Introduction - Novel evidence for Roman Slavery - Hopkins

13 important questions on Introduction - Novel evidence for Roman Slavery - Hopkins

What point is Hopkins trying to make concerning preference of sources from antiquity?

For the interpretation of culture, both sources, fiction and 'real histories' can provide the same amount of insight.

How does Roman slavery differ from slavery in the American South?

  • not distinguished by race
  • Roman slaves could be educated (sometimes even better than their masters)
  • Roman slaves could have positions of trust like: secretaries, clerks, teachers, physicians, management of businesses, architects
  • possibility to make profit and save for manumission
  • freed men became citizens of Roma, woman would bare citizens

What law laid at the base of Roman slavery? With what consequences?

'All slaves are enemies'. This resulted in mutual hostility, masters and slaves. Although some slave masters were kind, they had different motivators like safeguarding the valuable assets that slaves were, not just kindness
  • Higher grades + faster learning
  • Never study anything twice
  • 100% sure, 100% understanding
Discover Study Smart

How did the factors above influence the slave systems?

Because slaves could be educated, achieve positions of trust and see their manumission coming, the tension between master and slave heightened. Slave was after all still at the mercy of their masters whims for as long as they were slaves.

What is another objective of this essay?

To investigate what stories were told to help both slaves and masters set the boundaries of appropriate behaviour between masters and slaves. Morality and its boundaries.

What were 'normal' incidents that resulted in individual cruelty to slaves?

  • betrayal of trust
  • doing something wrong
  • doing something too slow

What do individual stories tell us?

Which abnormalities were dissapproved, they set boundaries. Don't feed your slaves to the fish.

What behaviour did Galen disapprove?

Impulsive, rash behaviour. Like hitting slaves in the face with the hand.

What were the pro and cons of being a domestic slave?

  • privileged and more pampered than others
  • could save up for manumission.

con:
  • more contact with masters and more subject to their whims

How did Roman law rule over the murder of slaves?

Murder counted as murder unless death occurred in the course of reasonable punishment.

What point emerge from Galens story, the friend with the sword that became remorseful?

  • hitting a slave on the head with a sword was regrettable, but not serious
  • even remorse took the form of violence (master asked to be whipped)
  • violence and self-control represented an axis of moral strain in Roman society
  • telling stories was an instrument of social control

What did the Life of Aesop become after years of revision and addition?

A work by many authors, a collective, composite work incorporating many different stories about slaves, projected on to Aesop. Although the intended audience remains a mystery. The text reflects the central tensions in the relationship of master and slave.

How did hatred and fear go hand in hand?

Slaves were often bodyslaves, and knew their masters inside and out. The masters hated this, because of the fear it created.

The question on the page originate from the summary of the following study material:

  • A unique study and practice tool
  • Never study anything twice again
  • Get the grades you hope for
  • 100% sure, 100% understanding
Remember faster, study better. Scientifically proven.
Trustpilot Logo