preview

Spartacus's Heroism in Ancient Rome's Third Slave War Essay

Decent Essays

Is there anything in this world that justifies the death of thousands upon thousands of people? Many people believe there is always an alternative to war, always another way to settle an issue. But, most of these people are free people that live in a free country with a free lifestyle. What if someone has never been blessed with freedom? Or in the case of many Roman slaves, what if someone has felt what it is like to be free, then had their freedom snatched right out from underneath them? Would action be justified then? The slaves of ancient Rome thought so, as have many other peoples who have been repressed around the world. Throughout the course of history many wars have been fought and many lives taken in pursuit of freedom. …show more content…

"Seventy-two of them made good their escape, grabbing kitchen knives and cooking skewers on their way out" (Shaw 131). Over a three year period these seventy-two gladiators led by Spartacus would, against all odds, reach in excess of seventy thousand men and reek havoc on multiple Roman armies. None of this could have been accomplished without the courageous, tactical leadership of Spartacus.

Spartacus was a skilled and courageous warrior whose leadership single handedly won battle after battle for the slaves against the Romans. Spartacus "not only possessed great spirit and bodily strength, but he was more intelligent and nobler than his fate" (Shaw 132). A spirited, strong, intelligent, and noble man, Spartacus outwitted the brilliant Roman generals sent to crush his rebellion many times. For example, Spartacus and his army were trapped on the peninsula of Rhegium facing a heavily fortified wall and a fifteen foot deep trench built by Crassus in hopes of containing the rebels. Though there seemed to be no way out, "Spartacus was able to get across the trench that Crassus had excavated to hem him in by filling it during the night with bodies of prisoners and cattle that he had killed and by crossing over on top of them" (Shaw 157). Or when he was "besieged on Mount Vesuvius, this same

Get Access