, ▁who ▁became ▁E un us ' s ▁military ▁commander . ▁After ▁some ▁minor ▁batt les ▁won ▁by ▁the ▁slaves , ▁a ▁larger ▁Roman ▁army ▁arrived ▁in ▁Sic ily ▁and ▁defeated ▁the ▁reb els . ▁ ▁Orig ins ▁ ▁Following ▁the ▁final ▁exp ulsion ▁of ▁the ▁Car th agini ans ▁during ▁the ▁Second ▁P unic ▁War , ▁there ▁were ▁great ▁changes ▁in ▁land ▁ownership ▁in ▁Sic ily . ▁Spe cul ators ▁from ▁Italy ▁r ushed ▁onto ▁the ▁island , ▁bu ying ▁up ▁large ▁tract s ▁of ▁land ▁at ▁low ▁prices , ▁or ▁occupied ▁est ates ▁which ▁had ▁belonged ▁to ▁Sic ili ans ▁of ▁the ▁Car th agin ian ▁party . ▁These ▁were ▁for fe ited ▁to ▁Rome ▁after ▁the ▁execution ▁or ▁flight ▁of ▁their ▁own ers . ▁ ▁The ▁newly ▁arrived ▁Roman ▁Sic ili ans ▁explo ited ▁their ▁slaves ▁more ▁brut ally ▁than ▁their ▁prede cess ors . ▁According ▁to ▁D iod orus ▁S icul us , ▁polit ically ▁influ ential ▁slave - own ers , ▁often ▁Roman ▁equ ites , ▁did ▁not ▁provide ▁enough ▁food ▁and ▁cl othing ▁for ▁their ▁slaves . ▁The ▁Roman ▁con quest ▁of ▁Mac ed onia , ▁in ▁which ▁thousands ▁of ▁the ▁conquer ed ▁were ▁sold ▁into ▁sla very ; ▁the ▁slave ▁dealing ▁of ▁the ▁C ret an ▁and ▁C il ician ▁pir ates ▁whose ▁activity ▁was ▁pract ically ▁un checked ▁at ▁this ▁time ; ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁opp ression ▁of ▁cor rupt ▁Roman ▁provincial ▁govern ors , ▁who ▁were ▁known ▁to ▁organ ize ▁man - h