The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-01-12
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CONDUCTED ~ TN4Sa&& >SpunG WORKERS LEAGUE
Who Was Spartacus?

MORE than two thousand years ago,
AE1 the most powerful country of that
time spread itself where today the
land of Italy exists-the Roman en-
pire.
In this land, where the power was
in the hands Of the rich patricians
and where the unfortunate plebians
we're oppressed, ruled for centuries
slavery which was disgrace to man.
Each time the Roman legions (sol-
iiers) conquered some new land, the
inhabitants, who were called "barbar-
lans" by the Romans, were not only
made slaves, but they were forced by
he Roman rulers, for their pleasure
md to satisfy the needy plebians, to
lght one another in a great circus be-
ore hundreds of thousands Of people.
These fighters, who were compelled
fight one against the other, even if
hey were brothers, were called "glad-
ators." They were trained in special
3chools in the art of killing one an
other and the owners made lots of
money from the human blood that was
shed.
ONCE, in Rome, during the reign of
~ the bloody consul Sulla, memoir
ial incident occurred in the Roman
Coliseum, before the eyes of more
than a hundred thousand people.
In the arena of the Circus, more
than thirty gladiators on either side
fought their bloody fight. One, by
his strength, daring and courage, had
drawn the attention of all upon him.
He fought like lion and defended
himself from the combined attacks of
dozen enemies, and at last, many
times wounded, he left the fight as
the VICTOR!
The multitude, astonded at so much
strength and bravery, shouted, Long
live Spartacus!" Freedom for Spar
tacus!" For that was his name. Sulla
dared not oppose the will OF the peo-
pie and he gave to the brave gladiator
his freedom.
But Spartacus would not accept his
freedom whilst his brother remained
a slave and was compelled to kill has
comrades for the entertainment of the
duped plebians and bloody patricions
So he began to prepare revolt Of
all the gIadiators against the powerful
might of Rome!
EOR years Spartacus and his friends
l. went from one school to the other
And in other different DISCUSSES, they
risked being arrested and killed and
prepared threir brother giadiators fol
determined struggle for their free
dom.
One dark and rainy winters night
Spartacus and his friend Oknomt
crept into the great gladitorial schoo
in which about 10000 gladiators wer'
being trained.
Earlier they had been divided int
ten groups, so that all that remained
now was the capture of the weapons
which were kept in an armory guarded
by Roman soldiers.
The gladiators had nothing but the1
empty hands, but they believed in tn
victory of their cause and indeed the,
had no other way. For them it mean
freedom or death!
They flung themselves on the guard
and seizing their torches they force
them to fee.
Only five hundred gladiators wer
successful in leaving the town and III
der the leadership of Spartacus the
Occupied hill in the neighborhood c
the town and there planted the re
flag of revolution.
Twice the Roman troops attempte
to take the hill. The first time the
were beaten back by the gladiator
who flung stones down upon then
The second time a division of the rel
els allowed themselves to be drive
with great difficulty down the hill
then they surrounded their attacker
and destroyed them.