galley slave
Forced maritime laborer
A galley slave was a person forced to row in the galleys—oared warships used in ancient and medieval times.
Criminals and prisoners of war were typically condemned to this brutal labor, chained to benches and rowing under the lash.
Figuratively, a galley slave is anyone doing exhausting, thankless work under harsh conditions: I've been a galley slave to this project for months.
- drudgeOne doing hard, dull labor
- peonIndentured low-status worker
- oarLever for watercraft
- laborerPhysical task performer
- chainsLinked metal restraints
trireme · Battle of Lepanto · captivity · prisoner · life sentence · human cargo · rower · rowing · navvy · Barbary pirates · bondman · Ottoman Empire · ancient Rome · ship · sea voyage · servant · Ben-Hur · oarlock
- historical rolesking, queen, emperor, knight, peasant
- hard workersant, ants, bee, bees, beaver
- slaverybondage, chattel, thrall, Middle Passage, slaveholders
- punishmentsjail, prison, timeout, grounded, fine
- Roman servantsfreedman, household manager, doorkeeper, cupbearer, chambermaid
- galley-relatedstove, sink, counter, pantry, icebox
galley slavefreeman
Unchained person with rights
master · nobleman · aristocrat · ship captain · admiral
galley slavegentleman of leisure
Wealthy man who needn't work
idler · aristocrat · man of means · boss · retiree
galley slaveship captain
Commander of a vessel
captain · admiral · commander · slave driver · overseer
galley, slave, galleys, slaves, slaved, slaving, slavery, slavish, enslaved