Slavery In Ancient Rome
Slavery In Ancient Rome
James Gallagher
Hst 102
Wends Nights 6:30-9:15
Spring 2013
Historiography plays a huge role in history and text books everywhere. Historiography is the changing, varying views of historians over time. Many texts have been written about the same topic due to new facts presenting themselves and new historians interpretations on that subject. Slavery in Ancient Rome although not too diverse it 's authors do have some differences. The facts that are put within our book are in a sense manipulated to the authors views. Within this historiography paper I will look at several books ranging from 1926-1994. Doing this I will locate differences in interpretations within the books. The first book I will look at is entitled "Rome The Law-Giver" by a man named J. Declareuil. This book comes off as a political, social/cultural perspective. The text depicts slaves of Ancient Rome as well treated. It shows them living almost on equal ground. That the slaves were there for intimacy and were well maintained in a sense. However, in the book it did give the causes of slavery which were: "Capture of a foreigner either in time of war or of peace, for a foreigner was always fair game; a birth mother who was a slaver on the day of delivery. ' 1 From this perspective you get that they are becoming more like property now. They labeled these forms of slavery a misfortune and not a disgrace. Personally I would have viewed slavery as a disgrace. Slaves were incapable of acquiring property on their own account, but then the book goes to say that slaves something took on their masters personality and were able to act upon them. This shows how society in a way trusted their slaves to a great extent. Their society had a deal of respect for humanity, masters who treated their slaves badly were forced to sell them. Slavery was ended by enfranchisement. Which, basically I took these as the master giving the slave his name and allowing him/her to be a free citizen.
James Gallagher
Hst 102
Wends Nights 6:30-9:15
Spring 2013
Historiography plays a huge role in history and text books everywhere. Historiography is the changing, varying views of historians over time. Many texts have been written about the same topic due to new facts presenting themselves and new historians interpretations on that subject. Slavery in Ancient Rome although not too diverse it 's authors do have some differences. The facts that are put within our book are in a sense manipulated to the authors views. Within this historiography paper I will look at several books ranging from 1926-1994. Doing this I will locate differences in interpretations within the books. The first book I will look at is entitled "Rome The Law-Giver" by a man named J. Declareuil. This book comes off as a political, social/cultural perspective. The text depicts slaves of Ancient Rome as well treated. It shows them living almost on equal ground. That the slaves were there for intimacy and were well maintained in a sense. However, in the book it did give the causes of slavery which were: "Capture of a foreigner either in time of war or of peace, for a foreigner was always fair game; a birth mother who was a slaver on the day of delivery. ' 1 From this perspective you get that they are becoming more like property now. They labeled these forms of slavery a misfortune and not a disgrace. Personally I would have viewed slavery as a disgrace. Slaves were incapable of acquiring property on their own account, but then the book goes to say that slaves something took on their masters personality and were able to act upon them. This shows how society in a way trusted their slaves to a great extent. Their society had a deal of respect for humanity, masters who treated their slaves badly were forced to sell them. Slavery was ended by enfranchisement. Which, basically I took these as the master giving the slave his name and allowing him/her to be a free citizen.
Bibliography: Bradley, K. R., Slaves and Masters in the Roman Empire: A study in social control. New York: Oxford University Press, 1987. Bradley, Keith, Slavery and Society at Rome. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1994. Bradley, Keith R. Slavery and Rebellion in the Roman World: 140 B.C.-70 B.C. Indiana: Indiana University Press, 1989. Carcopino, Jerome. Daily Life in Ancient Rome. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1940. Declareuil, J. Rome The Law-Giver. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1926. Finley, M I. Ancient Slavery and Modern Ideology. New York: Penguin Books, 1980.