Changes

It has been argued that Spartacus revolt changed the way that the Romans viewed slavery. In the Roman histories, there is certainly a great deal of respect and even admiration for the Thracian. Plutarch stated that Spartacus was a gifted leader and general and compared him favourably to the Roman generals he faced. There are later writers who argue that the revolt of Spartacus led to long-term attitudes to slavery in Roman society. After the end of the Third Servile War, there were to be no more great slave revolts. It has been argued that the Roman elite were so shaken by the revolt of 73-71 BC that they had a new view of slaves. They were more inclined to see them as beings endowed with reason and a soul <ref>Bradley, Keith. Slavery and Rebellion in the Roman World (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1989), p. 156 </ref>. In the person of Spartacus, they encountered a person with all the virtues that they admired in men. This led them to reconsider their view of slaves as a class. It is impossible to state with any degree of certainty if Spartacus changed the Roman elite’s views of their slaves. It seems unlikely, this can be seen in their pleasure in the gladiatorial games and the fact that most slaves were still treated as objects. However, it is undeniable that the revolt by Spartacus was the last of the great Servile Wars <ref> Bradley, p 117</ref>. This is even though many more slaves were imported into Rome from Gaul and elsewhere in the following decades. There is a real possibility that the success of the Thracian gladiator and his many victories so impressed the Romans that they adopted a new strategy to prevent future insurrections. There was a conscious effort by the elite to treat their slaves in a more humane way to prevent a repeat of Spartacus revolt <ref> Bradley, 189</ref>.

==Conclusion==