Spartacus the Stoic

[Faeelin]

Odd fact: During the revolt in 130 BC by Aristonikos of Pergamum, Stoic philosophers gave him some sort of advice on how to run his state, a Heliopolis. He led a revolt against Rome, and, under the name Eumenes III, worked as well as you'd expect.

But the idea is there. Suppose a radical Stoic philosoher had inspired Socrates? After all, as Seneca said, "Kindly remember that he whom you call your slave sprang from the same stock, is smiled upon by the same skies, and on equal terms with yourself breathes, lives, and dies."

Yet the Mediterranean world is base, and corrupt. One cannot build a city of the Sun along the shores of the Middle Sea. ATL Spartacus leads his people to freeom, to build a new society on the shores of the Danube....

Thoughts? I expect this gets destroyed by the Romans, but it should have some interesting repurcussions.

[Michael B]

Originally Posted by Faeelin

Yet the Mediterranean world is base, and corrupt. One cannot build a city of the Sun along the shores of the Middle Sea. ATL Spartacus leads his people to freeom, to build a new society on the shores of the Danube....

Thoughts? I expect this gets destroyed by the Romans, but it should have some interesting repurcussions.

Spartacus's army had the option of leaving Italy, but they returned because they preferred a life of looting to honest hard work. If Spartacus was a Stoic, he would be heading for the Danube on his own.

[Promethean]

he may convinced his fellows to be stiocs

[Admiral Matt]

Most likely his forces split. It happened OTL, it's just this time it'd be for different reasons. It is conceivable that his bunch manage to cross the border and head for a safe place to start over. Might they go further afield in an effort to escape Roman retribution?

[Hannibal.Caesar]

Originally Posted by Admiral Matt

Most likely his forces split. It happened OTL, it's just this time it'd be for different reasons. It is conceivable that his bunch manage to cross the border and head for a safe place to start over. Might they go further afield in an effort to escape Roman retribution?

IIRC there were very few areas in Roman Europe that were safe from Roman retribution. The forests of Germania would have perhaps sufficed, but Spartacus and his forces would have been forced to fight off consistent raids against them by German tribesmen. Under those conditions, I don't think an attempt such as that would have been successful unless Spartacus allied himself with a German leader. And even then, I'm sure the Romans would have been pissed off enough to hunt him down.

It is an interesting idea though...

[Michael B]

Originally Posted by Hannibal.Caesar

IIRC there were very few areas in Roman Europe that were safe from Roman retribution. The forests of Germania would have perhaps sufficed, but Spartacus and his forces would have been forced to fight off consistent raids against them by German tribesmen. Under those conditions, I don't think an attempt such as that would have been successful unless Spartacus allied himself with a German leader. And even then, I'm sure the Romans would have been pissed off enough to hunt him down.

On the first point, the Greeks and Carthaginians managed to establish good enough relationships with Celts and Iberians for them to be able to found cities (although the latter went on to conquer the natives). There is no reason why Spartacus could not do the same with Germans.

On the matter of the Romans, the only reason why Hannibal was no longer number one on their shit list instead of Spartacus is that Hannibal is dead. If he close enough to Roman territory for them to get him, they will.

[Promethean]

a safe place would indeed be hard to find he may follow the rine and arrive in the areas of the saxons and other german tribes if he followed the danube he would be caught by dacians and sarmatians/Scytians without a good alliancie he is dead