"Claudius Julianus, soldier of the century of Claudius Marius in the Thirteenth legion 'Gemina', has bought and taken ownership of the woman called Theudote, or any other name she may have, a Cretan by race, for 420 denaril, from Claudius Philetus. This woman was handed over in good health to the above-mentioned buyer. Done in the Camp of the Thirteenth legion 'Gemina', 4th October in the consulship of Bradua and Varus [160 AD]." (Document discovered in 1855 at Verespatak in Roman Dacia) The Roman institution of slavery began with the legendary founder Romulus giving the Roman fathers the right to sell their own children into slavery, and continued to grow with the expansion of the Roman state. Slavery was an ever-present feature in the Roman Empire. Slaves were used in construction, agriculture, households, mines, the military, manufacturing workshops and a wide range of services. As many as 1/3 of the population in Italy or 1/5 across the Empire were slaves and upon this foundation of forced labour was built the entire edifice of the Roman state and society. Slavery, was, therefore, not considered as a bad thing but a necessity by Roman citizens. The fact that slaves were taken from the losers in wars was also a helpful justification and confirmation of Rome's supposedly cultural superiority and divine right to rule over others and exploit those persons for absolutely any purpose whatsoever. Aside from the huge numbers of slaves taken as war captives, slaves were also acquired via trade, piracy, brigandage and, of course, as the offspring of slaves as a child born to a slave mother (vernae) automatically became a slave irrespective of who the father was. Slave markets existed in most large cities, though, and here, in a public square, slaves were paraded with signs around their necks advertising their virtues for potential buyers. Archaeological Museum Durrës Albania Slaves, however, could be extraordinarily expensive, and the Roman household slave certainly had a different fate. The price for a male slave in Rome at the time of Augustus has been quoted at 500 denarii. A female could go for as much as 6,000 denarii. One recorded price in Pompeii at 79 AD indicates that a slave sold for 2,500 sestertii or 625 denarii. Remembering that the legionary's annual pay was around 225 denarii, a Roman slave can be put in the category of luxury goods... There was, at least for a small minority, the possibility of a slave achieving freedom to become a freedman or woman; freedom could be granted by the owner but in most cases was actually bought by the slaves themselves, allowing the owner to replenish his workforce. The freed slave often took the first two names of their former master, illustrative that manumission was rare, as the family name held great importance in Roman society so that only the most trusted individual would be allowed to 'wear' it. Roman collared slaves. Ashmolean Museum. Many iconographic elements appearing on coins are related to slavery : Diana was protectress of the slaves; and the day, on which that temple had been dedicated, is said to have been afterwards celebrated every year by slaves of both sexes, and was called the day of the slaves. The pileus liberates was a Phrygian soft woven wool cap often used as a symbol of freedom (like on the eid mar coins) for slaves. The modius was a Roman measure, of wheat for instance, or for any dry or solid commodity. It contained the third part of an amphora, and four of these measures of grain per month was the ordinary allowance given to slaves. Isis was a goddess in Ancient Egyptian religious beliefs, whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. She was worshiped as the ideal mother, wife, matron of nature and magic. She was the friend of slaves, sinners, artisans... Antoninus Pius. Libertas holding Pileus & Rod. Libertas is often depicted under the figure of a woman standing, with a pileus in her right hand, and holding in her left a hasta, or perhaps that particular wand which the Romans called rudis or vindicta, with which slaves were slightly struck at the moment of their emancipation. and let's not forget the famous "captives" represented on several types of Roman coins. Licinius II. Jupiter with captive behind. Gratian. Emperor dragging bound captive. In conclusion, the poor Theudote was sold as a slave exactly 1860 years ago. It is estimated that roughly 40.3 million individuals are currently caught in modern slavery, with 71% of those being female, and 1 in 4 being children. In memory of all these poor victims, please show us your coins related to Slavery !
@Ocatarinetabellatchitchix .....Nice write up..Like that little Lic II coin. Antoninus Pius. 138-161 AD. AE Dupondius (11.76 gm, 25.3mm). Rome mint. Struck 154-155 AD. Obv.. ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P XVIII, radiate head right. Rev.. LIBERTAS COS IIII / S - C, Libertas with pileus and sceptre standing left. RIC 933....BMC 1469. gVF. Gallienus, Antoninianus, Minted AD 258-259 (Joint reign) Obverse..GALLIENVS dot P dot F dot AVG Radiate, curaissed bust right Reverse..GERMANICVS MAX V trophy between two seated and bound German captives RIC VI#18 variant obv legend dots..Cologne
I have many LIBERTAS coins featuring the pileus and vindicta used in the manumission ceremony. Here's one of Gordian III: Gordian III, AD 238-244. Roman Æ sestertius, 24.30 gm, 28.7 mm, 12 h. Rome, AD 240. Obv: IMP GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust, right. Rev: LIBERTAS AVG SC, Libertas standing left, holding pileus and scepter. Refs: RIC 318a; Cohen 153; RCV 8717; Hunter 147. And here's a poor soul captured and bound with his hands behind his back on a coin depicting Licinius II at the age of two: Licinius II, Caesar, AD 317-324. Roman Æ follis, 3.36 g, 17.55 mm, 5 h. Antioch, AD 317-318. Obv: D N VAL LICIN LICINIVS NOB C, laureate bust, left, holding mappa in the right hand and globe and scepter in left. Rev: IOVI CONSERVATORI CAESS, Jupiter standing left, holding Victory on globe; resting on scepter; at left, captive. SMANT in exergue, H in field, right. Refs: RIC 29; RCV 15415.
Great article and coins, @Ocatarinetabellatchitchix ROMAN REPUBLIC CAPTIVES RR Cloelius 98 BC Quinarius Jupiter F dots Victory Gaul captive Q Cr 332-1c S212 RR Fundanius AR Quinarius 101 BCe Marius triumph Jupiter E control Victory captive carnyx Q Sear 205 Craw 326-2 RR Gellius 138 BCE AR Den Roma wreath Mars with female captive Quad S 109 Cr 232-1 RR Aemilius Lepidus Paullus 62 BCE Concordia Perseus Maced captv Sear 366 Craw 415-1
My own Aemilius Lepidus Paullus, featuring three captives on the reverse and Concordia trying to escape from the coin on the obverse ... L. Aemilius Lepidus Paullus, Denarius- Rome mint, 62 BC PAVLLUS LEPIDVS [CONCORDIA] diademed and draped bust of concordia right Trophy with Lepidus Paullus on the right and three captives on the left (king Perseus of Macedon and his sons). TER above and PAVLLVS at exergue 4.00 gr Ref : RCV # 366, RSC, Aemilia # 10 Q
CARTHAGE Last series of coins issued. Issued just prior to the Romans killing the City of Carthage of over 650,000 people. This was an extinction of a people, genocide of a city. In 146 BCE, the population was killed off and the final 50,000 people sold into slavery. Rome acted in pure fear of Carthage. Carthage Third Punic War Serrate Double Shekel 149-146 BCE 12.8g 26mm Wreathd Tanit- Horse pellet raised leg SNG COP 404
Nice write up (again)! 40+ million ... That number is absurd in these modern times, one would think. But unfortunately, the suffering is still going on! I won't put on my activist shirt for this coin forum, but please, the suffering is real but everyone can do something about it. Support NGO's, buy slave-free clothing and other goods, and make this world a better place! Libertas with Pileus:
Thanks for the write-up. We often forget that the Roman economy was built on the backs of slaves. And the Medieval economy in Europe was built on the backs of serfs, who for the most part had little freedom and were tied to the land they worked for the Lord.
Coins depicting one or more captives presumably destined for slavery, issued by Trajan (Dacian captive), Septimius Severus (Parthian captives), Probus, and Constans (captives wearing Phrygian caps). And here's a Claudius I as with a reverse depicting Libertas holding a pileus in her right hand, although you can't see it very well:
Slavery, no, but below is a coin honoring LEG XIII GEM that supported Septimius Severus in 193 AD. Since that was 33 years after the document, it is unlikely that any of the principals in the story were still alive. For the record, LEG XIII is much more scarce than LEG XIIII but many of the latter are misread and sold as things they are not. The clincher is that coins of XIIII have MV after GEM while XIII do not.
