An exciting study of ancient slavery in Greece and Rome
This book provides an introduction to pivotal issues in the study of classical (Greek and Roman) slavery. The span of topics is broad--ranging from everyday resistance to slavery to philosophical justifications of slavery, and from the process of enslavement to the decline of slavery after the fall of the Western Roman Empire. The book uses a wide spectrum of types of evidence, and relies on concrete and vivid examples whenever possible.
Introductory chapters provide historical context and a clear and concise discussion of the methodological difficulties of studying ancient slavery. The following chapters are organized around central topics in slave studies: enslavement, economics, politics, culture, sex and family life, manumission and ex-slaves, everyday conflict, revolts, representations, philosophy and law, and decline and legacy. Chapters open with general discussions of important scholarly controversies and the challenges of our ancient evidence, and case studies from the classical Greek, Hellenistic, and Roman periods provide detailed and concrete explorations of the issues.
Organized by key themes in slave studies with in-depth classical case studies Emphasizes Greek/Roman comparisons and contrasts Features helpful customized maps Topics range from demography to philosophy, from Linear B through the fall of the empire in the west Features myriad types of evidence: literary, historical, legal and philosophical texts, the bible, papyri, epitaphs, lead letters, curse tablets, art, manumission inscriptions, and moreAncient Greek and Roman Slaveryprovides a general survey of classical slavery and is particularly appropriate for college courses on Greek and Roman slavery, on comparative slave societies, and on ancient social history. It will also be of great interest to history enthusiasts and scholars, especially those interested in slavery in different periods and societies.
Author(s): Peter Hunt
Edition: Paperback
Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell
Year: 2017
Language: English
Pages: 264
List of Illustrations......Page 19
Preface......Page 21
Acknowledgments......Page 23
Modern and Ancient References: Abbreviations......Page 24
1 Introduction and Historical Context......Page 28
Greek History and Slavery: An Overview......Page 31
Rome’s Expansion......Page 37
Contrasts and Comparisons......Page 44
Suggested Reading......Page 46
Notes......Page 47
What Is Slavery?......Page 48
Ancient Evidence and Its Difficulties......Page 53
Actual Practices Versus Ways of Thinking......Page 58
What Is Typical? When and Where?......Page 59
Common Sense and Comparative History......Page 60
Modern Politics and Ancient Slavery......Page 62
Notes......Page 64
Introduction......Page 66
Warfare and the Sources of Athenian Slaves?......Page 73
A Sea Change in the Roman Slave Supply?......Page 77
A Slave Population Equation......Page 81
Suggested Reading......Page 88
Notes......Page 89
Introduction......Page 90
Slave Societies......Page 91
Economics of Slavery......Page 94
Roman Expansion......Page 97
The Cost of Labor in Athens and the Roman Empire......Page 104
The Slave Trade and Slave Traders......Page 106
Suggested Reading......Page 111
Notes......Page 112
Introduction......Page 113
Athenian Slavery and Democracy......Page 114
Slave and Freedmen Administrators in the Early Roman Empire......Page 124
Eunuchs in the Late Empire......Page 130
Suggested Reading......Page 133
Notes......Page 134
Introduction......Page 135
Slave Culture in Classical Athens......Page 138
Factors in the Retention of Birth Culture......Page 142
Compatibility and Resistance......Page 145
Greek Slaves and Culture at Rome......Page 147
Livius Andronicus......Page 149
Greek Ex-Slaves and the Lower Classes......Page 150
Ambivalence......Page 152
Suggested Reading......Page 154
Notes......Page 155
Introduction......Page 156
Prostitution in Athens......Page 158
Neaira’s Story......Page 162
Coerced Sex and Emotional Relationships......Page 166
Roman Slave Families......Page 172
Conclusion......Page 178
Notes......Page 179
Why Manumission and Ex-Slaves?......Page 181
How Common Was Manumission?......Page 182
Reasons for Manumission......Page 186
Closed and Open Slave Systems......Page 188
Pasion and His Family......Page 190
Trimalchio’s Wild Party......Page 195
Conclusion: Contrasts Between Greek and Roman Practice......Page 204
Suggested Reading......Page 205
Notes......Page 206
Resistance and Agency......Page 207
Weapons of the Weak......Page 212
The Tools of Oppression......Page 218
Running Away......Page 221
Murder and Reprisal......Page 227
Conclusion......Page 229
Suggested Reading......Page 230
Notes......Page 231
Introduction......Page 232
Classical and Hellenistic Greece......Page 233
The Helots......Page 235
The Roman Slave Wars......Page 240
Challenges of Revolt......Page 246
The Ability to Revolt......Page 249
Conclusion......Page 253
Suggested Reading......Page 254
Notes......Page 255
Introduction......Page 256
Tragedy and Slave Stereotypes......Page 258
The Clever Slave in Roman Comedy......Page 265
The Conservative and the Subversive Reading......Page 266
Paternalism......Page 272
Conclusion......Page 277
Notes......Page 278
Introduction......Page 281
The Anonymous Opponents of Slavery......Page 284
Aristotle’s Theory of Natural Slavery......Page 287
Stoicism and Christianity......Page 289
The Amelioration of Slavery in Roman Law......Page 297
Conclusion: Why no Abolitionists?......Page 301
Suggested Reading......Page 303
Notes......Page 304
Introduction......Page 306
The Decline of Classical Slavery......Page 307
Aristotle in the New World......Page 314
The Roman Law of Slavery and Modern Slave Codes......Page 317
Conclusion......Page 318
Notes......Page 320
References......Page 322
Index......Page 350
EULA......Page 381
