Second Servile War

Quick Facts: Who was Second Servile War?

Subject:

Second Servile War

Known for:

Unsuccessful slave uprising against the Roman Republic on Sicily (104 BC–100 BC).

Verified Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

The Second Servile War was an unsuccessful slave uprising against the Roman Republic on the island of Sicily. The war lasted from 104 BC until 100 BC. It was one of three Servile Wars, spaced approximately 30 years apart. The consul Gaius Marius was recruiting soldiers for the war against the Cimbri and Teutones in the North. He requested support from King Nicomedes III of Bithynia near the Roman province of Asia; but Nicomedes refused, on the grounds that every able-bodied man in Bithynia had been enslaved by Roman tax-gatherers for being unable to pay their dues.

Career & Major Achievements

The Senate replied by issuing orders that no slaves were to be taken from among allies of Rome, and that all such slaves should be immediately freed. The propraetor Publius Licinius Nerva, in obedience to the edict, at once freed (that is, manumitted) around 800 slaves in his province of Sicily. Aside from awakening discontent among slaves from other nationalities who were not freed, this had the effect of alienating the Sicilian plantation owners who saw their human chattels unceremoniously being taken out of their hands. Alarmed, Nerva revoked the manumission, which provoked the slave population into revolt. Nerva failed to react decisively; by false promises he was able to return one body of the rebels to slavery, while neglecting to address a more serious outbreak near Heraclea.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Eventually, Nerva dispatched a detachment of 600 soldiers to take care of the rebels near Heraclea but they were beaten and slaughtered; the slaves now gained confidence, having won a large supply of armaments and a strong leader, a former slave called Salvius. Taking the previous slave-leader Eunus for his example, who had proclaimed himself an Antiochus of the Seleucid line, he assumed the name Tryphon, from Diodotus Tryphon, a Seleucid ruler. After his victory, Salvius besieged the city of Morgantina. Nerva now marched against him with Sicily's militia but he was also defeated. The slaves then managed to take the city.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Second Servile War

True or False: “Did the initial revolt begin because Sicilian plantation owners were angered by the freeing of slaves?”

Answer (TRUE ⭕): The manumission of approximately 800 slaves by Publius Licinius Nerva alienated the local plantation owners who saw their human property taken from them.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Second Sino-Japanese War — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: The massive conflict (1937-1945) marking the largest Asian war of the 20th century.
• Second Spanish Republic — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: Spain's democratic experiment (1931-1939), marked by reform, conflict, and civil war.
• Second Sudanese Civil War — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: A protracted conflict (1983–2005) leading to the independence of South Sudan.
• Second Tarnovo uprising — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: A purported Bulgarian uprising against Ottoman rule in 1686, based in Tarnovo.
• Second Temple — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: The central place of worship in Jerusalem, succeeding Solomon's Temple until its destruction in 70 CE.
• Second Temple period — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: The era spanning 516 BCE to 70 CE, marked by the Second Temple's existence.

Frequently Asked Questions about Second Servile War