The Spartacus War

The Spartacus War

Review by Thomas R. Martin Spartacus frightened the Romans more than any other rebel before in their history. Born in the wild northern region of Thrace, he had been trained to fight to the death as a gladiator. He did not happen upon this dangerous profession by his own free choice: as punishment for alleged crimes, he had been sold into slavery to perform for the enjoyment of Rome’s bloodthirsty crowds. Previously, he had lived as a free man—he had actually even served in an auxiliary unit of Rome’s army. This insider’s knowledge of Roman military practices made Spartacus especially dangerous when in 73 BC he engineered a breakout of gladiators from their prison-like training camp in southern Italy. Under ordinary circumstances, a slave rebellion on this scale would have been little more than an annoyance to the Roman authorities and easily suppressed. But Spartacus was not ordinary, and neither was his war—he rallied a large army of his own from the countryside and kept Rome on edge for years. And this is no ordinary book about Spartacus, either. Barry Strauss unfolds Spartacus’ story in a narrative that certainly does justice to the events of the war and wrestles skillfully with the challenges that the incomplete ancient sources present to our understanding of what actually happened and why. But this is far from all: he expands this history with descriptions of fascinating aspects of Roman life, society and politics during this eventful period, when the Roman Republic was cracking apart after four hundred years of expansion. The weight of a gladiator’s shield, the look of the landscape, the fury of battle—Strauss weaves all this and much more into his account, which reads with the ease of a novel, while constructing historical interpretations that deserve serious consideration. His central point that Spartacus was a leader of extraordinary personal magnetism and intelligence cannot be disputed. Defeating Roman consular armies called for generalship of the highest order, and maintaining unity in a force of escaped slaves and other angry and desperate rebels required masterly skills of persuasion and inspiration. Strauss, however, suggests that Spartacus’ charisma was literal—that in fact his followers and admirers regarded him as a divinity sent to bring them salvation here and now. Moreover, even in defeat Spartacus retained his symbolic power. Indeed, after death he remained a revered symbol for the downtrodden of their desire for liberation. At the same time, those Roman leaders who claimed credit for the hard-fought success in the war benefited from Spartacus’ reputation, vaunting themselves as victors over Rome’s most terrifying enemy and as saviors of the social order that kept Romans free and slaves enslaved. Strauss culminates his argument with the suggestion that Spartacus indirectly made it possible for Augustus to become the first Roman emperor, as he inherited his father’s glory for having helped mop up the rebellion. These are bold claims that historians will debate energetically, I predict. This lively and imaginative book makes it possible for any interested reader to see what the fight will be about, while enjoying a spirited guide to the unparalleled phenomenon that was Spartacus.

Hardcover: 288 pages

Publisher: Simon & Schuster ( March 01, 2009 )

Item #: 75-7614

ISBN: 9781416532057

Product Dimensions: 6.25 x 9.25 x 0.0 inches

Product Weight: 18.0 ounces