Roman mosaic showing slaves
A slave in ancient times is a captive man, considered a subsistence animal because it benefits the owner. The food expenditures allocated to him are returned with the use of the slave’s energy and work.
He and his labour were just as much property as any other property: land, house, cattle, or tools. He was also part of the family in a way. It happened that a slave was given the position of a free man, such as Tiro, who was an adviser to Cicero.
Greek slaves had special positions in the homes of Roman nobles, where they were mainly used as teachers and achieved high influence and prestige.
More about slavery in ancient Rome
Sources
- Łoposzko Tadeusz, Historia społeczna republikańskiego Rzymu
