The NOWYOUKNOW project
Slavery in ancient Rome
Slavery played an important role in Ancient Rome’s society and the acquisition of slaves began with the conquest of the South of the country. They were like objects to their masters, who usually branded them with a hot iron.
Slaves generally performed many domestic duties and those of them who had some education were sometimes employed in skilled jobs and professions such as teachers, accountants or physicians.
Slaves could not have a family. If the slave was cultured the master would use him as a teacher for kids (they usually were from Greece). Normally they were used like a butler or like servants (they were from Egypt). The ones who were beautiful served during banquets. The ones who were born slaves and were educated were a favoured class.
Unskilled slaves worked in farms, mines or mills. These slaves had a very short life because of their living conditions. They also were subjected to corporal punishments, sexual exploitation (prostitution), tortures and summary execution.
A typical death warrant was the donation to a school for gladiators. They did not fight during war, because Romans think they were dodgies. Freed slaves were called “liberti”. Sometimes they became quite rich.
Over time, slaves gained increased legal rights (for example, the right of being protected against the abusive behaviour of their own masters). Skilled slaves were allowed to earn their own money to save enough to buy their freedom.
What the old writers said...
Varrone (V-IV bC) said that a “nexus” was a free man who gave voluntarily his work for money and accepted to be kept in bondage. In fact, the debtor gave himself to the creditor as a warranty of his debt. He could be freed doing tasks for the creditor.
Seneca: The philosopher disapproved the relationship between a master and his slaves, because it is a relationship based upon subordination. Seneca supported the idea of equality between free men and slaves.
In the “De beneficiis” and in the “Epistula 47” he dealt with equality between all men as well as between master and slave. Seneca did not propose a reform to abolish slavery. In fact his ideal of equality between men remained only an idea, and not a project of social transformation.
From conquest to uprisings: the history of slaves under the ancient Romans
II century b.C.: Slavery experienced its greatest development. Not everybody was transferred to Italy as a slave. In 167 b.C. Tiberius Gracchus with the “lex agraria” (agriculture law) imposed a certain number of free men to work the soil. Between 140 and 132 b.C. we had the first uprising of slaves. Between 104 and 100 b.C. we had the second. These uprisings occured in Sicily where the number of slaves was one of the biggest. In 133 b.C. there was an uprising in the reign of Pergamo, guided by Aristonicus, the illegitimate son of the dead king. This king gave, in fact, before his death his territories to Rome. From 73 to 70 b.C., we had the uprising led by Spartacus. This revolt happened in central and southern Italy. This revolt amounted to an uprising of peasants with no rights, free man and slaves.
By Jun (Flickr: Roman collared slaves) CC BY-SA 2.0
via Wikimedia Commons
Petronius: In a passage of his Satyricon, the author wrote about a man who thinks that slaves are human (remember that Cato believed that slaves were like animals and that they did not have a soul).
In his testament, this man decides to free all of his slaves.
Plauto: In his “Amphitruo” a slave reflects about his poor condition.
Photo by Mary Harrsch
I century b.C.: Slavery as an institution declined. During Augustus’ period the number of slaves diminished. During this period slaves dedicated themselves to commercial tasks.
In his letters, Pliny the younger says that it is useful to divide one’s property and that it is an advantage to have good slaves.
In the late imperial age slavery was diminishing.
In 61 AD the Senate decided that if a slave killed his master, his entire family would be killed.
During the Christian age, slavery almost disappeared; but there are several collars with the name of the slaves that had worn them left from this period. These collars carried the words: “Tenemene fucia et revo cameadomnum et viventium in aracallisti”, “Arrest me if I run away, and bring me back at the beautiful house of my master”.