galley slaves
Forced ship laborers
Galley slaves were men forced to row the oars of galleys—ancient and medieval warships propelled by banks of oarsmen.
The work was brutal, often a death sentence.
Criminals, prisoners of war, and debtors were condemned to the galleys.
The term now serves as a metaphor for anyone doing exhausting, thankless labor: We were galley slaves in that kitchen.
- rowerPerson propelling with oars
- oarsmanOne who propels boats
- servitudeCompulsory labor under masters
- crewWorking team aboard
- manumissionFormal freeing of enslaved
chains · labor · captivity · triremes · Ben-Hur · ship · drudge · Barbary corsairs · nautical · sailing · vessel · marine · forced labor · coastal raids · naval warfare · sea battles · indentured servitude · ransom
- seafaringship, sailors, ships, sail, sailor
- underlingsunderling, underlings, subordinate, minions, minion
- slaverybondage, chattel, thrall, Middle Passage, slaveholders
- ancient seafaringships, bireme, navigation, mariners, dhow
- Barbary PiratesBarbary pirates, Barbary Coast, Algiers, Tripoli, Tunis
- Bourbon FranceVersailles, the Sun King, Louis XV, Colbert, Edict of Nantes
galley slavesfree men
Emancipated former slaves
freemen · freedmen · merchant seamen · hired hands · enlisted sailors
galley slavesship captains
Leaders of seagoing vessels
naval commanders · admirals · overseers · fleet commanders · commodores
galley, slave, galleys, slaves, slaved, slaving, slavish, slavishly, slavery