer them, the commander Claudius Glaber was sent with an army of three thousand men to end the revolt” 4 Spartacus and his troops used vines to build ladders and cascade the close cliffs uncharted, ambushing Glaber’s troops from behind. “Although the slaves may have wished for only for a maroon like escape from slavery, their growing number and pillaging attracted attention.”5 Spartacus and his army tried everything to reach sicily to free slaves by making their own rafts but were unsuccessful. Spartacus was determined to create

Crixus and Oenomaus were skilled fighters that could go toe to toe with Spartacus. Together they devised a plan of escape. They noticed how little security there was and saw an opportunity. In 73 BCE Spartacus and seventy other gladiators escaped the gladiatorial training school in Capua. The only possible way Spartacus and his fellow gladiators escaped was by stealing kitchenware during the night. They then used, knives, pokers, and anything they could find to overwhelm the guards stationed there. These slave insurrections were not really new for the Romans, as it did happen pretty often. However, Spartacus was not just any normal slave. The Romans overestimated him and were now sorry for it. He lead his men to Mount Vesuvius and took refuge there. He was the leader of the whole army of slaves and Crixus and Oenomaus were his co-leaders. They stormed Roman camps all over Italy. Spartacus took over a fortified position and was finally able to properly arm himself and his men with weapons. They had been using kitchenware for all the battles before this. It is no known why he took over this fortified position because afterwards he left it and never returned to it. It wasn't for the weapons either because he easily could have raided a defenseless camp and stolen all their weapons. He now after many battle had command over around ten thousand men, which he used to conquer many roman forces all over

Slaves owned nothing. They had no political clout or allies to call upon for resources and manpower like Rome. They had no patrons or clients to ask for or call upon to help, like Rome’s consuls. Moreover, most slaves did not possess military experience, had various ethnic backgrounds, and spoke various languages, which would have made coordination difficult. Nonetheless, rapid mobilization and recruitment in both revolts gave them the manpower advantage, which sustained rebellion in the beginning. For instance, slaves in the first revolt defeated praetor Lucius Hypaeus’ army of 8,000 Sicilians because they had 20,000 men. Diodorus notes that the army increased tenfold “[n]ot long afterward.” In the second revolt, the slaves’ manpower advantage (over 2,000) allowed them to defeat Marcus Titinius’ army of 600. Slaves met little initial resistance from Rome (like a praetor without Roman troops) in fomenting both rebellions, which allowed them to expand to the point where they could fend off Roman attacks. Only slave rebellions in Rome during the first war and rumors of slaves’ growing numbers in the second prompted them to quell the

Spartacus was a great gladiator that escaped. Spartacus was a gladiator for the Roman empires enjoyment. He was a Thracian, but his intelligence made him look Greek. There are many different stories of how he became a slave, however, it happened and he was in gladiator school. He escaped the school in Capua in 73

Spartacus was born about 109 BC. He was a gladiator. The young Thracian man joined the army. However, when he tried to leave he was forced into slavery as a gladiator. A gladiator is a person who is trained to fight animals or other gladiators with weapons for other people’s entertainment. He is best known for the slave uprising of gladiators he led. He led seventy gladiators to the armory and then escaped. They then traveled to Mount Vesuvius and got more slaves along the way. This scared Rome so they sent an army of 3,000 men under the rule of Claudius Glaber. They surrounded Mount Vesuvius planning to starve the rebels. However, Spartacus and his men snuck down the mountain and attacked the Romans from behind. They killed all

In this magnificent universe created by god which put us humans the only species in the world. Being the only species, you would think everyone would treat each other equal. Some people treat other people like they’re not the same as them. In the ancient time, for instance in the 4th century, people were preserved as slaves. Those people were treated way below humans and sometimes even worse than animals. Slaves were sold to people just like how you would sell things.

Their first revolt lacked leadership and was unorganized, therefore allowing the Spanish to quickly stomp out the insubordination and put the slaves back in line. In the years following many rebellions were suppressed and many slaves were killed. Although many blacks were brutally executed in front of others it never broke their spirit to fight back and have hope. Plots to kill their masters continued for years and according to (blackpast.org), one plot even involved the poisoning of the masters. Taken from the (http://library.brown.edu)“From 1679 to 1704 there are four armed conspiracies organized by slaves.”

Francesco Petrarch recorded in the late 1360s that there was a big population of various slaves at the harbor, ready for trade. (Montagna, Medium.com) The cities Venetia and Genoa took a very huge role in the Byzantine Empire because of the slave trading that occurred there. The slaves were from various regions, such as turkey, parts of central Asia, and some partd of Africa. (Montagna, Medium.com)However, the captive slaves were also separated into groups according to their religion or their races. (McKee, Medievalists.net) This proves how Italy had separated the slaves according to various groups, according to their characteristics. This is also a start of racism for Italy. The slave trade had not been decreasing until the 15th century. (Montagna, Medium.com) However, racism still continues in modern day