Help With Spartacus Revolt

[DarkSpartan]

Hello everyone,

I was wondering if anyone could help me in establishing an opening paragraph for a spartacus revolt speech.

I was thinking about saying something along the lines that

 

The Roman empire weakened by its political degradation and unavailing war efforts, would again be fighting its spoils of war, and his name was Spartacus, a Thracian gladiator.

 

Does that even make sense in a historical way?

any additions or corrections will be highly appreiciated.

thankyou

[Lost_Warrior]

Hmm...if you don't mind my criticism, it doesn't make sense as a sentence. That could easily be fixed if it were reworded slightly.

 

perhaps: "The Roman empire, weakened by its political degradation and unavailing war efforts, would again be fighting its spoils of war. This time it was Spartacus...a thracian gladiator."

 

or soemthing to that effect (I think it's easier to follow. I had to reread your sentence several times before i figured out what you were saying)

 

It seems pretty good historically, but there are others more apt than I to make that judgement.

 

Maybe it would help if you would tell us what kind of speech this was?

[DarkSpartan]

its an ancient history speech for school

[Lost_Warrior]

High school i assume? One thing you have to remember about speeches, is it absolutely has to make sense (in writing anyway. I always just had phrase notes and just "wung it") because the audience can't go back and reread it.

 

(heh I always manage to screw up my speeches...worse so if I have to try to memorize. Stage fright gets me every time )

[DarkSpartan]

why would it be classed as a significant military event?

[Primus Pilus]

It wasn't really a significant military event. It raised eyebrows (and probably frightened the bejeesus out of the common folks) at the time because gladiators defeated poorly trained and poorly commanded cohorts, but in the big scheme of things it had little effect on military history. Once Crassus came to bear with a real army, the gladiators were all but finished. Couple that with Pompey's impending arrival and Spartacus never really had a chance. Mind you Crassus' fortification of Italia's 'toe' was interesting, but it was nothing all that remarkable in comparison to other siege attempts in Roman history.

 

I suppose its only real significance is that it was the last time Roman slaves rebelled in any large or semi threatening form.

[Segestan]

I think your Opening line is pretty good.

 

Historically speaking however;

 

Roman and Greek societies were only two of the five systems throughout human history were the system was organized and maintained by slavery. Slavery has been apart of most every culture as long as records have been found. But it was Roman-Greco slavery system that, independently, perfected the art of human slavery. The Great Slave Revolts of Roman history ( 140-70BC) were attempts at not just freeing themselves but of enslaving their captives. Most of the slaves in those revolts were prisoners of war. In the Second Macedonian War alone 150,000 slaves were brought into Rome. Much of the Jewish district , along the Tiber , were Macedonians taken after the defeat of Antiochus III.

The Romans through the slave language teachings employed in Christian doctrine that salvation of the enslaved soul

[DarkSpartan]

so what things should i mention as an important part of the speech? and its relation to being an important military event.