Friday, October 4, 2019

Review: Spartacus and the Slave Wars: A History From Beginning to End by Hourly History

Title: Spartacus and the Slave Wars: A History From Beginning to End
Author: Hourly History
Publication: January 16th 2018
Genre: Nonfiction, History
Purchase it on: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Rating: 4/5

Spartacus has passed into legend as an enduring symbol of righteousness in his noble battle for the freedom of man. This transcendent icon did not appear from the aether and had plenty of inspiration from the brave and often forgotten figures that stood before him. The actions of Spartacus and his rebellion against the Roman Republic offer a unique look into the details of commercial slavery in Rome, and its long-lasting effects on the evolution of a nation.

Inside you will read about...

✓ The Roman Acquisition of Slaves
✓ Life as a Roman Slave
✓ Runaway Slaves and the Stirrings of Rebellion
✓ The First and Second Servile Wars
✓ The Mysterious Origins of Spartacus
✓ Spartacus Leads an Army
✓ A Rebellion Defeated
And much more!

This book will take you through the Servile Wars, also known as the Slave Wars, which were a series of slave rebellions over a 60-year period of the Roman Republic’s history. Occurring in relatively quick succession, each Servile War increased in strength and fervor, until Spartacus and his allies nearly managed to bring the Republic to its knees.

Any fiction or nonfiction book set in ancient Rome, even before the era of emperors, has my full interest. I also think everyone has at least heard about Spartacus and his rebellion against slavery and against Rome. So obviously I didn't hesitate to read this book as soon as I got my hands on it. I'm so glad I was not disappointed!

This book went quite deep into the business of slavery in the ancient world and how it shaped Roman life. There are chapters about the Roman acquisition of slaves, about runaway slaves and the first stirrings of rebellion as well as the mysterious origins of Spartacus and much more. To be honest, I got a lot more information about it all than I had thought I would. I was really happy about that!

Overall, Spartacus and the Slave Wars: A History From Beginning to End by Hourly History was a riveting and quick read that goes deep into the Servile Wars and Spartacus. It had barely 40 pages so it can easily be read in one sitting but even so it was a big page-turner full of fascinating facts. Highly recommended! 



Check out my other Hourly History reviews:

3 comments:

  1. There are some topics that I will never get tired of reading about, either! It's nice to get a lot of history in such a condensed format.

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  2. Wow!! I can't believe how many books on ancient Rome you have discovered! This one does sound like it would be a perfect book for a quick read. I am glad that you enjoyed it. :)

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  3. Yes, Spartacus and Romans are very well known! But I am glad it also did delve more into the slavery at the time... often overlooked and not the focus in nonfiction or stories.

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