Slavery

   Slavery is now considered outrageous and prodigious. However during the time of the Roman Empire slavery was very common. There are many differences between modern forms of slaver and the earlier forms. One of these was the fact that the Romans did not have slaves based on their race. Slaves tended to be prisoners of war or sailors captured by pirates. Parents, during times of hardship, could sell their children into slavery or sell themselves into slavery if necessary. (Roman Life) Slaves were considered property of the owner. (PBS) The more slaves that someone had the higher their status. (Roman Life) Slaves were allowed to be sold or rented at anytime. The owners also had the right to kill their slaves for any reason. Slaves were often whipped, branded, and cruelly treated. Enslaved people could be put to work anywhere, private households, factories, farms, city government projects; on things like roads, aqueducts, and buildings. On farms, slaves produced the food and materials on which the cities needed. Some of these important crops farmed by slaves were wheat, olives, vines and grapes which were used for wine. (PBS) They also worked served as cooks, nannies, nurses, house servants, laundry women, and stable boys. Some stable boys looked after the cattle, sheep and pigs. These slaves were treated much better than those who worked on farms as slave hands. (Carr) Some slaves who were well educated were almost considered part of the family. (James, 15) The owners also had the right of manumission. There are two types of manumission, formal and informal, both of which gave slaves different rights. Formal manumission was preformed by a magistrate. This gave slaves full citizen rights except the right to hold office. However their children, if born into freedom, could bear office. In informal manumission slaves have fewer rights. They did not become citizens and all property and wealth accumulated during life went the old owner after death. Some owners let their slaves work towards their freedom. This encouraged them to be loyal and hardworking. Once slaves were freed they could work the same jobs as plebeians, jobs such as craftsmen midwives, and traders. Some freed slaves even became wealthy. (PBS) the number of slaves in the Roman Empire increased during the reign of Augustus and increased for almost two centuries after that. The Roman Empire had become so dependent on slavery that when more slaves became free it ended up hurting their economy. (Roman Life)