Reply to Thread

Message:: [QUOTE="Ocatarinetabellatchitchix, post: 4906282, member: 99554"]"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) <img src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dd/Fers_esclave.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /> 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. <img src="https://holylandphotos.files.wordpress.com/2019/06/handcuffs-rasmussen.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /> 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. <img src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Roman_collared_slaves_-_Ashmolean_Museum.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /> Roman collared slaves. Ashmolean Museum. Many iconographic elements appearing on coins are related to slavery :<ul> <li>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. </li> <li>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.</li> <li>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.</li> <li>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...</li> </ul>[ATTACH=full]1183801[/ATTACH] Antoninus Pius. Libertas holding Pileus & Rod.<ul> <li>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.</li> <li>and let's not forget the famous "captives" represented on several types of Roman coins.</li> </ul>[ATTACH=full]1183802[/ATTACH] Licinius II. Jupiter with captive behind. [ATTACH=full]1183803[/ATTACH] 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 ![/QUOTE]

Create my FREE Account!

Log in or Sign up

Reply to Thread

Useful Searches