Keywords: cicero tiro slave, ancient rome slavery, slave rome
A slave was a person who was usually captured in battle and send back again to Rome to be sold. Most slaves in ancient Rome were acquired through warfare, and the Roman armies would bring back captives as part of a reward because of their existence in battles. A number of the defeated soldiers were also cut back as slaves and normally brought in big money and this could also serve as an alternative to imprisoning them or killing them. Fathers could also go on and sell their children into slavery if indeed they had a need for money which was actually lawful. The abandoned children on the streets may be brought up as slaves. Slaves were brought in from all over Europe and the Mediterranean especially on the list of Germans, Thracians, Celts and Eastern Mediterranean. It had been against the law to enslave Roman citizens or Italians residing in Gallia Cisalpina. New slaves were acquired first by wholesalers who dealt directly with the Roman armies. Many of these dealers were Jewish in origin and slavery trade served as their main source of livelihood for the Roman Jews. Julius Ceasar once sold the complete populace of an conquered region in Gaul of almost 53000 visitors to slave traders at a chance.
Slaves were sold at public auctions within the empire or in shops and the most effective were sold by private sales. The sales were overseen by Roman fiscal officials called Quaestors. Sometimes the traders built revolving stands where in fact the slaves stood plus they hung around their necks a plaque describing each slave in terms of the origin, health, intelligence, character and some other information that would help the customer make a sale. Prices were usually pegged on age and strength plus some sales have been documented to possess fetched thousands of dollars in today's dollars. The dealers gave a six months guarantee if the slave showed any defects which were not stated at the time of the sale by taking back the slave or returning the buyers money. Slaves that were sold with out a guarantee were made to wear a cap at the time of the auction.
The experience of slaves generally varied with the area and the person who owned them. There were many studies of abuse and harsh treatment given to slaves though it isn't possible to indicate how widespread this was at the time. Cato the Elder was recorded as saying that he expelled any old and sick slaves within his household. Some defeated soldiers usually chose to commit suicide rather than be studied into slavery by the Romans'. Seneca who was simply a Roman writer held the view a well treated slave performed better than a mistreated slave. An example of different experience by slaves would be that of Cicero who had a slave called Tiro. Tiro was Cicero's secretary, confidant' editor and right-hand man. After Cicero's death Tiro went on to publish lots of Cicero's speeches since he had known where they had kept them. Tiro also wrote the biography of Cicero, a grammar book and a book on philosophical questions and also invented a new kind of shorthand that he had used to take notes from Cicero. Cicero's brother and his family were very near to Tiro so when Tiro have been taken ill before, his master; Cicero had literally taken care of him like he would have his own child. Cicero's son, Marcus, often wrote to Tiro whenever he needed any advice and the two had a relationship more of an uncle and nephew rather than that of a lord and family slave. In 53BCE, Cicero freed Tiro. On that day Cicero's brother Quinto's wrote him a letter of congratulations that read, : "I am truly grateful for what you have done about Tiro, in judging his former condition to be below his deserts and preferring us to have him as a friend rather than a slave. Believe me, I jumped for joy when I read your letter and his. Thank you, and congratulations. " [Tr. K. Bradley, Slavery and Society at Rome]. Scholars believe that Tiro may have turned 50 on your day he was freed. This relationship raises many questions about slavery, why did it take Cicero so a long time too free Tiro if he had noted for all those years how loyal and true Tiro was? Most compelling of most, if you grew up in a global where in fact the social institution of slavery was normal, even normative, how could one recognize the human dignity of any slave?
"As much enemies as slaves" was common proverb heard throughout Roman lands. Most citizens believed there was a constant danger of servile insurrection, which had more often than once seriously threatened the republic, and therefore this justified the severest measures in self-defense. They used regulations of collective responsibility: if the slave killed his master, the authorities put every one of the slaves in that household to death. Slaves who misbehaved have been regarded as beaten, burned with an iron or sometimes even killed, regardless of their age or sex although most slaves were usually males. Slaves normally sought freedom by escaping their homes. Historian Moses Finley noted consequently, "fugitive slaves are almost an obsession in the sources". Harboring of fugitive slaves in Rome was illegitimate and professional slave-catchers were hired to look for runaways. Advertisements were posted everywhere which provided descriptions of escaped slaves, and offered rewards in some cases. When caught, fugitives were brutally punished and branded on the forehead with the letter F, for fugitivus. Sometimes slaves had a metal collar riveted across the neck and such a collar was preserved in Rome and states in Latin, "I have run away. Catch me. Invest the me back again to my master Zoninus, you'll be rewarded. "
The legal status of slaves in ancient Rome was well defined. First and foremost slaves were property and their owners exercised dominium over slaves. Dominium was the absolute right to get rid of and control the utilization of a piece of property. Secondly, slaves could haven't any family. Any children conceived of the slaves automatically became slaves and mothers chose to kill their babies rather than expose those to slavery. Slaves formed families nonetheless they had no legal authority to safeguard these relationships. Third, a slave by all definition had no honor and dignity and the essence of being a slave was the inability to protect the body. A slave was also defined by the absence of the right to a fair trial and appeal before suffering any physical punishment. Owners could beat slaves as they wished and even demand for sexual relations with slaves of either sex. The mere connection with a state where an individual could not protect his own body from abuse was inherently and permanently degrading. As regarding Tiro and Cicero, Tiro was still a slave regardless of all the respect and loyalty he received from his master and his family.
No-one is sure how many slaves existed in the Roman Empire. Even after Rome has passed it days of greatness, it is thought that 25% of all people in Rome were slaves. Slavery in the Roman Empire did not suddenly end, but it was slowly replaced when new monetary forces introduced other varieties of cheap labor.
