Slaves in ancient Rome, like in the rest of the ancient world, were primarily enslaved war captives. When Rome's wars of expansion ended, the supply of new slaves swindled. The majority of slaves worked in the fields of the large landed estates. Many worked in the households of the rich. Miners were slaves because in those days mining was like a death sentence. Some slaves worked in mills and bakeries and some worked for the state as archivists or petty bureaucrats. The economy of the Roman Empire was not necessarily a slave economy. Slave labour was concentrated in Italy and in the Roman province of Africa (Tunisia and western Libya). In most parts of the empire there were no or few slaves. Tenant farmers and agricultural labourers were common sources of labour for the landed estates.
With the economic crisis of the period historians call the Crisis of the Third Century, many urban people and tenant farmers moved to the large landed estates. The urban economy suffered due to the devastations of war (there were many civil wars and repelled invasions of the empire), hyperinflation and a collapse in trade, leading to urban-rural migration in various areas of the empire. The small farmers left their farms because of the ravages of wars in the areas affected by the mentioned conflicts and/or to escape the burden of heavy taxation. Funding a large army and paying its soldiers and officers was a heavy drain on the coffers of the state, which was continuously struggling to raise enough revenue. With the economic downturn and the decrease in circulating coins due to hyperinflation, tax collection became extremely difficult and the emperor Diocletian resorted to force the tax collectors to pay for their shortfall form their own pockets and to collect taxes in the form of confiscations of goods.
Diocletian doubled the size of the imperial bureaucracy, which was an added burden for the coffers of the state. He also issued a decree which tied urban workers to their professions and tenant farmers to the landed estates of their landlords. This was to control occupational and geographical mobility and to ensure efficient tax collection. In exchange for the economic benefits of tying labour to their land, the landlords facilitated tax collection among their tenant farmers. Thus, the economic crisis led to the creation of servile labour, which was a precursor of the later medieval serfdom. After this crisis the Roman economy recovered. However, servile labour remained and several emperors issued edicts on servile labour in the period of the Later Empire.
Servile labour did not become the mainstay of the rural economy throughout the Roman Empire. It was most prevalent in the areas which suffered from the devastations of war. In the areas which had not been affected by this the hiring seasonal agricultural labourers was widespread. The raids of the Franks and Alemanni into northern Gaul in the fourth century destroyed the rural economy of this area and caused many farmers to go to the landed estates and become servile farmers.
When the Romans defeated an invasion of Italy by some Germanic peoples in 405, the slave market of Rome was flooded with slaves and briefly collapsed. This did not greatly impact the economy of the empire because it fell into chaos and stated to crumble following the invasions by other Germanic peoples which started the next year.
well i dont know me and my partner are doing a rome project in the 6th grade and i need this question answered or we are screwed if you want to learn about ancient roman slaves look at these sites http://library.thinkquest.org/26602/entertainment.htm http://www.hadrians.com/rome/romans/daily_life/roman_slaves.html They were treated terribly! They were auctioned off and fought to the death. If they were lucky. Otherwise, they had to work in dangerous situations on high mountains and cliffs. If they misbehaved, they got a lashing and were starved until they died! (If you want to learn more watch 'Spartacus')
In ancient Rome Women from different countries that were taken in from war were able to stop being a gladiator in 659 BC.
When speaking about ancient Rome, it is proper to make judgements based on the context of ancient times and other ancient empires. Based on one's subjectivity, ancient Rome's "negatives" as asked in the question can be many or few, once again based on a person's point of view. In my view two negatives stand out: one are the gladiator combats for "entertainment". As far as I know, most ancient empires did not have this type of entertainment. Another negative in my view was the use of massive slavery. Many ancient civilizations had slaves, no question about that. However, in ancient Rome slavery was an institution that ancient Rome grew to be almost an addiction. Taken as a whole however, it is my view that in terms of ancient empires, the Roman empire had more positives than negatives taken in the context of its time in history.
In ancient Rome a soothsayer was a fortune teller.In ancient Rome a soothsayer was a fortune teller.In ancient Rome a soothsayer was a fortune teller.In ancient Rome a soothsayer was a fortune teller.In ancient Rome a soothsayer was a fortune teller.In ancient Rome a soothsayer was a fortune teller.In ancient Rome a soothsayer was a fortune teller.In ancient Rome a soothsayer was a fortune teller.In ancient Rome a soothsayer was a fortune teller.
how do you get places in ancient Rome
around about 2nd century BC
Slavery was already around before the days of ancient Rome. All the ancient civilisations of the Mediterranean and Mesopotamia has slaves. When towns were seized in war, their inhabitants were taken as part of the war booty and sold as slaves.
It was usually just to do with the wealth of the slave [but not always, it was illegal, but some slave dealers captured free-born children]. But lots of slaves were not from Rome, or were from a different part of the world.
well i dont know me and my partner are doing a rome project in the 6th grade and i need this question answered or we are screwed if you want to learn about ancient roman slaves look at these sites http://library.thinkquest.org/26602/entertainment.htm http://www.hadrians.com/rome/romans/daily_life/roman_slaves.html They were treated terribly! They were auctioned off and fought to the death. If they were lucky. Otherwise, they had to work in dangerous situations on high mountains and cliffs. If they misbehaved, they got a lashing and were starved until they died! (If you want to learn more watch 'Spartacus')
it was bad and it is NOT OKAY! SLAVERY NEED TO STOP!
In ancient Rome Women from different countries that were taken in from war were able to stop being a gladiator in 659 BC.
Ancient Greece, Rome, the United States, and various African societies are examples of societies that practiced slavery at different points in history.
Hannibal won the battle during the Second Punic War. No, it did not stop the spread of Rome. The Republic of Rome lasted for another 200 years, then gave way to the Empire of Rome.
When speaking about ancient Rome, it is proper to make judgements based on the context of ancient times and other ancient empires. Based on one's subjectivity, ancient Rome's "negatives" as asked in the question can be many or few, once again based on a person's point of view. In my view two negatives stand out: one are the gladiator combats for "entertainment". As far as I know, most ancient empires did not have this type of entertainment. Another negative in my view was the use of massive slavery. Many ancient civilizations had slaves, no question about that. However, in ancient Rome slavery was an institution that ancient Rome grew to be almost an addiction. Taken as a whole however, it is my view that in terms of ancient empires, the Roman empire had more positives than negatives taken in the context of its time in history.
No, slavery was legal in ancient Greece.
Slavery has never been a good thing. Taking into account of what I just said, the only time slavery might be considered a good thing is if in ancient times the choice was being a slave or being killed. In the case of ancient Rome as example, after your nation was defeated by Rome, and you were made a slave ( God forbid ) there might be a chance that one's behavior as a Greek slave tutor, freedom might be offered in due time. This is a stretch however, but in ancient Rome, becoming a freedman was a possibility.
No. Do not confuse ancient slavery, Roman or any other people's, with American slavery. Race had nothing whatsoever to do with ancient slavery. Ancient slavery was determined by birth not by skin color. Some people were born slaves while others, although freeborn, happened to live in a town that was enslaved such as Carthage or Alesia. The earliest civilizations, such as ancient Egypt had slave labor. Most were captured in wars.