The Freedman in the Roman World

The first comprehensive study in over a century, covering all major aspects of the subject.

Henrik Mouritsen (Author)

9781107519084, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 9 April 2015

352 pages
22.8 x 15.2 x 1.9 cm, 0.52 kg

'The analysis is nothing short of revolutionary, an important advance over the standard studies.' Ancient History Bulletin

Freedmen occupied a complex and often problematic place in Roman society between slaves on the one hand and freeborn citizens on the other. Playing an extremely important role in the economic life of the Roman world, they were also a key instrument for replenishing and even increasing the size of the citizen body. This book presents an original synthesis, for the first time covering both Republic and Empire in a single volume. While providing up-to-date discussions of most significant aspects of the phenomenon, the book also offers a new understanding of the practice of manumission, its role in the organisation of slave labour and the Roman economy, as well as the deep-seated ideological concerns to which it gave rise. It locates the freedman in a broader social and economic context, explaining the remarkable popularity of manumission in the Roman world.

1. Introduction: approaching Roman freedmen
2. Macula servitutis: slavery, freedom and manumission
3. Freedmen and their patrons
4. The power and status of freedmen
5. The practice of manumission at Rome
6. The freedman in the Roman economy
7. The freedman (and his son) in Roman public life
8. Being a Roman freedman: the identity and experiences of former slaves.

Subject Areas: Ancient history: to c 500 CE [HBLA]