By André Castaigne – G. Ferrero, The Women of the Caesars, New York, 1911., Public Domain. Livia, the wife of Augustus, superintending the weaving of robes for her family.
The Roman Empire depended on slaves. It simply couldn’t function without them.
- As many as 33% of the population across the Empire were slaves.
- Inequality was an accepted part of life and freedom was not a right. Romans believed the freedom of some was possible only because of the slavery of others. The fact that slaves most often came from conquered nations was taken as proof of Rome’s right to rule over others.
- Slaves came from many sources: war captives, people kidnapped by pirates or slave traders, criminals, abandoned infants, children born to slave mothers, even debtors who sold themselves to satisfy debts. Race had nothing to do with slavery and freedom.
- Slaves were sold at a slave-market. They were put on display, naked, with a notice around their necks. (more next week)
- Women, men and even young girls and boys were sold as slaves. In addition to working on farms and in private homes, slaves worked in mines, manufacturing, transportation, and the military. Greeks, especially, with their knowledge of philosophy and medicine, were used as tutors for the children of the wealthy.
- Some slaves were public slaves, owned by the city. They built roads, repaired the aqueducts, and constructed buildings. Luckier, more educated slaves worked as clerks and tax collectors for the city.
- Slaves were without any rights whatsoever. They were merely property of their owners and had no legal status. They could not legally create relations or families.
- If a slave killed his master then all the other slaves in the household would be killed. Deep Calling Deep opens with the true story of Pedanius Secundus in 61 AD. 400 slaves of this former city prefect were executed after his murder by one of his slaves.
- Only the rich could afford to own slaves. A modest business owner might own one or two slaves, while a very wealthy man might have hundreds. Slaves were a status symbol.
- During Saturnalia, slaves changed places with their masters. During this 5-day festival in December, slaves could disobey a command without fear of punishment. Some masters served their slaves food and wine.
- The possibility of manumission was real but slim. Freedom could be granted by the master but usually was purchased by the slaves themselves. Former slaves could sometimes become citizens and even become slave owners themselves.
© Pascal Radigue. Roman mosaic from Dougga, Tunisia (2nd century AD): the two slaves carrying wine jars wear typical slave clothing and an amulet against the evil eye on a necklace; the slave boy to the left carries water and towels, and the one on the right a bough and a basket of flowers.
- Slaves could own some property, most often money. While a slave’s property technically belonged to the master, it was frowned on to appropriate a slave’s holdings. A common use for this money was to purchase one’s own freedom.
- Living conditions varied widely. A house slave of a wealthy patrician could live quite comfortably; a farm laborer could literally be worked to death. Those who were put to work in the mines endured the harshest conditions.
- Seneca tells of a proposal once made in the Roman senate requiring slaves to wear distinctive clothing so that they could be easily recognized. When the senators realized the slaves might become aware of their numbers and rebel, they abandoned the idea.
- Slaves could run away or even plot a large rebellion, but both were incredibly risky. Failure meant death. The famous (and true) story of Spartacus ended with 6,000 of his captured followers crucified along the Appian Way as a warning to others that Rome would always win.