Spartcus and the Slave Wars

Reviews / Votes

'Here Shaw provides a virtually comprehensive collection of translated sources for Rome's major slave wars, superbly contextualized for the undergraduate student. As a bonus, the reader gets an eye-opening essay on Spartacus as a modern historical icon, the best short introduction to the nature of Roman rural slavery that one is likely to find, and a thoughtfully selected bibliography. Even specialists in ancient slavery will have much to learn from Shaw's incisive analysis.' - T. Corey Brennan, Bryn Mawr College 'Brent Shaw has done a real service by collecting the sources of Spartacus and putting them in the context of earlier Roman slave wars. This volume is impressive: the material is fascinating and the translations are excellent. It is a collection that will challenge students to think about slavery in a comparative context.' - Ronald Mellor, University of California at Los Angeles 'Brent Shaw's collection of ancient testimony relating to Spartacus and slave wars offers a compelling, user-friendly, yet scholarly presentation of one of the most fearful episodes in Roman history. His translations are accurate; the transitional narrative, comments, and explication clear and concise. A brief history of the Spartacus myth offers an additional bonus.' - Valerie M. Warrior, Boston University 'This is an imaginative volume with lively and readable translations. Brent Shaw uses a widely known event, the Spartacus War, to teach about the central social institution that characterized Roman society and slavery, and surveys the historiorgraphy about Spartacus as a tool to discuss modern uses of ancient history.' - Richard Saller, University of Chicago