I. Definition of Problems

We know that the name "Spartacus" has kept on living till today along with the history of liberation of the oppressed peoples and races. For instance, according to Karl Marx, "Spartacus erscheint als der famoseste Kerl, den die ganze antike Geschichte aufzuweisen hat. Grosser General (Kein Garibaldi), nobler Charakter, real representative des antiken Proletariats.⁽¹⁾ " And, Vladimir I. Lenin praised the uprising led by Spartacus as a "war of justice ⁽²⁾ ".

What could be the reason for this long survival of the name "Spartacus"? In ancient Roma, slave uprisings were not a few happenings, and among them, there were some which were much bigger in scale and longer termed than the one by Spartacus. The first or the second Sicilian slave uprising is one of such examples. Yet, the names of these revolt leaders, "Eunus" and "Athenion" are not so familiar to us as "Spartacus". Why have the names of other revolt leaders not remained any more, but the name of Spartacus today as a sole representative of a number of slave revolt leaders?

It is a fact that, Spartacus' Uprising risen in Italia, makes Roman Republic stand at a great crisis and whole ruling class of Roma fall into panic and consider Spartacus as another Hannibal⁽³⁾ . However, if we think it as the sole reason for the survival of his name, it only explains half the reason why his name is still alive and remain as a symbol for liberation of the oppressed class. The problem is what was this uprising. The "Something" which originated from the real substance of the uprising, has made his name immortal among many other slave uprisings and has stimulated the oppressed to have strength to go on. Trying to find out this "Something" is the main object of this article.

(1)    Marx-Engels Werke 30, Berlin, S. 160

(2)    Lenin Werke 28, Moskva, S. 61

(3)    Horatius, Odae III, 19; Ampelius XLV, 3; Eutropius VI, 7, 2; Ammianus Marcellinus XVII, 33; Claudianus, Bell. Goth. 155 f; Orosius V, 24, 5