Welcome back to Gurgle, the bite-sized podcast from the creators of Ad Navseam! Designed to whet your appetite for classical antiquity, Gurgle tickles your taste buds and leaves you wanting more from the vomitorium.
In today’s installment, hosts Dr. David C. Noe and Dr. Jeffrey T. Winkle transition from a brief playground pun to a dark, harrowing episode from Roman imperial history: the mass crucifixion of 400 household slaves in AD 61.
Dave encountered the historical backstory while reading John Anthony McGuckin’s The Path of Christianity: The First Thousand Years (2017). In his chapter on the early church in an age of oppression, McGuckin highlights the case of Lucius Pedanius Secundus, the prefect of Rome, whose murder by a single household slave triggered a constitutional crisis in the Roman Senate.
The Economic Machine of ‘Big Slava’
To understand the tragedy, one must understand the sheer scale of servitude in the late Roman Empire. As McGuckin observes, the imperial state operated as a vast, efficient machine where “slave stock” was continually replenished through massive regional conquests. Unlike limited regional conflicts in earlier antiquity, Roman imperial servitude was reinvented on an unprecedented scale.
Because the economic infrastructure of the empire depended entirely on this system, any religious or political philosophy—including early Christianity—that advocated for the wholesale abolition of slavery was viewed by the Roman elite as inherently anarchistic. To maintain control over millions of unfree laborers within private households, the state relied on fear.
In AD 61, during the reign of Nero (r. 54–68 AD), Lucius Pedanius Secundus was assassinated in his own home. The motive was uncertain: either Pedanius had refused to grant the slave his freedom after a price had been agreed upon, or both master and slave were competing for the affections of the same lover.
Mos Maiorum vs. the Protesting Populace
Following the assassination, Roman authorities invoked mos maiorum (the custom of the ancestors). Under an ancient law, if a master was murdered inside his home, every single slave living under the same roof was condemned to death by execution via crucifixion.
In the case of Pedanius Secundus, his household comprised 400 slaves, the vast majority of whom were indisputably innocent of any crime, including women, children, and infants.
Reading directly from Tacitus’s Annales (Book 14, Chapter 42) in the original lingua Latina (Latin language), Dave and Jeff highlight a remarkable moment in Roman history:
“Because an ancient custom required that the entire household of slaves living under the same roof must be led out to execution, the populace gathered in a tumultuous crowd to protect so many innocent lives, and the rioting reached the point of besieging the Senate House.”
As Jeff notes, this offers a rare, ground-level peek behind the curtain of Roman society. Ordinary Roman citizens took to the streets, storming the Senate to demand leniency and protest what they viewed as an act of monstrous, indiscriminate cruelty.
Gaius Cassius Longinus and the Argument for Terror
Inside the Senate, a minority faction argued for mercy. However, the hardline conservative lawyer Gaius Cassius Longinus delivered a fiery speech urging the Senate to uphold the ancient law.
In Annales 14.43–44, Cassius laid out a cold argument grounded in deterrence and self-interest:
- Systemic Fear: Cassius argued that because Roman households now contained “entire nations” of foreign slaves with different customs and religions, “it is impossible to control such a rabble except through terror.”
- Elitist Self-Interest: He warned his fellow senators: “Who will be kept safe by a multitude of slaves when 400 could not protect Pedanius Secundus?”
- Collateral Damage: Addressing the slaughter of innocent people, Cassius crudely compared the mass execution to military decimation: “Every exemplary punishment carries some element of injustice to individuals. But the hardship to the few is outweighed by the benefit to the whole community.”
As Dave observes, Cassius’s rhetoric represents a low point in Roman legal reasoning, relying on a “break a few eggs to make an omelet” philosophy that Tacitus records with brittle, unsympathetic precision.
Nero’s Intervention and the Road of Crosses
Swayed by Cassius’s appeal to their personal safety, the majority of the Senate voted to execute all 400 slaves.
When the angry Roman populace blocked the streets with stones and torches to prevent the execution, Emperor Nero intervened. Rebuking the crowds via public edict, Nero deployed detachments of soldiers along the entire route, lining the road with military guards so the 400 men, women, and children could be marched out to their mass crucifixion.
When another senator, Cingonius Varro, proposed deporting the household’s freedmen from Italy as well, Nero vetoed the motion. In a display of classic Neronian logic, the emperor claimed that while the ancient law must be maintained in all its severity, it should not be amplified by “unnecessary cruelty”—apparently viewing the crucifixion of 400 innocent people as strictly necessary, but deportation as going too far!
Sponsors, Language Courses, and Support
Before wrapping up this dark chapter of history, the hosts remind listeners of several ongoing sponsor offers and opportunities:
- Plautus & Terence Giveaway: Win a free copy of Five Comedies of Plautus and Terence from Hackett Publishing! Email Dave at dave@adnavseam.com (remember the ‘V’!) with the code word braggart in the subject line.
- LatinPerDiem Summer Discount: Want to learn Latin this summer? Take 15% off Unit 1 of the starter Latin course (Lingua Latina Per Se Illustrata) by using coupon code AESTAS15 at latinperdiem.com! For Greek learners, use code 10PLUS for 10% off MossMethod.
- Hackett Publishing: Expand your classical library at hackettpublishing.com. Use coupon code AN2026 for 20% off your entire order plus free shipping, and be sure to check out their new Signature Editions Collection!
- Ratio Coffee: Upgrade your morning brew with a Ratio 4, 6, or 8 machine. Visit ratiocoffee.com/adnavseam and enter code ANRATIO2026 for $20 off.
- Della Chelpka Art: Collect original oil paintings at dellachelpka.art using the coupon code FINAL20 for 20% off.
Credits & Parting Notes
A special thanks goes out to audio engineer Mishka for her expert editing, and to guitarist Jeff Scheetz for providing the rock-infused intro (Thrillseeker) and bumper music (Rush Hour).
Thank you for tuning into Gurgle! Be sure to subscribe, share with fellow classical gourmands, and keep taking in the classics—and keeping them down!
