‘The Slave Market’ (1886) by Gustave Boulanger. The painting shows the marketing of seven young people, ranging in age from children to young adults, as slaves. The three male slaves, as well as two of the female slaves, bear a similarity in appearance perhaps suggesting that they are members of a family forced into slavery by economic conditions.
The sale of slaves in the ancient world was conducted just as sales of other goods and wares–in a market, in public.
- Captives to be sold would be displayed on stands, sometimes revolving. Usually, they were naked so potential buyers could see exactly what they were purchasing. If captives were not already nude, buyers could demand that they be stripped for a closer inspection.
- People from other lands had one foot whitened with chalk, though no one is quite sure why.
- Placards were placed around their necks detailing their nationality, origin, abilities, known health problems, any tendency to run or attempted suicides, any restitution demand the new owner would inherit, and any other known ”defect.” If the dealer would not or could not offer a guarantee the slave was made to wear a pointed felt cap called a pileus on his head.
- “Full disclosure” was required in an environment that was usually ruled by caveat emptor. Roman law allowed full refunds if an unreported defect was found in the first six months, even if the dealer didn’t know about it.
- Family ties were not disclosed, however. Buyers did not necessarily want to pay for a whole family. Even if purchased together, couples could be split up at any time, and children could be taken from their parents. There is evidence, though, that some “married” slaves were somehow able to stay together.
- The Roman state regulated the trade in slaves. Slave dealing was overseen by the Roman fiscal officials called quaestors. Sales were witnessed and documented. Emperor Augustus imposed a 2% tax on the sale of slaves. This tax—from an estimated 250,000 sales—contributed about 5 million sesterces to the Imperial treasury each year. In 43 AD the tax was increased to 4%.
- Prices varied according to their place of origin, age, health, skills and training, attractiveness, etc. We have evidence for prices from 300 to 2000 denarii. As a comparison, a soldier’s salary was about 225 denarii.
- Slave dealers were considered untrustworthy and dishonest. This was one reason slaves were displayed naked– so buyers could tell if they were being cheated.
- Smaller slave markets existed all over the Empire, but outside Rome, the major market was in Ephesus, in modern-day Turkey. Another was in Corinth.
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Captives in Rome, by Charles Bartlett, 1888
The Greek island of Delos became the largest slave market in the world, for a while at least. As the birthplace of Apollo, Delos initially acquired its wealth and fame through the pilgrim trade, but by the second century B.C. it was making far more through the slave trade. Some said ten thousand slaves were sold there in a single day.
- Slavery in the Roman Empire finally ended, but not because of a new passion for human rights. New economic forces introduced cheap labor. Slaves were gradually replaced by wage laborers and peasants (serfs). The same kind of work was performed for low wages and without a huge initial investment.
Though through the next centuries the life of a serf may have been barely better than a slave’s, he was, at least, free.