The Roman Government’s Role in the Third Servile Uprising

It is said that at least at one point in history, there were more slaves then Romans in all of the Roman Empire. These slaves were badly treated: rough labour, degradation, and even murder in the form of entertainment were common fare for them. In 73 BCE, lead by a man named Spartacus, over 120,000 slaves participated in a campaign for freedom against the corrupted Roman government. This government contributed mainly to the combination of societal views, and unfair distribution of power that lead to the uprising of the slaves, despite the fact that this uprising could have been preventable through obtainable means.

Roman society at the time, which was heavily influenced by its government, was morally debauched. It was a society that approved of violence; a society that devalued its workers, or slaves. Bloodsport was a common form of entertainment for the highly desensitized rich: for special occasions they would purchase slaves known as gladiators, who were forced to fight to the death- all for the sake of “quality” entertainment. In addition, little appreciation was given to the people that carried out its most menial but necessary tasks. Jobs that the unpaid slaves were forced to do included mining, building, and manufacturing: three industries essential to the economy of the Roman Empire. The ill treatment and lack of reparations made to the slaves would have given them sound reason to start an uprising that intended to gain them not only freedoms, but also basic human rights.

In addition, the distribution of power in Rome was primarily based on wealth and status, as opposed to skill and personal merit. This can be illustrated by the failings of the General Claudius Glaber, who, despite lack of experience in war, was sent to stop Spartacus’s uprising of the slaves with an army of 3,000 men; most of whom were killed before they even got a chance to battle. Rich Romans were often promoted in the governing body, sometimes being given charge of lives that they carelessly wasted. This created a rotary effect in which wealthy rulers would either accrue more slaves or force their slaves to work harder as their industries grew. Undoubtedly it was an issue for the slaves. Control of their own lives was handed to apathetic rulers, who cared only about personal gain regardless of its cost in human life.

The Roman government could have avoided the uprising by implementing many changes over time. Of course, the most straightforward way to have avoided the uprising would have been to abolish slavery entirely. However, this could have caused massive political and economical upheaval: rich slave-owners (and therefore political powers) would have disputed the change, and if implemented, almost all of the industries would have collapsed. In stead, the government should have passed laws that vied for the fair treatment of slaves: reasonable work hours, access to healthcare, possibly education, a promotion in standards of living, and exemption from dangerous work. Had these changes been actualized, even more drastic things, such as forbidding the sale and further enslavement of humans, and paying wages to former slaves, could have been put into effect.

Despite the fact that it would have been relatively easy to change their ways over time, the general greed and apathy of the Roman government and people took precedence over causing positive change. It could be argued that the Roman populace set themselves up for the servile uprising- lack of moral judgment as a society, and a corrupted political centre are two very important reasons of many for the slaves to have gained the initiative that would cause them to take their freedom by force. Sadly, history tells us that the uprising led by Spartacus was eventually ended by the Roman power in 73 BCE, but its legacy remained on in Rome. Historical records show how Romans were so shaken by the events of the war that they began to treat their slaves less harshly as a policy; in addition, less and less slaves were used, as freemen began to take over industries such as agriculture. Due to the historical impact of Spartacus and the servile war, many people have the power to live freely today.