Category:Spartacus (subject)

BACK TO THE PEOPLE--INDEX

Spartacus was a Thracian gladiator and leader of a slave revolt in 73-71 BCE.

Overview

There is nothing that historically connects Spartacus with the Jews and Jewish and Christian origins. Spartacus was a Thracian and lived before Judea fell under Roman rule. However, the similarities with the Maccabean revolt and the fact that 6,000 of his followers were crucified, has made him a character of some interest for early Jewish and Christian studies.

Since the 18th century, numerous fictional work have praised Spartacus as a freedom fighter and a champion of the oppressed. The unlikely connection between Spartacus and the Jews was made explicit for the first time by Arthur Koestler in 1939. In The Gladiators (1939 Koestler / Simon), novel one of Spartacus' companions was a member of the Jewish sect of the Essenes and his views shaped the revolt.

and Howard Fast, who reckoned some Jews among Spartacus' closest followers and friends.