New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-01-05

"A or sending them under Name,
that are born into disfavor Som
spread their color to everything that is
under the public ban. 1t has alreaav
happened to the term Bolshevism: now
Germany has new candidate in N.
Spartacus group. 1.-THE New Europe" mr..
sents an Illuminating account of the mean.
ing of the phrase. The piece is written by
A. F. Giles
The choice of the name "Spartacusn-s
veritable nom de guerre-by the chiefs
of the extreme revolutionary faction, sn-
nounces to Germany and to the world with
kind of self-conscious and pedantic true.
ulence, the spirit and the aim of the nova.
ment which these men directing
short tale from Roman history suffces to
point the modern moral-a tale of much
significance and evil omen
In 70 B. c. the Roman Republic had
passed more than half way through that
century of sedition and civil war which
was to issue in the dictatorship If Caesar
and finally in the yelled despotsm Of Au.
gustus. At that date the oligarchical GOV.
ernment-recently restored by the arms Of
Sula-was demonstrating its own incom.
petence and corruption. Italy was seethips
with discomfort, harassed by recurrent
panics of famine and full of broken
men of all sorts A series of tedious. costly
and ill-managed foreign wars-in Sna,n
and in Asia Mnor-had drawn away most
OF the trained soldiers from Italy, and the
only troops available against disorder were
levles OF raw recruits. There was practj
! cally no organized police Sula's proscrip-
lions and confiscations the SEQUEL of thu
civil war between his faction and that Of
Marius and CHINA, had CEASED much land
especially in the south, to pass into tho
hands of a few wealthy spectators. who
were exploiting it by means of slave labor
on large scale; in particular, by employ
ing thousands of slaves as Shepherds and
cowboys-"hard hitters and fleet runners"
says Plutarch-ill fed and i'll clothed who
combined highway robbery with their bust.
ness of tending the great herds that ranged
the upland and lowiand pastures
To these general dangers was added a
special one-the practice, which had been
growing in popularity and profit fer over
century, Of training slaves as gladiators for
the business of amusing the idle populace at
the great public shows with the spectacle
Of their skill and their agony.
In school of gladiators at Capua owned
by certain Lentulus there was a Thracian
slave named Spartacus-a man, according
TO Plutarch, mot only powerful and cour
ageous, but of understanding and mildness
Il. e., civilized manners) beyond his condi-
tlon.' With about seventy companions he
escaped and took to the slopes of Vesuvius
The first troops sent from Rome to take
them failed ignoyiniously and presently
other gladiators, cowboys from the stock
runs and slaves of all sorts were flocking
to join them. Before long Spartacus was at
the head OF 10000 men, many of them
trained fighters and all of them desperate
BENG runaways, their lives were forfeit
and they could neither expect nor give
quarter. Turbulent and undiscinlined &c
they must have been4and. bv the way il
seems that the most disorderlv Of them.
and therefore the first to be DESTROYED were
body Of German slaves-Spartacus showed
notable military skill in handling his force.
as we'll as kind OF rough justice in the
matter OF plumber which kept them loval
one army after another was sent from
nome TO crush them and disgracefully de-
ieateo Spartacus himself apparently wished
10 cut his way to freedom beyond the Alps.
but success emboldened them to remain in
the rich fields of South italy. For two
years the lands of the conquering republic
lay IN terror of barbarian slave.
At last, in II B. c., the government found
general mt to lead Roman troops against
such an enemy. Crassus the Prator. after
oeclmating' few regiments for coward
zee hemmed the slaves into the Gala
orlan peninsula, and finally, when they
made dash through his lines toward Brin.
dlsl, brought them to battle and cut them
10 pieces. Spartacus fell in the hottest Of
the hight; and it was noted that Of over
I2'ooo dead slaves only two were wounded /
IN the back. Italy was saved from destruc- /
lion. But miles of ravaged COUNTRYSIDE re-
NAMED 10 tell the tale. and for generations
the name of Spartacus was remembered with 4
terror
For Crassus this was the BEGINNING q
great career. He began at once 70 er.
plot his victory in order to establish claim
TO political power and high Office ne had
already made himself Immensely rich By
.ne exercise OF his gift for fishing in trou-
pied waters Presently he became C@sars
financial hacker, and some ten years later,
ne joined with Cesar and Pompeius to form
the FIRST Triumvirate," that cynical and 1
emcient coalition which virtually destroyed /
the Tree republican institutions Of Rome.
Inc modern analogy to which the name f
Oh the "Spartacus group" calls attention is 4
SO obvious that it scarcely needs 20 be I
stated: Desnerate men sill ~ h.:... cx- 4