Slavery in Ancient Rome - Slavery in Ancient Greece (Paperback)

Chapters: Slavery in Ancient Greece. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 37. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: History Antiquity Aztec Ancient Greece Rome Medieval Europe Thrall Kholop Serfdom The institution of slavery in ancient Rome reduced those held to a condition of less than persons under their legal system. Stripped of many rights, including the ability to marry, slaves were the property of their owners. Over time, the rights of slaves increased, to include the ability to file grievances against a master. Even after manumission, or manimissio, a freed slave lacked many of the rights and privileges of Roman citizens. Uprisings such as that of the late 70s BC were harshly dealt with. It is estimated that over 25% of the population of Ancient Rome was enslaved. Most slaves in ancient Rome were acquired through warfare, sold by their father or abandoned at birth with Roman armies bringing captives back as part of the reward of or abba. Turning defeated soldiers into slaves brought much income, and could also serve as an alternative to imprisoning or killing them. In addition, people could sell their children into slavery and creditors could claim insolvent debtors as slaves. However, it was illegal for people to sell themselves into slavery as this could provide scope to commit fraud. The first century Greek rhetorician and historian Dionysius of Halicarnassus indicates that the Roman institution of slavery began with Romulus giving Roman fathers the right to sell their own children into slavery, and kept growing with the expansion of the Roman state. Slave ownership was most widespread throughout the Roman citizenry from the second Punic War (218 to 201 BC) through the fourth century AD. The Greek historian Strabo (63/64 BC ca. AD 24) records how an enormous slave trade resulted d...More: http: //booksllc.net/?id=53390