The grim tales of ‘modern slavery’ that are currently emerging across the UK make one wonder whether ancient Roman slavery was preferable. The fact that it was institutionalised means that it could, if you were lucky, be endurable.
There was nothing secretive about slavery in Rome. It was felt to be part of the natural order of things — some people were ‘born’ to be slaves — and that was that. As ‘property’, without any legal status, a slave could be treated in any way his or her master liked: tortured, whipped or executed. Over time, however, some degree of legal protection was permitted. Nero ruled that slaves could bring complaints against their masters in court, Antoninus Pius that a charge of homicide could be made against a master who killed a slave. That said, no one ever suggested abolishing slavery, not even ex-slaves or Christians.
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