Spartacus Wiki

Historical Accounts of Spartacus' War

558pages on
this wiki
Surviving historical accounts of Spartacus and the conflict that

The only surviving contemporary artwork showing Spartacus. It likely depicts a mounted gladiator match. It was discovered on the wall of what was likely a tavern in the ruins of Pompeii. The rider on the white horse is named Spartaks (read right to left). His opponent is named "Felix the Pompeian".

became known as the Third Servile War or Spartacus' War are extremely sparse. Given the enormous nature of the conflict, it is very likely that many more accounts existed, but have unfortunately been lost forever to history. These few sources are what remains. They are listed here in order according to their scope and thoroughness.

Plutarch's Life of CrassusEdit

Plutarch was a Greek historian that lived from c. 46 AD to 120 AD. He is known primarily for a series of biographies that he wrote called Parallel Lives. His biography of Crassus contains the most complete surviving account of The Third Servile War. It begins in Chapter 8 of the biography and is as follows:


Appian's Civil WarsEdit

Appian of Alexandria, known as Appian, was a Greek historian who lived from c. 95 AD to c. 165 AD. His principal work, simply titled Roman History, was a 24 book set chronicling Roman culture and history from ancient times up until his own time. It is most valuable for five books within the set that tell the history of the end of the Roman Republic. These books are known as Civil Wars. The 14th chapter of Book One of Civil Wars contains an account of Spartacus' War and is as follows:


Sallust's HistoriesEdit

Gaius Sallustius Crispus, known as Sallust, was a Roman historian who lived from 86 BC to c. 35 BC. Due to the passage of time, the majority of Sallust's writings survive only in fragments, and not as whole accounts. Therefore, many of his accounts of Roman history begin and end abruptly. This is the case with his writings about Spartacus' War, which unfortunately begins and ends abruptly. His account of this war is found in fragment numbers 3.64 to 3.66 and is as follows:

...[that they should] not, [wandering around] in the way that they were at that time . . . and then they would be cut off [during their journey] and wiped out . . . and at the same time the concern . . . and so they should [leave as quickly as possible]. A few sensible men, with [free and] noble minds, [approved of the plan] that they should escape in this way . . . and praised [what he directed them to do]. But some of [the slaves] stupidly trusted in the forces which were coming to join them and in their own fierce courage; others [dishonourably] neglected their country of origin; and most, with [the true character] of slaves, [sought nothing] but plundering and savagery . . . [ 2 lines missing ] . . . seemed to be the best plan. Then he advised them to go off into more open countryside, richer in cattle, where they could increase their numbers with picked men, before Varinius returned with a new army. He soon found a suitable guide, one of the prisoners from Picentia, and then he went over the Eburine heights to Nares Lucanae, from where he advanced at dawn to Forum Anni, before the inhabitants realised. Immediately the slaves, contrary to the orders of their leader, turned to raping the young girls and mothers, and others . . . [ 2 lines missing ] . . . now and tormented those who remained in a shocking way with horrible wounds, and sometimes left their mutilated bodies still half alive. Others set fire to the buildings, and many of the slaves from the district, whose character inclined them to be their allies, brought out the possessions which their masters had hidden, or dragged out their masters themselves. Nothing was sacred or inviolable to these men, who had the savagery of barbarians and the temperament of slaves. Since Spartacus could not stop these [outrages], he earnestly begged them to forestall the news of what they had done, and quickly . . . [ 3 lines missing ] . . . that they would [earn the hatred of the inhabitants], who had been cruelly attacked [and slaughtered] . . . heavy mostly . . . after staying there for that day [and the following] night, with the number of [slaves in his army] now doubled, he [moved camp] at first light and [halted] in a fairly wide plain, [where he saw] that the farmers had come out of their buildings. By that time, the autumn crops were already ripe [in the fields]. But when it was already fully daytime, the residents learnt from their [fleeing] neighbours that the slaves were heading [in their direction], and [hurried away to the nearby mountains] with all [their families].

Orosius' Historiae Adversus PaganosEdit

Paulus Orosius, known as Orosius, was a Christian priest and historian who lived from c. 375 AD to at least 418 AD. His greatest work, titled Historiae Adversus Paganos contains a brief account of Spartacus' War and is as follows:


Florus' Epitome of the Histories of Titus LivyEdit

Lucius Annaeus Florus, known as Florus, was a Roman historian that lived from c. 74 AD to c. 130 AD. He wrote a brief history of Rome based mainly upon the writings of Livy. Though it is sometimes redundant to the work of Livy, it is helpful in that it often gives historians an idea of what was contained in the lost portions of Livy's texts. His summary of Spartacus' War is as follows:


Frontinus' StrategemsEdit

Sextus Julius Frontinus, known as Frontinus, was a Roman statesman, soldier, and author who lived from c. 40 AD to 103 AD. He wrote numerous technical treatises, including one on military tactics known as Strategems. Within this work is contained a chapter titled "On Concealing One's Plans", which contains this small excerpt regarding Spartacus:


Frontinus mentions Spartacus one more time in a chapter titled "How to conceal the Absence of the Things we lack, or to supply Substitutes for Them" and is as follows:


Livy's PeriochaeEdit

Titus Livius Patavinus, known as Livy, was a Roman historian that lived from 59 BC to 17 AD. Between 27 and 25 BC Livy wrote a landmark set of history books known collectively as Ab urbe condita libri. Many of the books that were originally a part of this set are lost to history. However, a surviving abridged version of this set, known as Periochae does exist for the complete work. However, it is not much of an abridgment, and is more like a table of contents briefly describing each book. Livy's full account of Spartacus' war is lost, but the abridged version remains, and is as follows:


Cicero's OrationsEdit

Cicero, one of the most famous Romans of antiquity, was a politician and lawyer who lived from 106 BC until his summary execution by order of Mark Antony in 43 BC. Many of his political speeches and legal arguments still exist and some reference Spartacus and the Third Servile War. His statements concerning Spartacus provide valuable insight into how Romans who lived during the time of the Third Servile War viewed Spartacus as a pure villain.

In 43 BC, roughly thirty years after the war, Cicero made a series of speeches to the Senate attacking the leadership of Mark Antony. In these speeches he compares Mark Antony to Spartacus twice:

The whole then of the contest, O Romans, which is now before the Roman people, the conqueror of all nations, is with an assassin, a robber, a Spartacus!

He then later stated:

O you Spartacus! for what name is more fit for you? you whose abominable wickedness is such as to make even Catiline seem tolerable. [Cataline was a Roman senator who had orchestrated an unsuccessful conspiracy to overthrow the Republic in 63 BC. Cicero himself had uncovered the conspiracy.]

Another time when Cicero mentioned Spartacus' War was during his prosecution of Gaius Verres, a magistrate on trial for his mismanagement of Sicily in 70 BC (only one year after Spartacus was killed). In his defense at trial, Verres had apparently boasted that he had played a part in Spartacus' failed attempt to cross from the Italian mainland over to Sicily. Cicero attacked him for this and in doing so, he provided history with the earliest surviving source of Spartacus' War.


Around Wikia's network

Random Wiki