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. Many Americans can recall tales of the Revolutionary War in which they fought for their freedom from Britain. Others can remember watching the courageous Scots fight for their freedom from England in the classic movie Braveheart. But no matter which fight for freedom, or war for independence is mentioned, it is important to remember that freedom has never been achieved, or even fought for, without a courageous leader. Behind every great rebellion, battle, or war, there is a great man. And for the slaves fighting for their freedom in ancient Rome, this man was Spartacus. The success of the third slave war in ancient Rome was due in large part to Spartacus's strong, intelligent, and courageous leadership.
The third slave war of ancient Rome, often referred to as the Spartacus Slave War, set the stage for Spartacus and his legacy. "Spartacus, a Thracian whom the Romans had imprisoned and then sold to be trained as a gladiator, had once fought as a soldier for the Roman army"
...
... middle of paper ...
... is impossible to think that they could just live without it. It is understandable and justifiable for them to want their freedom back, and to get it back by any means necessary, be it rebellion or war. The rebellion and eventual war that ensued in Rome between 73 and 71 B.C. would not have been close to reaching the success that it did if not for a special man leading and organizing the rebel slaves. Spartacus's story will forever go down in history as a courageous act of defiance against an unjust government, and for this reason Spartacus will be alive forever through his legacy. As baseball great Babe Ruth often said, "Heroes get remembered, but legends never die."
Works cited, used book Spartacus and the slave wars
and this book
Bentley, Jerry. (2006). Traditions and Encounters: A Global Perspective on the Past. (Vol 3)
New York: McGraw-Hill
To look at this epistemologically, there is an understanding that almost every aspect involved in this culture was derived for the good of the polis. This seemed to be a very proud and arrogant people. A city with no walls, and in almost certainty, only natural born were allowed to earn citizenship. To even be called a Spartan meant years of fighting, service and status. Tyrtaeus states this argument best in the last line of his work. “Thus a man should endeavor to reach this high place of courage with all his heart, and, so trying, never be backward in war.” These writings are great resources for Spartan’s war enhanced values and societal customs, but lack in evidence of governmental affairs and religion.
It is this society that produced many great warriors – and it is this society that many great warriors died to protect and preserve. Thus, those killed deserve many thanks and praise, for they fought with noble intention. As Pericles’ says, “Such is the Athens for which these men, in the assertion of their resolve not to lose her, nobly fought and died. (2.41.5).
The first crisis that the late republic had to face was the slave revolt in 73 B.C. The slave army had about 70,000 men led by a gladiator named Spartacus. He was a gladiator who escaped from a training facility and attracted t...
Scott’s film, Gladiator, contains an inherent meaning or theme, not connected to any other films or literature. Scott’s film explains everything that the viewer needs, within the movie itself. This allows the viewer to watch and understand the film with no extra or background information. Although background information, helps the viewer understand the circumstances in the film, it is not needed to understand the meaning or theme. Scott’s film, portrays a theme of the greatness of man, and freedom. Forced into slavery, as a gladiator, maximus, must fight for not only his life but his beliefs. Once a great hero, Maximus, must fight and kill, to rise once again, and enact his revenge. Maximus’ character reveals this heroic nature, through his actions, and thoughts. The viewer sees and understands this, without the need of background information. ...
Stanley Kubick's Spartacus In the 1960 film Spartacus, directed by Stanley Kubrick, the character called Spartacus is depicted as a revolutionary who leads an army of slaves against the oppressive forces of Rome during the first century B.C. Though the overall story is true, and most of the main characters are real, the presentation of their character is entirely fictional. Spartacus and the other characters have been split into groups epitomizing good and evil, and the story itself has been vastly romanticized. This essay will address the ways in which the story deviates from reality and finally will show how Kubrick and those before him have used such interpretations as a valuable tool for social change.
After its debut in America on May 5th of 2000, the movie Gladiator has been a nationwide symbol of heroism(Imdb). The film was directed by Ridley Scott and the lead roles of the film were carried out by Russell Crowe as Maximus and Joaquin Phoenix as Commodus(Imdb). The movie takes place during the reign of the Holy Roman Empire in the year 180 A.D. The Emperor, Marcus Aurelius, is dying and wishes to leave the Roman Empire under the control of Roman General Maximus Meridius. The Emperor’s son Commodus betrays Maximus, kills his father, and takes control of Rome. In betraying Maximus, Commodus has his family killed. Maximus knowing this returns to Rome as a gladiator under the alias “Spaniard” in search of revenge(Imdb). According to Aristotle, “Tragedy is an imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude”(Kwheeler). In order for someone to be considered a tragic hero, the person must meet the criteria of high social status, suffer from a hamartia, face a catastrophe, invoke catharsis, and experience anagnorisis and peripeteia(Kwheeler).
Frederick Douglas’s 1852 short story, “The Heroic Slave”, was loosely based the true story of a slave rebellion that occurred on the American ship named Creole. Divided into four parts, the plot of this story follows a slave named Madison Washington, who would eventually be the leader of the story. At the start of the short story, a “northern traveller” named Mr. Listwell saw and overheard Washington in a field. As Mr. Listwell observes him, Washington is performing a soliloquy, in which he verbalizes his wishes of gaining freedom (Douglass 174-182). In part two, Washington acts upon his grievances and finally escapes from bondage. Coincidentally, he arrives at the home of the same traveller who eavesdropped
The book The Spartacus War by Barry Strauss is an in depth look at one of Roman history’s most legendary events, the gladiator revolt led by Spartacus. Spartacus has become a legend, creating a storyline that has inspired many movies and television shows, such as Stanley Kubrick’s epic Spartacus in 1960, starring the legendary Kirk Douglas. Spartacus has inspired a perfect mix of men over time with various backgrounds and beliefs, from Stalin and Marx, to Voltaire, and even to Ronald Reagan. How though, did Spartacus create a massive revolt of slaves that would create a massive problem for the mighty Rome? Strauss attempts to create a chronology of the Spartacus War using his vast knowledge of the Italian landscape, ancient documents, and archaeological evidence, as well as provide the reader with the historical reasons that might have created a perfect combination of causes to create the Spartacus legend.
Sparta was one of the strongest Greek city-states to ever exist. They fought valiantly in many wars, all because their strong military force could defeat almost anyone. They were the neighbors of Athens, a city-state that prided itself on their arts and strong government. Sparta’s dominance stems from its long history as a militaristic society. The lives of the soldiers were hard because they had to be so disciplined to last in the tough military schools that all men seemed to have attended from a very young age. Their women were held to higher standards than the neighboring city-states because the men could do nothing but be in the military. Women were given a new level of respect that was not seen anywhere else at that time. Spartan soldiers were the ultimate hoplite warriors, devoting their lives to training as heavy infantry (ancientmilitary.com, 2013).
It is amazing that the leaders of Athens would trust their citizens, albeit a select few, to make decisions and choices about their life style. It is also incredible to contemplate the discipline required to establish a military force when Sparta had no physical infrastructure to fortify their city-state. It is important to respect our past and learn from it. However, we also must recognize the limitations and not romanticize the past to the point we ignore its shortcomings and not forget that it took nearly 2000 years to abolish slavery. These ancient city-states neglected a large number of their people, and approved of slavery and the subjugation of women. As long as one class dominates and discriminates against another, as a world society, we still have work to do to ensure peace and basic freedoms for all of
Although generally famous for it’s accomplishments in the arts and sciences, different parts of Ancient Greece varied based on their values, lifestyles, and cultures. Due to the mountainous regions in the area, many parts of Ancient Greece were secluded from one another, therefore forcing the regions to form their own city-states with completely opposite views, cultures, and values; as was the case with Athens and Sparta. After the foundation of their city-state, Athenians focused on the arts and philosophy, while their Spartan counterparts based their entire lives around the subject of military, considering it was one of the main aspects of every Spartan’s life.
Some even slaves died for fighting a war some of them did not want and had nothing to do with it.
Much like today’s athletes gladiators competed with one another to decide a victor and is a form of entertainment for people spectating. But Gladiators competed much different than professional athletes do today. Gladiators were forced to fight for the entertainment of others and were considered slaves (“ The Roman Gladiator”). Gladiators did not just fight for friendly sport either they had to fight to the death. This made the gladiatorial games so exciting for the people watching. The people loved to watch others fight and the gore that they would see while the gladiators were fighting. It may sound horrible in today’s society but back then it was the most prominent form of entertainment. Different from today’s athletes and entertainers, gladiators were slaves and were told what to do against their will. Much of the gladiators were slaves, criminals, and prisoners of war. Gladiatorial games were mostly held by the Roman Republic and forced there enemy’s to fight for their lives in the...
In his classic work "Poetics" Aristotle provided a model of the tragic hero. According to Aristotle, the tragic hero is more admirable than the average person. This results in the tragic hero being admired by the audience. For the audience to accept a tragic ending as just, it is crucial that the tragic hero be responsible for their undoing. At the same time though, they must remain admired and respected. This is achieved by the tragic hero having a fatal flaw that leads to their undoing. One of literature's examples of the tragic hero is Achilles from Homer's The Iliad. However, Achilles is different from the classic tragic hero in one major way - his story does not end tragically. Unlike the usual tragic hero, Achilles is able to change, reverse his downfall, and actually prove himself as a true hero.
...re. Although slave revolts were uncommon in Greece, there were several in Rome. The most historical revolt was led by Spartacus and lasted about two years. This came about because Spartacus and several other gladiators broke out and started fighting the armies that came after them. This led to a more kind way to treat the slaves with the hope that they would not rise up again. In some places a slave could earn their freedom by either purchasing it with the small amount of money that their owners let them make or they could be set free in a masters last will and testament.