Merge branch 'main' of https://github.com/thecdil/peoples-roman-history

Author: evanwill

_essays/hist3440_02.md

@@ -3,47 +3,43 @@ title: Slavery in Ancient Rome
 author: Spencer Hegstad, Jack Droesch
 ---
 
-Born of an enslaved mother and elite father, Felix’s life in ancient Rome was set up to fail. After sexually conversing with one of his slaves, Felix’s father chose to leave him a slave instead of claiming him as his own. Day in and day out, Felix would have been tasked to complete menial house chores forced upon him by his master. The act of defiance
+Born of an enslaved mother and elite father, Felix’s life in ancient Rome was set up to fail. Like many slaves born into slavery in Rome, Felix’s father was also his master. Day in and day out, Felix would have been tasked with completing menial chores forced upon him by his master.
 
-## Rome; A Slave Economy
+## Rome: A Slave Economy
 
-The largest piece of the puzzle that kept Rome afloat was slavery. Slavery infiltrated almost every aspect of life in this ancient world, from economic production to household organization and social identity. Enslaved people were present in vast numbers across the empire and performed a wide range of roles, including agricultural labor, skilled craftsmanship, and domestic service in homes. Sandra Joshell has written extensive works on Roman slavery. In one book, *Slavery in the Roman World*, Joshell gives her readers a table that gives great insight into the roles of slaves in the ancient Roman empire. The table presented gives around 20 distinct occupations in the realm of slavery ranging from teachers to architects to bath attendants to bodyguards.[^1] Enslaved people in Rome did not occupy a single role but instead performed a wide range of tasks that could shift depending on the needs of the household. This backs up the claim that slavery was an incredibly vast system that was present in almost every aspect of society.
+The largest piece of the puzzle that kept Rome afloat was slavery. Slavery infiltrated almost every aspect of life in the ancient world, from economic production to household organization and social identity. Enslaved people were present in vast numbers across the empire and performed a wide range of roles, including agricultural labor, skilled craftsmanship, and domestic service in homes. Sandra Joshel has written extensively on Roman slavery. In one book, *Slavery in the Roman World*, Joshel provides a table that gives great insight into the roles of slaves in the Roman Empire. The table shows around twenty distinct slave occupations ranging from teachers to architects to bath attendants to bodyguards.[^1] Enslaved people in Rome did not occupy a single role but instead performed a wide range of tasks that could shift depending on the needs of the household. This backs up the claim that slavery was an incredibly vast system that was present in almost every aspect of society.
 
-Another important piece of background knowledge on slavery in the Roman empire is the ways in which slaves were viewed and treated. Like most common types fo slavery, enslaved individuals were legally considered property rather than persons. Slaves were often given collars that freed people could use to identify where to return them to if they escaped or were lost; thus treating them like dogs.
+Another important piece of background knowledge on slavery in the Roman Empire is the ways in which slaves were viewed and treated. Like most common types of slavery, enslaved individuals were legally considered property rather than persons. Slaves were often given collars that freed people could use to identify where to return them to if they escaped or were lost, thus treating them like dogs.
 
 {% include essay/image.html objectid="JackSpencer001" caption="Figure 1: Roman Slave Collar, Imperium Romanum." %}
 
-They were subject to the authority of their masters and vulnerable to punishment, control, and exploitation. Joshel goes into detail to back up this claim. Joshel claims that slaves were referred to as tools. Slaves were subject to punishment by means of burning, crucifixion, beatings, even being thrown to wild animals. Punishment led to death in many cases.[^1] Even though they had this lack of autonomy, they existed at the center of Roman life.
+They were subject to the authority of their masters and vulnerable to punishment, control, and exploitation. Joshel goes into detail to back up this claim. She argues that slaves were referred to as tools. Slaves were subject to punishment by means of burning, crucifixion, beatings, even being thrown to wild animals. Punishment led to death in many cases.[^1] Even though they had this lack of autonomy, they existed at the center of Roman life.
 
-## A household servant
+## A Household Servant
 
-An elite Roman household depended on enslaved labor, and those who organized and carried out that labor held a complex position in the family and society. There were elite male heads of households who exercised legal authority over people who were considered property. There were also those who were enslaved to these elite men that were responsible for the daily domestic and sometimes supervisory tasks. Many slaves like Felix existed; slaves who were tasked with everyday household chores as well as having escorting duties for his master’s children.
+An elite Roman household depended on enslaved labor, and those who organized and carried out that labor held a complex position in the family and society. There were elite male heads of households who exercised legal authority over their families but also over people who were considered property. The people enslaved to these elite men that were responsible for the daily domestic and sometimes supervisory tasks. Many slaves like Felix existed, slaves who were tasked with everyday household chores as well as duties that took them outside the home, like escorting his master’s children.
 
-For a slave like Felix, the role would typically have been associated with a pedagogus, an enslaved attendant responsible for escorting a child to school and supervising his behavior. However, Felix's situation complicates this definition. Felix is only twelve years old, so he would have not formally been considered a pedagogus. This does not mean that he was excluded from performing similar duties to one. Roman slavery was structured around status rather than strict occupations. Sandra Joshel talks about how enslaved individuals could be assigned to a wide range of duties depending on the household's needs (Joshel, Slavery in the Roman World). We used this to justify Felix having Pedagogus-like tasks. His role also highlights how slavery in ancient Rome would blur work categories while still having that control on social boundaries.
+This role would typically have been associated with a *pedagogus*, an enslaved attendant responsible for escorting a child to school and supervising his behavior. However, Felix's situation complicates this definition. Felix is only twelve years old, so he would have not formally been considered a *pedagogus*. This does not mean that he was excluded from performing similar duties. Roman slavery was structured around status rather than strict occupations. Sandra Joshel talks about how enslaved individuals could be assigned to a wide range of duties depending on the household's needs (Joshel, *Slavery in the Roman World*). We used this to justify Felix having *pedagogus*-like tasks. His role also highlights how slavery in ancient Rome would blur work categories while still having that control on social boundaries.
 
 {% include essay/image.html objectid="JackSpencer002" caption="Figure 2: Roman Fresco of a Banquet Scene, Pompeii." %}
 
-This fresco is a great example of how hierarchy was structured in Felix’s world. The figures at the center of the image are positioned as elites in a banquet. The elites are elevated on top of a structure and are literally larger in scale. They all have relaxed posture in a way signalling their status, wealth and most importantly their social dominance. Below the elites is the enslaved figure, who is stiff, controlled and focused. He holds a pitcher, indicating his role as a servant. We think that it was intentional making him physically smaller in size to signal his lower status as a person.
+This fresco is a great example of how hierarchy was structured in Felix’s world. The figures at the center of the image are positioned as elites in a banquet. The elites are elevated on top of a structure and are literally larger in scale. They all have relaxed posture, in a way signaling their status, wealth, and most importantly their social dominance. Below the elites is the enslaved figure, who is stiff, controlled, and focused. He holds a pitcher, indicating his role as a servant. We think that making him smaller in size was intentional to signal his slave status.
 
-The fresco does give us limits to what we can know. We cannot identify the maker of this fresco or specific conditions of the enslaved person's life, but it does not prevent our analysis. We get to see how Felix would have been perceived visually back in ancient Rome. We could easily place Felix in the role of this household slave as he could have had similar forms of labor during social events like this. Like the figure in the fresco, Felix's whole visual identity would be shown by his work.
+The fresco does give us limits to what we can know. We cannot identify the maker of this fresco or specific conditions of the enslaved person's life, but it does not prevent our analysis. We can see how Felix would have been perceived visually back in ancient Rome. We could easily place Felix in the role of this household slave as he could have had similar tasks during social events like this. Like the figure in the fresco, Felix's whole visual identity would be shown by his work.
 
 ## Control of the Mind and Body
 
-Something we briefly touched on was the subconscious thought of Felix being labor always going through his head. Touching on that a bit more, the household in ancient Rome was defined by a constant awareness of power. And this hierarchy was visible in every interaction and enforced through discipline and through daily routines that reminded enslaved people of their position.
+The household in Ancient Rome was defined by a constant awareness of power. And this hierarchy was visible in every interaction and enforced through discipline and through daily routines that reminded enslaved people of their position. In Seneca's letter 47, we can understand this relationship. Seneca describes how control was maintained through constant surveillance and punishment: “The slightest murmur is repressed by the rod; even a chance sound- a cough, a sneeze, or a hiccup- is visited with the lash.” He also talks about how enslaved people were expected to remain physically and socially beneath their masters: “when we recline at a banquet one slave mops up disgorged food, another crouches beneath the table and gathers up the left-overs of the tipsy guests.[^4]
 
-In Seneca's letter 47: on Master and slave we see a window into the thought processes of this relationship. Seneca describes how control was maintained through constant surveillance and punishment, “The slightest murmur is repressed by the rod; even a chance sound- a cough, a sneeze, or a hiccup- is visited with the lash”. He also talks about how enslaved people were expected to remain physically and socially beneath their masters “when we recline at a banquet one slave mops up disgorged food, another crouches beneath the table and gathers up the left-overs of the tipsy guests.[^4]
+For Felix, it would be hard to say that this structure of slavery would not have shaped his internal world, It would be plausible that he moved throughout his day with a heightened awareness of potential punishments. Subconsciously he would be asking himself after his every move if his behavior would warrant punishment. This self-regulation is something that was brought up in the writing of Epictetus, who says that a master, “has power over your body,” not just physically but mentally. Resentment is also something to consider. Seneca writes, “they are not enemies when we acquire them; we make them enemies.” We think it is plausible that Felix would have known that his master was his biological father, and seeing his half-siblings move freely through the household would plausibly cause tension.
 
-For Felix, it would be hard to say that this structure of slavery would not have shaped his internal world, It would be plausible that he moved throughout his day with a heightened awareness of consequence. Subconsciously he would be asking himself after his every move if his behavior would warrant punishment. This self-regulation is something that was brought up in the writing of Epictetus that says that a master “has power over your body,” not just physically but mentally. Resentment is also something to consider. Seneca writes “they are not enemies when we acquire them; we make them enemies”. We think it is plausible that Felix would have known that his master was his biological father, and seeing his half-sibling move freely through the household would plausibly cause tension.
-
-And maybe resentment would not be the only emotion at play. Within a household defined by dependency and proximity it is also plausible that Felix desired approval or recognition from his father. As interesting as it would be to contemplate that the sources do not allow us to determine which of these feelings dominated if they existed at all. Again, as before most sources talking about slaves are of elite men like Seneca who describe slavery but don't have the perspectives of the enslaved. Critical fabulation works within this gap so in Felix's case, the evidence says his life was shaped by discipline and emotional complexity.
+And maybe resentment would not be the only emotion at play. Within a household defined by dependency and proximity, it is also plausible that Felix desired approval or recognition from his father. As interesting as it would be to contemplate, this, the sources do not allow us to determine a slave's emotions. Most sources talking about slaves are written by elite men like Seneca, who describe slavery but doesn't provide the perspectives of the enslaved. Critical fabulation, a research method that combines historical evidence and ethical storytelling, works within this gap, so in Felix's case, the evidence suggests his life would have been shaped by discipline and emotional complexity.
 
 ## Roman Afterlives
 
-The system that made Felix's life the way it was did not go away as the Roman empire fell. Roman customs of household hierarchy, inequality, and slavery had an impact on later societies throughout the world and especially in America.
-
-Modern depictions of Rome, particularly in films such as *Gladiator*, highlight spectacle, military might, and elite masculinity, while downplaying the realities of enslaved labor that made those lifestyles possible.
+The system that made Felix's life the way it was did not go away as the Roman Empire fell. Roman customs of household hierarchy, inequality, and slavery had an impact on later societies throughout the world and especially in America. Modern depictions of Rome, particularly in films such as *Gladiator*, highlight spectacle, military might, and elite masculinity, while downplaying the realities of the enslaved labor that made those lifestyles possible.
 
-Felix’s reality goes to show that Rome being idealized as a "great" civilization overlooks the reality of the role that slavery played in its system. This interpretation rethinks Roman society by focusing on a child who is biologically linked to power but cannot get to it and looks at Roman society as one built not only on achievement, but on exploitation that was embedded and socially reinforced. Felix is both biologically tied to power and denied access to it.
+Felix’s reality goes to show that Rome being idealized as a "great" civilization overlooks the role that slavery played in its system. Our interpretation reexamines Roman society by focusing on a child who is biologically linked to power but cannot access it and looks at Roman society as one built not only on achievement, but on exploitation that was embedded and socially reinforced. Felix is both biologically tied to power and denied access to it.
 
 # Sources Cited