QA 6_2_1

Q: How did an individual become a slave in ancient Rome?

A: In ancient Rome, there were many ways in which an individual could become a slave. Firstly, most slaves were acquired through war. They were the enemy soldiers and civilians—spoils of war which Roman soldiers could sell or dispose of as they pleased. Another common way in which an individual could become a slave was through debt-bondage. People could sell members of their household to the debtor. Curiously, it was illegal for individuals to sell themselves into slavery as this could lead to fraud.

Children were particularly vulnerable to slavery. Parents could sell their children into slavery as a way to raise funds; orphans were usually collected and raised as slaves. Moreover, children born of a slave were themselves slaves.

Remember that modern scholarship emphasizes the fact that Roman slavery was not based on racial superiority, but it derived as we have seen from economic forces. However, as in every other type of slavery, masters had unrestricted rule over their slaves.