Greek and Roman Slavery
18 important questions on Greek and Roman Slavery
Which 3 factors give the Greco-Roman slavery study its distinctiveness and ongoing debate?
- Greco-Roman covers an number of very different slave systems throughout a great period of time, in which there is only evidence of a few. Diverse, developing roles for slaves.
- Greco-Roman historians lack bureaucratic records that modern slavery does have. Information also comes from drama and poetry.
- Different researching countries investigate Greco-Roman slavery from different angles. (Conflict master-slave, Marxist ideas, assimilation of slavery)
What kind of slavery existed in the different regions?
- Spartans: helots, between free/slave, more serfs. Own language, culture, freedom to have families etc. Revolted until they became independent. Able to keep their own crop.
- Athens: chattel slaves owned by the richest, 1/3 population. Hoplites owned 1/2 slaves.
What 3 preconditions were needed before the rise of mass slavery (Finley)?
- large, privately controlled farms (incentive to buy extra labour)
- the development of market exchange (constant supply of slaves, sell surpluses, provision)
- lack of internal sources of labour (end of debt-bondage in Athens 594 BC)
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What do we know of slaves in Athens?
- 1/3 worked in the silver mines
- mixed agricultural and domestic work, living alongside masters
- artisan work, living separately from their masters, or in service of the state
- casual violence against slaves
- little legal protection
- protected agains hubris: assault designed to humiliate
- sexual abuse of both genders
- relation ship between master-slaves: one of trust in i.e. business
What reasons are there to be doubtfull about the 'fluidity' of the dividing line between slave-free?
- people were able to differentiate between slave/free
- periodic scares about citizenship show that the line between free-slave was being guarded
- almost no slave actually gained citizenship, it required a vote of 6000 citizens
How did some slaves gain freedom?
- freedom repaid loyalty
- acquaintances provided a loan
- semi-independent slaves bought their freedom
- the became metics: no political right/right to own land. very limited social mobility
How was slavery justified by Aristotle?
- racism: either too soft, or too stupid
- some people had to be controlled for their own good
- slaves behormed slavishly
- someone had to do the work
What do we know about Roman slavery?
- 30-40% Italy, 10-15% empire (revise downwards)
- slaves came from the children of existing slaves (75%), foundlings, purchased or captured individuals from outside the empire
What explains the massive development of chattel slavery in Italy? (Hopkins)
- unavailability of indigenous labour (army/political rights used peasant)
- profits from empire came to elites, they were therefore able to buy peasant farms and buy slaves to work this land
- the army and cities provided markets
What do we know about Roman slaves?
- the elite owned hundreds or thousands. Poorer citizens only aspired to.
- a lot of variation in jobs. Agriculture, domestic work, urban trades.
- not a lot of evidence about family life. only in herders, because they were more independent.
What do we know about the jobs of Roman slaves?
- high degree of specialisation: slaves ministered to physical en mental needs of masters
- used in jobs requiring a high degree of training; secretaries and teachers
- slaves ran businesses
- slaves and freedmen were joined clubs, collegia: trade-household based
- the republican professional bureaucracy was staffed by slaves and ex-slaves
- state-owned slaves had benefits, like pay and independent lodging, marriage to a freedwomen (manumission)
What is known about the treatment of roman slaves?
- some sources suggest a close relationship between some slaves and their masters. The urban, highly trained ones.
- To some the good slave, good master policy applied
- There were professional slave-floggers/torturers
- But Roman law attempted to protect slaves from abuse
- kinship relations weren't recognized
- honour of the slave was connected to property
- sexual abuse and prostitution was widespread
How did slaves acquire freedom in Rome? And what happened after?
- the result of an emotional bond with one's master
- economic exchange making use of the peculium: money/property a slave was allowed to have
- freedmen had to respect their masters, were still dependent on their masters for owning property and marrying.
- they had to complete operae: days of work
How did ex-slaves have influence?
- they were given citizenship, although their was debate over the weight of their vote
- some were wealthy, by business experience, or gifts from patrons
- great influence in the imperial bureaucracy was possible
When were there slave rebellions in Rome and what did they consist of?
Why were there more rebellions in a 60-year period of time than before?
- Massive amounts of slaves were acquired, who cooperated easily
- Rome was distracted by foreign wars
- Slaves were treated worse because of relatively easy economic growth
How were slaves able to resist their owners
- running away: easy because loose bureaucracy and hard to differentiate between slave/free
- defraud or causing loss to a master were less common
How did ancient slavery possibly end?
- slaves became like the rest of the poor: autonomy and living in family units
- slave exploitation possibly became uneconomic around 100
- peasant lost their roles as voters and soldiers and became available for labour
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