The native American., 1838-01-06
From Blackscoods Magazine.
THE WAR OF SPARTIC u s.
A HISTORICAL EPISODE.

fragment of history chiefly from the works OF
Plutarch, Livy, and Sallust The hero Of It is
perhaps less known than any character really SO
distinguished of Pagan times. He was one OF
those who, failing of final success, lose the major
part Of the glory of their separate and astonishing
advances towards it. As an escaped rebel slave,
gathering around himself other slaves and objects
Of the most despsed condition, and daring to
brave the majesty of the republic Of Rome, he
was regarded by the Roman authorities, people,
and historians, with the utmost contempt. His
successes, arising partly therefrom, but princi-
pally from the great qualities he possessed and
displayed of perfect prudence and hardlhood, ex-
torted it is true, for while, admiration from ter
ror. But the interval during which this lasted
was too short to insure its fair transmission to the
page of history. The exploits Of Spartacus are
consequently smothered up in the Roman annals;
and it is only here and there that we get glimpses,
unwillngly impaired, of his real greatness. Ex-
cept to student Of history, his name, as hero,
is hardly familiar. We think, therefore, that Al
brief notice Of his life and career will be accepta
bic to our readers. Certainly the bare and mea-
gre recital Of his achievements, all that the hsto
rians above named enable us to furnish, shows
him to have been very great man. From gla-
diator and runaway slave, he started at once into
consummate general. We see in every one of
his great deeds that it was not to fortune but to
conduct he owed his successes. All his actions
seemed to belle his origin. Instead of becoming
renowned robber, as might have been expected
from his previous condition, he erected himself
from the very commencement of his enterprises,
and with means the most ridculously insignif-
cant, into the antagonist Of the power OF Rome.
What he. designed gives us even nobler concep-
ton Of his vaulting mind than what he accom-
plished; and he exhibited particularly this mark
n 4 snt,rx
dazzling never disturbed the sobriety of his judg-
ment Or made him relinquish, for transient tri-
umphs, projects more difficult in which lasting
results could alone have been established We
may almost say, that in the following sketch we
have disinterred most remarkable character.
There is displayed in it, we imagine, something
Of Wat Tyler and something Of Napoleon, but
the traits which most offend and revolt us in the
two last named worthless, are not apparent in the,
Greek hero We regret only that we have been
able to do little more than follow the mere series
Of events Of which he was the grand evoker. The
pcturesuue and romance of his life are left nearly,
If not altogether, to the imagination. We give,
however, the crude materials for high-wrought
fancy to deal with, and to mould and to build up
into splendid historic fiction.
Spartacus, the hero Of one Of the most stirring
episodes in Roman history, was man Of low
origin; he belonged to family Of shepherds; he
was born in Spartica, little bourg of Thrace,
from which place he has taken his name. The
qualities he possessed were SO heroic, that Plu-
tarch declares he should be regarded rather as a
true Greek than as barbarian. According to the
account Of Cecilius, in his history Of the servile
war. Spartacus was taken prisoner, brought to
Rome, and sold for slave in the year Of the city
67O. He remained, not, however, long in this
condition; he undertook not only to set himself
free, but to break the chains of the slaves, his
companions. Ard he succeeded. AS an incite-
ment to his diic alt enterprise it is said, that he
recollected a circumstance which had happened
him in his boyhood in his own country, from
which his wife, who was skilled in divination, had
prophesied to him success in all his undertakings.
Whilst sleeping one day in the sun, serpent had
twined itself about his neck, and, waving its
Haunting crest over his head, had glided away
without doing him any harm. Being free, he
became soldier, but was afterwards retaken and
sold for gladiator. He now became perfect in
athletic exercises, and in ferceness, in magnani-
mity, and in willy courage. Escaping second
time, he took with him seventy of his compan-
ions, and was by the consent OF all made their
captain This band first armed themselves from
public cook-shop with spits and other culinary
weapons; they afterwards fell in with some wagon
loads Of gladiators, which they took, and thus
nally they overcame small body of military, so
became more perfectly equipped. They were
soon Joined by other fugitives and adventurous
mountaineers, and amounted in number to more
than two hundred. The Pretor, Claudus Pull
cher was sent with three thousand men to extr-
pate this horde, as it was thought, of robbers.
But Spartacus had never, even from the begin
ming, entertained an idea Of assuming brigand
character. His views were more loftily ambitious.
Instead of fleeing from the formidable armed force
sent against him, he prepared TO resist and over
come it. He took post for this purpose on the
precipitous sleeps Of Mount Vesuvius, of which
the fires were then thought to be burnt out, where
he could not be attacked but with great dsadvan-
tage. Claudius Pnlcher, on arriving before this
strong position, resolved to risk no action till the
enemy---driven down by hunger-should descend
to the plain,-and he pitched his camp at the foot
Of the mountain. Spartacus watched his adver-
sary's movements; and, knowing the imposslblli-
ty Of long holding out where he was, ne resolved
to take advantage Of the Roman generals mani
fest contempt Of himself and his followers. For
this purpose he had a quantity Of the supplest
vine branches cut, and by twisting and uniting