Roman Slavery This PowerPoint presentation accompanies Closeup Teaching Unit Roman Slavery 100 BCE – 450 CE
2 Welcome to the Roman empire!
3 In the Roman empire there were lots of people: men, women, and children
4 But many of these men, women, and children were not free … They were slaves.
5 How did they become slaves?
6 Some were captured by Roman soldiers in war.
7 Others were born to mothers who were slaves.
8 Others were abandoned by their parents when they were babies. Maybe the parents were too poor to raise them.
9 Others were kidnapped by pirates or robbers and sold into slavery. Pirate ship
What kind of a life did a slave have?
11 She or he had to work for the owner. Some slaves worked in the kitchen.
12 Even little children, like Iunius, had to work in the master’s kitchen. Other slaves had to serve the food and drink.
13 Others entertained the owners by singing, playing musical instruments, or acting on the stage!
Some wealthy Roman matrons had many slaves to help them get dressed, to do their hair …
15 Some slaves were trained to fight as gladiators! Sometimes slave women fought in gladiatorial combats!
16 Did all slaves work in cities and towns? No! Many had to grow crops, watch flocks … and slave children made good shepherds!
17 What happened if you did not obey your owner? You could be punished severely; you could be beaten and even locked up or tied up.
Was there no way out of slavery?
19 Yes! You could be manumitted!
20 Other masters freed their slaves in their will. A slave could buy his own freedom with his savings (peculium) And if the master followed certain formalities, the ex-slave became a Roman citizen! Some masters manumitted their slaves as a special reward.
21 No, but some slaves who could no longer take the lack of freedom or their owners’ mistreatment could offer resistance! Could every slave hope to be manumitted?
22 They could even use magic! They could start a slave rebellion! They could run away!
23 But … They were not always successful … And punishment could be severe.
24 Most slaves just carried on with their lives. It was going to be a very long time before slavery was officially abolished.
25 The End This PowerPoint presentation accompanies Closeup Teaching Unit Roman Slavery 100 BCE – 450 CE