Roman slavery

Roman slavery was the system of human bondage that formed the economic backbone of ancient Rome.

Slaves—acquired through conquest, trade, birth, or debt—performed every kind of labor from mining to teaching.

A Roman household might include slaves who were brutalized field workers and others who were trusted tutors or physicians.

Unlike later racial slavery, Roman slavery was not based on ethnicity; anyone could become a slave, and manumission was common.

The Roman economy depended on slave labor.