His latest work, The Spartacus War tells the story of a slave from the Balkans, a gladiator who in 73 B.C. led an uprising of 700 fellow gladiators that eventually attracted over 60,000 followers. Professor Strauss depicts Spartacus as a charismatic politician, able to hold together a widely disparate coalition of Celts, Thracians, Germans, and Italians. As a general, he was a master of maneuver and mobility, keeping the ponderous Roman forces consistently off balance. Strauss reconstructs the rebels' movements across southern Italy and their development into an army good enough to overcome Rome's legions in battle after battle. Not until Marcus Licinius Crassus was given command of Roman forces did Spartacus face an opponent who could match him. Spartacus forced a battle that resulted in complete defeat and his death, anonymous among the fallen. But the uprising Spartacus sparked left a permanent mark on the Roman psyche and made the man himself a figure of myth as well as history, as Professor Strauss shows at the end of this brisk, engrossing account. Please join us for a reading, discussion, and book signing with Professor Strauss.

6:00-6:30pm pre-program reception, 6:30 lectur and book signing.

Members are invited to continue the conversation with Professor Strauss and fellow Members over dinner at the Club table in the Cayuga Room.

The discussion is gratis, but reservations are required. The cost of dinner is $40 per person, inclusive of tax and gratuity, and includes one glass of house wine with dinner. Kindly RSVP for the lecture and dinner by Monday, June 1st at 12noon.