Spartacus
2
Discussion Section—Roman Slavery, Spartacus etal. 14 October 2013 For this discussion section, you are expected to have read the entire Spartacus sourcebook. There are regular claims that the Romans (really, all ancient cultures) lived in constant fear of a slave revolt due to the “large” size of the enslaved population. We will assess this claim by making a case study of Spartacus’ famous revolt during the Roman Republic, along with other evidence from the Roman era for the institution of slavery. Most of our evidence is narrative; that is, to a certain extent historians have constructed the history of Roman slavery primarily from “anecdotes” rather than specific quantitative evidence. This week’s discussion exercise will allow us to focus both on this particular historical problem, as well as to develop historical arguments. Part I. As you read through the primary sources about Roman slavery, keep track of evidence that responds to—that is, either supports or challenges— the following propositions. Provide three examples for each category with a brief note of what they demonstrate (either individually or as a group). The Roman elites feared a slave revolt…. Psychological warfare existed between slaves and masters…. Opposition by slaves to the institution of slavery; opposition by non-slaves Part II. Choose one of the following historical “moments:” middle of the 2 nd century BCE (i.e. pre-Spartacus), Julius Caesar and the First Triumvirate, the reign of Augustus, or the Roman Empire c. 117 CE. According to the evidence you have examined in the Spartacus sourcebook, prepare a one paragraph response to the question of whether the Romans were justified to fear a slave
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Spartacus essay
Transcript of Spartacus
Discussion Section—Roman Slavery, Spartacus etal. 14 October 2013
For this discussion section, you are expected to have read the entire Spartacus sourcebook.
There are regular claims that the Romans (really, all ancient cultures) lived in constant fear of a slave revolt due to the “large” size of the enslaved population. We will assess this claim by making a case study of Spartacus’ famous revolt during the Roman Republic, along with other evidence from the Roman era for the institution of slavery.
Most of our evidence is narrative; that is, to a certain extent historians have constructed the history of Roman slavery primarily from “anecdotes” rather than specific quantitative evidence. This week’s discussion exercise will allow us to focus both on this particular historical problem, as well as to develop historical arguments.
Part I. As you read through the primary sources about Roman slavery, keep track of evidence that responds to—that is, either supports or challenges— the following propositions. Provide three examples for each category with a brief note of what they demonstrate (either individually or as a group).
The Roman elites feared a slave revolt….
Psychological warfare existed between slaves and masters….
Opposition by slaves to the institution of slavery; opposition by non-slaves
Part II. Choose one of the following historical “moments:” middle of the 2nd century BCE (i.e. pre-Spartacus), Julius Caesar and the First Triumvirate, the reign of Augustus, or the Roman Empire c. 117 CE. According to the evidence you have examined in the Spartacus sourcebook, prepare a one paragraph response to the question of whether the Romans were justified to fear a slave revolt [during the reign of Augustus, for example]. You should have a clear argument and briefly discuss relevant evidence.
Part III. What is the counterargument to your evidence? That is, what might be the problems with your sources (e.g. do legal sources reflect ideals more than reality?) or how could someone challenge your claim? Write a paragraph addressing and resolving these issues.
Keep in mind that this assignment is worth more than your usual ones—30 points—a reflection of the longer reading required and deeper analysis.
