RNC dubs Cory Booker "Spartacus"

[JHan]

Spartacus the slave and gladiator, has come to symbolize resistance to oppression.

Tbh, "Spartacus" is a great tagline if you're a 2020 hopeful.

Link to tweet

[phleshdef]

1. Lol, that just makes him sound like more of a badass.

[RhodeIslandOne]

2. Yup

Apparently they never watched the movie. Idiots.

[rzemanfl]

3. They watched the one about the one-hit wonder band.

On edit That Thing You Do.

[JHan]

8. they probably tried to twist it as a smear, Spartacus was a mutinous slave..

And RWNJ's love using slave analogies to describe black Democrats.

[CatWoman]

9. what a coincidence!!!!!

i was watching this before coming onto DU:

&t=1918s

[JHan]

12. Yeah when I first saw the Jacobs tweet I did a double take..

I was surprised, then I thought maybe they're going for the slave-who-fails-anyway angle /sigh

I haven't seen that series from History Channel.

Spartacus is fascinating because he's really a fairly modern invention, and there's a lot of mythmaking about him. What's really interesting to me is how potent his legend became - During the Imperial Period, Rome had become so "Mixed", some Knights and Senators were descended from freedmen - for such people his efforts were probably a source of pride and they kept the story of the rebellion alive. I've read different speculative takes on how grand his ambition was - whether he was really interested in ending slavery or whether he wanted to challenge Roman power directly through a plebian uprising.

I don't know if you've seen Mary Beard's Rome series. If not, I recommend it. ( She's my favorite classicist)

Here's part 1:

Part 2 and 3 should also be in the queue.

[CatWoman]

13. thank you

i just love history

[JHan]

15. yw. Mary Beard is very good :)

[AndJusticeForSome]

4. I thought Booker did it himself?

I heard him say that, I think. Not the Newark part though.

[JHan]

6. Yes, and the RNC just amplified it - he might as well really run with it if he's serious about 2020.

[JCanete]

5. Yeah, I imagine that they don't even realize this is a compliment. nt

[JHan]

7. at this point they're so arrogant and drunk on power they don't think through these things.

[NastyRiffraff]

10. They don't know that Sparticus was a HERO

WE ARE ALL SPARTICUS!

RNC: Still stupid after all this time.

[D_Master81]

11. I dont get it

how is that supposed to be an insult?

[jcgoldie]

14. Spartacus was a slave...

For these douchebags its probably a racial joke even though the historical context is all wrong.