All you have to do is print off the primary source from the fol. Database and website sources roman slavery libguides. Slavery and society will be most useful as an introduction to roman slavery, for classicists as well as for nonclassicists. Archaeological reports are also considered primary sources. Apr 16, 2020 the theoi classical etexts library is a collection of works from ancient greek and roman literature in translation. A joint project of the american numismatic society and the institute for the study of the ancient world at new york university, is a revolutionary new tool designed to help in the identification, cataloging, and research of the rich and varied coinage of the roman empire. Having said that, it is not simply a question of letting the sources speak for themselves, since we have no evidence remaining from any slave from the ancient world. Besides manual labor, slaves performed many domestic services, and might be employed at highly skilled jobs and professions. While slavery was widespread throughout the ancient world, no people had more slaves then the romans.
Slavery in ancient rome according to seneca primary. To begin thinking critically about primary sources, look at the cover image for the article, which. Roman slaves this site has great general information on slavery, as well as sections on the slave market, the slave auction, the slave trade, slave punishment, slave daily life, and slave clothing. Slavery in ancient rome primary source worksheet by history wizard. According to the 1st century bc greek historian dionysius of halicarnassus, the institution of roman slavery began with the founding of rome itself when the legendary founder romulus allowed the fathers of rome to sell their children into slavery. See main page for a guide to all contents of all sections. Primary sources in social history, vol i, new york. Suppose you find a reproduction of an image of an ancient roman physician lancing a plague bubo wow. Here are the names and relevant periods for some of the main ancient latin and greek sources for roman history. There were several ways you could become a slave in rome. Close attention is being given to the varieties of slavery, the legacy of slavery, the social justice perspective and.
Add your own area of interest to this list as another option. Slavery was an everpresent feature of the roman world. Primary sources online resistance to slavery, abolition. A study of roman society and its dependence on slaves by andrew mason burks romes dependence upon slaves has been well established in terms of economics and general society. Learning about slavery with primary sources the new york times. Primary source documents pertaining to early american history an invaluable collection of historical works which contributed to the formation of american politics, culture, and ideals the following is a massive collection of the literature and documents which were most relevant to the colonists lives in america. Jul 26, 2017 helping students understand slavery in ancient rome using 5 activities. Very probably conditions grew worse rather than better for the average slave household, for at least two centuries. A rich man might own as many as 500 slaves and an emperor usually had more than 20,000 at his disposal.
There are a variety of short sources here for you to think about. Slavery had a long history in the ancient world and was practiced in ancient egypt and greece, as well as rome. Slaves in ancient rome primary source analysis and creative. A roman playwright, plautus, writing about the time of the end of the second punic war 201 b. All is written by the masters, which makes the area of roman slavery different from, say, the history of slavery in brazil or the united states.
I use this worksheet to help students better understand how slaves were treated in ancient rome. Examining the literary sources that mention ancient slavery can reveal both the context for and contemporary views of the institution. Slavery in ancient rome primary source worksheet by history. Slavery in ancient rome according to seneca primary sources documentary the study of antiquity and the middle ages. The roman economy was certainly heavily dependent on slavery, but it was not as is sometimes mistakenly stated the most slavedependent culture in history. Despite the sympathy one must have for these slaves and their gallant leader, their success would have been a calamity to civilization. Very probably conditions grew worse rather than better for the. Students read a 1 page primary source on slavery in ancient rome from the point of view of how to own a slave and answer 8 questions on it of varying levels of difficulty. Main article primary sources 1 apuleius, describing a group of slaves in his novel, the golden ass c. Online primary sources slavery, freedom and abolition in. Slaves served in households, agriculture, mines, the military, manufacturing workshops, construction and a wide range of services within the city.
Now the idea is for you to try to put these together into an imaginary story. Mar 17, 2020 it draws on a wide range of sources, pagan, jewish and christian, over ten centuries, to present attitudes to slavery ranging from critiques to justifications. Slaves were used both as domestic workers and as member of large gangs that worked farms. That distinction probably belongs to the spartans, with helots the spartan term for slave outnumbering the spartans by about seven to one herodotus. The fact that a document exists doesnt mean that its contents are all true. Which of the sources in this unit would help you answer this question. Slavery was an established institution in rome during its time as republic and empire. Slavery, was, therefore, not considered an evil but a necessity by roman citizens. They then complete a create a pamphlet style creative activity where they educate other ancient romans on the why and how of having slaves while acknowledging a different point of view. Ancient civilizations finding primary sources noreen. Ad 165 their skins were seamed all over with the marks of old floggings, as you could see through the holes in their ragged shirts that shaded rather than covered their scarred backs. Slavery existed in roman society from an early stage of its development. The use of former enemy soldiers as slaves led perhaps inevitably to a series of en masse armed rebellions, the servile wars, the last of which was led by spartacus. Unlike the transatlantic slave trade many centuries later, roman slavery was not based on.
Ancient roman slaves were the backbone of the empires economy, up until its end, but their personal lives were anything but glamorous. H67 this bibliography lists and describes both primary texts as well as secondary studies in book and article formats. Database and website sources roman slavery libguides at the. Some of these historians lived at the time of the events, and therefore, may actually be primary sources, but others, especially plutarch ce 45125, who covers men from multiple eras, lived later than the events they describe. Top sites for primary sources on slavery the brown university steering committee on slavery and justice has scanned more than 150 documents, including broadsides, letters and sales records. Slaves of greek origin in particular might be highly educated. Choose one of the suggested topics and write questions which will take you deeper into your exploration of slavery in ancient rome. Some became slaves because they could not pay back the money they had borrowed. The major source for this period is cicero, who vividly described his impressions of the history of his age, both in his speeches and in the two collections of his letters, the. Grecoroman primary source links ancient history source book. Roman governors of judea at internet archive, from trinity documents on jews and judaism in the grecoroman diaspora at upenn. Database and website sources roman slavery libguides at.
Mar 16, 2015 noone is sure how many slaves existed in the roman empire. Relevant information comes from a wide range of sources, such as literary accounts, legal. A favored slave of a wealthy patrician could live in relative comfort. Slavery in the roman republic internet history sourcebooks. May 04, 2020 includes both primary source and secondary source content. This worksheet allows students to use a primary source document to learn about slavery in ancient rome. Collection of short primary source documents on roman slavery. With every victory more and more slaves were brought back to rome.
Numbers and origins by john madden, university college, galway, ireland. A logical assumption is that slaves led poor lives simply because they were. Noone is sure how many slaves existed in the roman empire. As many as 1 in 3 of the population in italy or 1 in 5 across the empire were slaves and upon this foundation of forced labour was built the entire edifice of the roman state and society. Prepare a report, account, essay or presentation that draws together your research on slavery in the ancient roman empire. Most slaves during the roman empire were foreigners and, unlike in modern times. A study of roman society and its dependence on slaves by andrew mason burks rome s dependence upon slaves has been well established in terms of economics and general society. Each document is accompanied by an introduction explaining its significance. Apr 30, 2019 resisting slavery in ancient rome from the bbc. A guide to roman websites which assesses the other megasites. Romansites is also especially good at keeping track of changes in urls. The primary sources become increasingly abundant as we approach the final years of the republic, and the dictatorship of caesar. Sometimes romans were murdered in their homes by their slaves. The digest was a compilation of more than 700 years of roman legislation.
Christians, muslims and jews in medieval iberia ancient and medieval religion. A major source of slaves had been roman military expansion during the republic. Historians weigh different kinds of evidence to reconstruct the past. Please read barry strauss on slave wars, and the selection of primary sources on slavery. Jan 26, 2018 combine your search terms with the terms sources, inscriptions, documents, texts, or manuscripts to find primary sources. Avalon project primary documents in law, history and diplomacy. Primary sources 1 apuleius, describing a group of slaves in his novel, the golden ass c. The article uses primary sources to tell the story of slavery from 1619 to 1865. Slave narratives from the federal writers project, 19361938 more than 2000 firstperson accounts and 500 photographs. The primary source collections below relate to issues concerning slavery in antiquity. Below is a list of primarysource materials available throughout the slavery and the making of america web site, which is organized by themes. Roman sources on the jews and judaism, 1 bce110 ce this site texts from josephus, augustus, claudius, strabo and tacitus. Primary source documents related to the theme of religion includes laws and proclamations, speeches, sermons, pamphlets, petitions, narratives, music, and lyrics.
The fact that slaves were taken from the losers in battle and their subsequent offspring was also a helpful justification and confirmation of rome s perceived cultural superiority and divine right to rule over others and exploit those persons for absolutely. Jan 14, 2020 slavery in ancient rome according to seneca primary sources documentary the study of antiquity and the middle ages. This paper, however, seeks to demonstrate this dependence, during the end of the republic and the beginning of the empire, through detailed examples of slave. Slavery in ancient rome according to seneca primary sources. Slavery in the roman world ancient history encyclopedia. Even after rome had passed it days of greatness, it is thought that 25% of all people in rome were slaves. Slavery in the roman republic original primary sources about roman slavery from the ancient history sourcebook at fordham university. Primary documents relating to slavery duke university extensive collection. In addition to inscriptions perhaps most notably the one in crete pictured above, sources include aristotle, plato, demosthenes, thucydides, plutarch, playwrights such as aristophon and euripides.
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