November 20, 2020 The Age of Settlement

Slavery in Rome at Wall inscription

Slavery in Rome : 

       Slavery appeared early in Roman society, there were many ways in which you could become a slave in Roman society.. Some became slaves because they could not pay back the money they had borrowed. The government would also take people into slavery if they could not pay their taxes. There were a slave trade and the sale and purchase of the poorest people in Roman society and their sale to influential and wealthier people.

Whenever there was a growth of the Roman Empire there was a noticeable growth in the numbers of slaves, and through the senior leaders of the Romanian army, he sent several campaigns, which resulted in these campaigns, captive soldiers who were being sold in the slave markets.In the Jules Caesar campaign, nearly a million slaves were captured by his army

There were many requests in Rome for slaves to obtain them , as more and more men were now needed for the army in order to extend and maintain the (Roman Empire), there were fewer men available to work the fields.

Slave traders accompanied the Roman army in many campaigns to obtain and trade in slaves, after a battle they would buy the defeated soldiers and their families, and then arrange for them to be sent back to (Rome) and the other major settlements in the empire.

Prisoners were taken to the slave-markets where they were paraded naked, with placards around their necks explaining their best and worst qualities. If information on the placards was later found to be untrue, the buyer could take the seller to court.

Slave prices would depend to a large extent on how many were available. After a successful military campaign, prices would fall. Slave prices will be raised in the slave market after wars.

Sculptured relief of slaves fighting wild animals in the (Roman Games).

A skilled labourer would fetch 2,500 denarii, while a rich Roman would pay as much as 6,000 denarii for an attractive young girl. (Greek slaves) were highly valued as they were often well-educated. Greek slaves were used by the rich as teachers, doctors and librarians. They also acted as private artists and musicians.

Families of Slaves:

   Rich families would also use slaves as bodyguards, cooks, waiters, doormen, cleaners, gardeners, hairdressers, dressmakers and maids. Rich Romans were usually large landowners so they also had slaves working on their farms. It was common practice to have them in work-teams of ten slaves. Branded on the forehead, chained together and guarded by a foreman carrying a whip, there was little chance of escape.

Slaves who did manage to run away were guilty of theft (they had stolen their master's property), and if caught they would suffer terrible tortures as a means of frightening other slaves.

There were also several slave revolts. The most famous of these campaigns was led by a Roman slave called (Spartacus), He was a shepherd from Thrace who had been captured by the Romans and sent to Capua to become a gladiator. Spartacus, and eighty of his school companions, were terrorized by the School of the Gladiators in 73 BC.

News of the success of the revolution reached many slaves, so they escaped from their masters and joined Spartacus for freedom. The Spartacus army defeated four Roman armies, where the number of the army of your vehicle, to 90,000 soldiers, was defeated by the Roman armies, However, they were unable to break out of Italy and reach their homelands.

The Roman Senate sent a large army to deal with the Spartacus in 71 BC,Which led to the defeat of the Spartacus Army , Many slaves who were affected by their crucifixion along the( Appian Road ) were punished, Their bodies were left to hang on the crosses for several months as a warning to other slaves who might consider the possibility of rebelling against their Roman masters.

Not all slaves were treated badly. The master of (Terence), an African slave, was so impressed with his intelligence that he educated him and then set him free. Later he became one of Rome's most important writers.

Some Romans believed that you would get more work out of slaves if you treated them well. They would pay a small allowance into a fund for their slaves.
 When there was enough money in the fund the slaves could buy their freedom. As the owner could stop paying the money into the fund if the slave misbehaved, this system was a good way of achieving complete obedience.
Also, the owner could arrange that slaves would only have enough money to buy their freedom when they were too old to work. The man could then use the money to buy a new young slave while the old slave, unable to work, would be forced to rely on charity to stay alive.

The government also owned slaves, and used them to provide public services. They built and maintained roads, bridges, aqueducts and bath houses. Slaves are also reported to have made several important inventions. In fact, the slaves are credited with the great Roman civilization.

Condition of Slavers after Emperor :

After the emperor (Constantine) converted to (Christianity), the life of the slaves improved slightly, so the slave owners stopped putting signs that distinguished their slaves on their faces, and they compensated for this by placing other marks on their hands and feet.

Nevertheless, Christianity was unable to curb its spread in Rome by putting an end to the use of slavery and slavery,  Christians argued that (Jesus)never criticized slavery in his sermons. The Church not only refrained from attacking the system of slavery but continued to use large numbers of slaves to work monastery lands.

The Romans were not the first people to use slaves, but no one in history has relied on them as much as they did. It has been estimated that when the Roman Empire was at its most powerful, two million out of the six million people living in Italy were slaves.

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