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Roman Society
Slaves, Slavery and
Freedmen
Slaves
• Who were the slaves?
 Often individuals or families from Gaul, Italy,
Greek, Germanic areas (almost everywhere).
 Someone who did not have any rights.
 Was not a citizen of Rome.
 Worked for Patrician or Plebeian families.
Slaves (cont...)
• In the years after 260BC, slaves would have been
very similar to Romans in look and culture.
• Slaves from the eastern cities of Italy and Greece
would have been at least as well educated and
cultured as their Roman masters.
• As the Republic expanded outside the Italian
peninsula; Carthage, Gaul, Iberian peninsular; slaves
no longer had the same cultural and educated status
as their masters.
• Slave numbers peaked towards the end of the
Republic and early Empire.
Growth of Slavery
• The Twelve Tables of Law (451-450BC) stipulated that Romans were only
to be sold into slavery “across the Tiber” (outside Rome).
• Nexus – early type of slavery whereby a Roman citizen became indebted
and lost their freedom to his creditors.
• The Italian war of conquests provided Rome with approximately 11000
Samnite peoples after the defeat in 290BC.
• By 260BC and the beginning of the First Punic War, the warships and
galleys were rowed predominantly by Freedmen.
• In 177BC, approximately 65,000 Sardinian slaves were sold (cheaply)
• In contrast, in 167BC, the systematic destruction of the kingdom of the
cities of Epirus (Greece) reputedly brought 150,000 slaves as war captives
to Rome, which possibly raised the cultural and intellectual tone of Rome.
• Slave markets at times were often overcrowded and ‘overstocked’ with
slaves – this caused death, disease and lowering of the value of a slave.
• Slaves were among the main booty during Julius Caesar’s Gallic wars (5851BC)
The Work of Slaves
• Slaves performed numerous tasks in the Roman world and did not
form a single economic or social class.
• Their social status differed greatly, ranging from highly educated
Greeks whose intellectual powers were appreciated by Roman
nobles; often worked as librarians, secretaries, tutors or clerks.
• Slave girls and boys were often sexually exploited (both poorer and
wealthier Romans had access to brothels).
• Slaves also worked manual labour in mines, farms, or other duties.
• During the Roman Republic slaves worked:
 In Mines
 On Farms (familia rustica)
 In domestic dwellings or households (familia urbana)
 As Gladiators (as many as half the gladiators of Rome were slaves).
Status of Slaves
• Often held positions of importance
• Often held positions that held some form of power
or responsibility
• Slaves could be ‘freed’ by their masters –
manumission – formally freeing worthy slaves. This
would often be included in the will of the master –
Romans prided themselves on manumission.
• Manumissio - "sending out from the hand"
• Could also earn money from doing other work – they
could purchase their freedom.
• Servus publicus - was a slave owned not by a private
individual, but by the Roman people – they often
worked in temples, public buildings in the forum, in
assemblies or for magistrates.
Aspects of Slavery
• During the Republic owning a slave or two was a
common thing.
• Slaves would do domestic duties or work on the farm
or in the family business alongside free hired
labourers.
• Slaves were well looked after; fed, had sleeping
quarters and had access to basic education or trade
experience (in domestic positions).
• Patrician families or nobles often had numerous
slaves doing different tasks. They would also have
hundreds of slaves working on estates or farms.
Slaves and Rebellion
• There were three notable slave rebellions in:
135–132 BC (the First Servile War)
104-100 BC (the Second Servile War)
73-71 BC (the Third Servile War)
• Spartacus, led the great slave rebellion of 7371 BCE, was a rebel gladiator.
Freedmen
• A freed
slave was known as a libertus and any future
children of a freedman would be born with full citizenship.
• Freedmen – were slaves who either:
 Bought their freedom
 Freed by the masters – often through a will or
testament
•Freedmen’s sons could hope to rise to become
magistrates, while freedmen themselves often became
priests in a local cult in the provinces.
•For example, Claudius’s principal secretaries were
Slaves, later Freemen, that became influential and
powerful.
Freedmen (Cont...)
•
Freedmen were a vital part to the success of Rome and were
involved in many professions and facets of Roman life:
 Merchants
 Magistrates
 Priests or religious men
 Shop owners
 Ship wrights
 Ship oarsman
 Businessmen
• Freedmen were entitled to make their own way in life and
pursue a career in most facets of Roman society.
• Population of freedmen was quite large in Rome.