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Slavery in ancient Rome (servitudo) was a widespread issue. You could become a slave (servi) by birth, as a prisoner of war or prey, when you were caught by slave traders or sold by your own family, or if you could not repay your debts.
Beginnings of slavery in ancient Rome
The beginnings of slavery are certainly related to the reign of monarchs. However, the first certified sources date from the early republic period. With the economic development of Rome, the number of slaves supplied by continuous wars began to increase. The growing number of slaves led to the fact that their role in the economic life of the state began to increase. What is worth noting, however, the slave initially had a guaranteed position in the family, and even the right to participate in its cults and traditions.
Intensive conquest created ideal conditions for the development of slavery. It was associated with the creation of larger agricultural assets, focused on the labour-intensive economy of vines and olives. The average plot required almost a few dozen slaves to work. The benefits of employing unpaid slaves encouraged the senatorial aristocracy to pursue further expansion and profit from it. For example, the main Caton Elder charged its slaves for each intercourse with slaves.
Conquest changes perception of slave
The turning point in the concept of slavery turned out to be the turn of the 3rd and 2nd centuries BCE. So far, the main source of the influx of slaves was war. Over time, however, the slave became a commodity, a thing (nullius) that could be bought on the market. The huge demand for this social layer has led to the creation of a new profession, engaged in the hunt for people. This activity was mainly carried out by privateers in the Mediterranean, and sometimes even Romans. Such a huge demand for slaves was mainly caused by the development of the latifundial economy and the creation of huge landed estates. As I mentioned, the benefits of having a slave in plots of land began to be noticed. First, it did not have to be paid unlike small-scale peasants, moreover, you did not have to answer for his death. According to the Romans, the slave was simply an insignificant object that could be replaced if necessary. Former patriarchal slavery evolved into productive slavery, in which the profit from the slave’s work became significant. Cato the Elder was to claim: “A slave of his was expected either to be busy about the house, or to be asleep, and he was very partial to the sleepy ones”1.
In the “slave society” there was a clear difference in life, depending on the profession they were engaged in. Athenian slaves, who run, for example, a craft workshop, had some freedom, provided that they gave the owner a certain sum of money from all the influence. A good position for a slave was also enjoyed by those employed in the homes of the rich (familia urbana), such as chefs, hairdressers and educators. The latter were mostly Greeks. Usually they were employed as carers and tutors of their masters’ sons, teachers and secretaries. It also happened that they were entrusted with more responsible positions. And so, for example, they ran libraries or rewrote books. An extremely talented grammar teacher could cost up to 700,000 sesterces. For comparison, slaves employed in agriculture, especially cattle (familia rustica) were the worst offenders.
A slave’s family was relatively difficult, but sometimes the aristocrats agreed if they knew the slave was a trusted employee. However, these were rare situations. In general, slave owners treated them, you could say as talking tools, not like ordinary people. The slave, wholly dependent on the master, could be punished with the greatest severity. In the most serious offences, he was sentenced to death by crucifixion. Sometimes the owner handed the culprit to the officials involved in the organization of the games, and then the poor man was thrown to the circus arena by wild animals to be eaten. At the same time, however, the owners took care of their health, taking into account the costs of another subordinate.
Slave uprisings
At the end of the 2nd century BCE, the situation began to aggravate in Roman society. Agricultural slaves, especially patera, were the worst-treated category of the stratum. They did not receive any supplies from the owner, as a result of which their flocks supplied them with meat and clothing. This situation existed not only in Italy but also in other provinces in which the slave trade was clearly developed (Hellenistic East or Sicily). Living in primitive conditions, they began to organize themselves into small armed groups invading nearby settlements. It is likely that the first slave uprising broke out in Sicily among shepherd slaves in <