Slavery in the Roman World

A lively and comprehensive overview of Roman slavery, ideal for introductory-level students of the ancient Mediterranean world.

Sandra R. Joshel (Author)

9780521535014, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 16 August 2010

252 pages, 84 b/w illus. 4 maps 2 tables
22.6 x 15.2 x 1.3 cm, 0.43 kg

Sandra Joshel provides a comprehensive overview of Roman slavery. Using a variety of sources, including literature, law, and material culture, she examines the legal condition of Roman slaves, traces the stages of the sale of slaves, analyses the relations between slaves and slaveholders, and details the social and family lives of slaves. Richly illustrated with images of slaves, captives, and the material conditions of slaves, this book also considers food, clothing, and housing of slaves, thereby locating slaves in their physical surroundings – the cook in the kitchen, the maid in her owner's bedroom, the smith in a workshop, and the farm labourer in a vineyard. Based on rigorous scholarship, Slavery in the Roman World serves as a lively, accessible account to introductory-level students of the ancient Mediterranean world.

1. An introduction to Roman slavery
2. The Roman social order and a history of slavery
3. The slave of slaves
4. The practices of slaveholders and the lives of slaves
5. Slaves at work: in the fields, the household, and the shop.

Subject Areas: Slavery & abolition of slavery [HBTS], Ancient history: to c 500 CE [HBLA]