Category:Spartacus (subject)

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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 in some fictional accounts, by Arthur Koestler and Howard Fast, who reckoned some Jews among Spartacus' closest followers and friends.