Did Spartacus Change Roman History?
Pompey told the Senate that he had ended the war; a fact that enraged Crassus. Both men returned to Rome but instead of disbanding their legions; they camped outside the city. They stood for consul in 70 BC and, even though Pompey was ineligible, he was still awarded the title of consul along with Crassus. They were to become two of the most powerful men in Rome and, along with Julius Caesar, they formed the First Triumvirate. The ensuing power struggle would ultimately result in the end of the Roman Republic.
The impact of Spartacus’s slave revolt was felt in Roman society as there was now a constant fear of another uprising. Certain writers and historians tried to suggest that Spartacus was a champion of the people and the cause of a social revolution in Italy. There is no evidence to suggest that any of this is true and it is more likely that he was motivated by self-interest. Remember, the initial escape featured less than 80 men who were simply trying to avoid the wretched conditions in a gladiatorial camp.
It was a remarkable achievement to create an army of around 120,000 men, and for a time, Spartacus caused real panic in Rome. However, the slaves were never able to agree on a clear objective, and they began to splinter. A unified rebellion would have struggled against the might of Rome; a divided one had no chance. Despite the rising, gladiator games continued to grow in popularity and later on, Roman Emperors held elaborate games to curry favor with the public. By the 4th Century AD, around 175 days a year was devoted to gladiator games.
There was something of an impact on the institution of slavery in Rome over time. It appears as if slaves were treated less harshly than before and wealthy landowners started to replace agricultural slaves with freemen. During the relative period of peace in the first century AD, the number of slaves gained through conquest dwindled significantly. Emperor Claudius even decreed that abandoned slaves were to become freemen and the killing of an old or infirm slave was seen as murder. Further laws to protect slaves were introduced by Antonius Pius in the 2nd Century AD. Although these changes happened so long after the revolt that they can’t be classified as direct consequences, they are evidence that Roman attitudes towards slavery evolved over time.