Slaves the Ancient Roman world were involved in nearly every aspect of life and found themselves serving people from every level of society. The duties of the slaves varied immensely depending on the person that they worked for.
Types of Slaves in the Roman Empire
There was no official classification system for slaves in the Roman Empire. However some slaves did lead much better lives than others and can be categorized based on the job that the slave performed. Slaves that had a personal or close business relationship with their owner tended to live better lives than those whose work kept them from their owners. Slaves that worked more closely with their owners had a better chance of good treatment and eventual freedom. Slaves that worked in mines often faced the most grueling conditions. These slaves were viewed as replaceable and were often worked to death. Large farms also often worked their slaves to the point of death and the gladiatorial schools trained slaves to kill or be killed for the entertainment of the Roman populous.
Slave Status in the Roman Empire
Officially slaves had no legal status. They were viewed solely as the property of their owners, as were any children they bore during their enslavement. However as the Roman Empire expanded treatment of slaves did improve in very small increments. Emperors eventually gave slaves some legal protection. Slaves were eventually granted the right to not be killed by their master without cause. However if a master was murdered by a slave the law did not prevent each and every slave owned by that master from being killed. Further changes in the treatment of slaves came as Christianity spread and as more and more slaves were freed but continued to live within the empire.
Where Slaves in the Roman Empire Came From
The slaves that were such a huge part of the Roman Empire came from a wide variety of places. One of the biggest sources of slaves was the people that the Roman Army conquered. As the empire expanded into more lands more people were captured and brought back as slaves. It also happened that some people would fall into a large amount of debt and be unable to repay it. When that happened they could be sold into slavery as a way to repay that debt. There was also a significant trade in kidnapping children and adults and selling them into slavery to make a profit. Orphaned children also often became slaves if they had no one to look after them.
How Roman Slaves Became Free
Unlike many slaves in other ancient civilizations, and some modern ones, Roman slaves had the chance to free themselves. In order to free themselves they either had to be purchased by someone else and then set free, or had to somehow earn enough money to equal their own value and then purchase their freedom. Masters also often let slaves go for several reasons. Some masters let their slaves go in their wills, while others felt it was to their own economic advantage to free a slave and then hire him or her to work for them. Some masters rid themselves of slaves that were old or not worth the upkeep. Although a freed slave still did not have all the rights of a normal citizen, for instance they couldn’t vote, they still were able to become powerful wealthy men if they had the right connections.
