Spartacus and the Slave Wars: A History From Beginning to End by Hourly History

Author:Hourly History [History, Hourly]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hourly History
Published: 2018-01-16T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

The Mysterious Origins of Spartacus

“He was a Thracian from the nomadic tribes and not only had a great spirit and great physical strength, but was, much more than one would expect from his condition, most intelligent and cultured, being more like a Greek than a Thracian.”

—Plutarch

To understand the events of the Third Servile War, one must first understand its leaders, the most famous of which was known as Spartacus. This name has echoed throughout history, synonymous with the trope of the inspiring hero, or for standing for freedom and liberty even when the powers-that-be seek to destroy both. Stanley Kubrick directed the 1960 classic Spartacus, catapulting its star Kirk Douglas to the status of celebrity, and creating a pop culture phenomenon. The declaration “I am Spartacus!” which originates in the film, is a statement of unity—that a group of oppressed must protect their own. In 2010, the Starz network defined an entire era of entertainment based on sword-and-sandal epics with three seasons of their television show Spartacus.

The life of Spartacus easily inspires entertainment, as his involvement in the Third Servile War as one of its paramount leaders suggests a life at once brutish and romantic, heroic and gritty. What creates even more allure is the blank slate of his early life—before he led a rebellion, many details of his life are unknown. There are few things we know as facts, but those that are documented are written by the victors and must be taken with a grain of salt. It is easy to understand that Roman scholars that recorded Spartacus’ moves throughout the Third Servile War did not paint him in a sympathetic light. There has been a shift in our collective perception of this figure over the centuries, as has happened with many historical figures that were villains in their day and heroes in ours.

Very little is known about the early life of Spartacus. Facts are lacking in ancient sources, and where they do exist, they often contradict each other. What is known is that Spartacus, which may not even have been his real name, was of Thracian origin. Thrace of antiquity was a geographical area that encompasses parts of modern-day Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey. In Roman eyes, Thracians were seen as barbarians: uneducated tribes of savage brutes with little moral or cultural value to any enlightened group. Spartacus, however, seems to be regarded as an exception, described in ways that label him firmly as the noble savage archetype. He was said to be intelligent and cultured, and indeed must have had quite a degree of charisma to draw so many people to his cause. The Greek historian Plutarch describes Spartacus as an inspiring hero that fought for equality for all people, and who had no desire for fame or glory. The only reason Spartacus ultimately lost, Plutarch argues, is that the soldiers that fought for him were small-minded and overconfident.

Plutarch, however, may have had a decidedly romantic view. It is confirmed that Spartacus, for unknown reasons, found himself stripped of rights and made a slave.

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