Transcript Roman slaves

ROMAN SLAVERY
By Emily DeCamp
HOW SOMEONE BECAME A SLAVE
A slave could be a person frequently captured in battle and sent back to Rome to be
sold.
There were times when fathers would sell their older children to be slaves if the family
didn’t have enough money.
If a slave married and had children, then the children were automatically slaves.
A SLAVE’S JOB
On Farms, slaves produced important crops like wheat, olives, vines, and grapes which
were used to make wine. They also worked as carpenters and blacksmiths who repaired
the farm tools and carts. Others looked after the cattle, sheep, and pigs.
In big cities, slaves worked in shops. Their responsibilities were shop keeping, lending
of money, and the selling and purchasing of products.
Women slaves would be used as hairdressers, dressmakers, cooks and servants for rich
women.
HOW SLAVES WERE TREATED
Some masters treated their slaves with care as their own children. Saturnalia was a
traditional celebration in which slaves and masters switched places. In the celebration,
the master performed all the tasks of the slaves, and the slaves did the opposite.
But in most cases, masters physically abused their slaves. Some slaves had to become
combat fighters known as gladiators and chariot racers. The gladiators had to fight
strong and vicious animals such as lions, tigers and other animals in an arena so that
the Roman citizens could entertain themselves. In most cases, the gladiator was killed
by the animals.
SPARTACUS
Spartacus was a former Gladiator who was the leader of a major slave uprising against
the Roman Empire. With about 70 fellow gladiators Spartacus had escaped from a
gladiatorial training school at Caupa in 73 B.C. and took refuge on Mount Vesuvius,
where more runaway slaves joined them. His revolt inspired terror throughout Italy.
After fighting and defeating two Roman forces, the rebel slaves had overrun most of
southern Italy. But even with 90,000 men, after many battles Spartacus was slain in
battle, and Pompey’s army killed many of the scattered slaves and crucified 6,000
prisoners of war.
SOURCES:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_slaves
http://www.hadrians.com/rome/romans/daily_life/roman_slaves.html
http://www.richeast.org/htwm/greeks/romans/slavery/slavery2.html