Roles Of Slaves In Ancient Rome

In the Ancient world, it was common for individuals to have another human being as their legal property. The populous of Ancient Rome encompassed a large subordinate group of slaves and freedmen who were obliged to serve its residents. Unlike the contemporary world, these slaves did not have an identifiable race but instead comprised of prisoners of war, foreigners, and even Roman children who were sold into slavery. Slaves conducted labour for city projects such as buildings, aqueducts, roads, and worked in mines and farms. As Rome transitioned from the Republic into the early imperial period, political competition decreased and so aristocrats were left to compete in a private sphere through the status of their households. Residents considered

Significant roles included an atriensis who would be in charge of household administration, silentiarius who would keep slaves disciplined, and dispensator, a household manager in charge of supplies and storage (Burks, 2008, p. 37). In some estates, slaves would be specialized in a specific field and be treated as free individuals. Therefore, a proprietor who acquired slaves that enjoyed liberal education would possess doctors and tutors in service for their family (Carcopino, 2003, p. 58). Additionally, Roman elites were in the practice of displaying their wealth and outdoing each other in banquets. In order for them to be successful, elites would require slaves with expertise in hospitality. For this purpose, households would accommodate hair dressers, masseuses, foot washers, attendants, maids, and chefs (Burks, 2008, p. 61). Through these slaves, elites could display their family’s wealth and prestige to visitors, fundamentally adding to the prosperity of their

For example, in Annals, Tacitus describes that the Roman Emperor Nero surrounded himself with “a number of gladiators, who, when a fray began on a small scale and seemed a private affair, were to let it alone, but, if the injured persons resisted stoutly, they rushed in with their swords” (Tac. Ann. 13.25). These slave gladiators who were trained in agility and precision displayed their master’s significance to the public through their protection for him. As a result, slave gladiators were treated well by their masters and were a prominent class of slaves that added on to the value and affluence of a