In search of the real history behind Kirk Douglas’s portrayal of Spartacus and his slave revolt against Rome in the 1960 blockbuster film. Why was the 1960 Hollywood epic produced the way it was? What do ancient, contemporary sources say about Spartacus and, arguably, antiquity’s most famous and largest slave revolt in the late 70s BCE? Can we separate fact from fiction? Were there any long-term consequences arising from this revolt ? The talk confronts some of the nastier aspects of Roman society and how they influenced the occurrence and outcome of Spartacus’s slave revolt. As a finale, the talk will include mention of some modern-day publications covering Spartacus’s revolt and more general Roman Republican history.

Patrick has lived in the Shaftesbury/Gillingham area since 2009. He is a retired librarian and research manager with 35 years’ service with mainly Government bodies and organisations in the commercial legal sector. He read Classics (‘Greats’) at Keble College, Oxford University, in the 1970s, including reading most of the surviving Greek and Roman literature in the original languages. He retains a strong interest in various aspects of Ancient Greek and Roman history and is happy to suggest reading at any level to anyone with an actual or potential interest in doing so.