Rome – Classical Studies
SLAVERY
WORD BANK
-Res - ‘Thing’ in Roman law
-Vernae - Slave girls that had children with their masters were called Vernae.
-Venalicii – slave dealer
-Dominus - ‘Master’
-Dominium – the control over slaves by master
-Villa Rustica- A farm/countryside labour site for slaves (Latifundia)
-Villa Urbana- closely situated to the city labour site for slaves
-Latifundia- ranches where slaves labored agricultural labor on farms
-Vilicus- usually a slave who was in charge of Latifundia in absence of slave owner
-Ergastulum- a prison within the Latifundia
-Peculium- a wage
-Sesterces- Roman currency
-Fugitivus- fugitive
-Vindicta - A Roman citizen, usually one of the magistrates' lictors, laid a rod on the slave's head and
declared him free.
-Patron- not the owner of the slave, but a boss like of a client
-Public slave- non-free slaves owned by community
-Private slave- slave owned by individual
-Aediles- Magistrates responsible for maintenance of public buildings and regulations of public festivals.
-Praetor-Judicial officer/social organiser
-Manu missit- The master’s consent to liberate slave
-Manumissio- manumission – the liberation of slaves
-Libertus- freedman who had social obligations to patron such as working at their former master’s once
a year
-Collegia – a group that helped look after slaves
, -Saturnalia- a day where slave swapped places with masters
-Vicomagistri- job freedman entrusted with keeping order in city and managing the worship of Stata
Mater
-Stata Mater-Roman goddess who protected Rome against fire
-Severi Augustales-a job which freedmen could acquire where they worshipped the emperor and hold
games for him.
-PAX ROMANA-An era of peace/limited conflict in which income of slaves reduced
Possible Essay Questions
To what extent did the lives of slaves in the Roman Empire depend on the attitude of their owner?
(12m) FACTORS; Gladiator slaves, Villa Rustica/Latifundia, Mines, Emperor’s Slave, Domestic
(Household) slaves...
Notable Figures
-Emperor Augustus-First Roman Emperor
-Spartacus- Gladiator slave who led revolt
-Pliny the Elder- Author & contemporary source for slaves – good friends with Vesaspian
-Vespasian- Roman Emperor who built Colosseum & brought 20,000 slaves into Rome from Jerusalem
-Pliny the Younger- Lawyer & orator
-Cicero- Governor of Sicily, marvelous orator (THE MAN!) assassinated on the orders of Marc Anthony
in 43BC
-Larcius Macedo- Praetor who was killed by one of his slaves while he was bathing, leading to the deaths
of all of the slaves within his household as punishment
-Pedanius Secundus- Senator who was killed by one of his slaves, leading to the execution on the orders
of Emperor Nero of his whole household of slaves.
CONTEXT/BACKGROUND
-The traditional ideal of the free Roman was to be a small, independent freeholder, owning and
farming just enough of his own land to support himself and his dependents, including perhaps a
handful of slaves:
-Slaves were possessions under the absolute control of their owners.
SLAVERY
WORD BANK
-Res - ‘Thing’ in Roman law
-Vernae - Slave girls that had children with their masters were called Vernae.
-Venalicii – slave dealer
-Dominus - ‘Master’
-Dominium – the control over slaves by master
-Villa Rustica- A farm/countryside labour site for slaves (Latifundia)
-Villa Urbana- closely situated to the city labour site for slaves
-Latifundia- ranches where slaves labored agricultural labor on farms
-Vilicus- usually a slave who was in charge of Latifundia in absence of slave owner
-Ergastulum- a prison within the Latifundia
-Peculium- a wage
-Sesterces- Roman currency
-Fugitivus- fugitive
-Vindicta - A Roman citizen, usually one of the magistrates' lictors, laid a rod on the slave's head and
declared him free.
-Patron- not the owner of the slave, but a boss like of a client
-Public slave- non-free slaves owned by community
-Private slave- slave owned by individual
-Aediles- Magistrates responsible for maintenance of public buildings and regulations of public festivals.
-Praetor-Judicial officer/social organiser
-Manu missit- The master’s consent to liberate slave
-Manumissio- manumission – the liberation of slaves
-Libertus- freedman who had social obligations to patron such as working at their former master’s once
a year
-Collegia – a group that helped look after slaves
, -Saturnalia- a day where slave swapped places with masters
-Vicomagistri- job freedman entrusted with keeping order in city and managing the worship of Stata
Mater
-Stata Mater-Roman goddess who protected Rome against fire
-Severi Augustales-a job which freedmen could acquire where they worshipped the emperor and hold
games for him.
-PAX ROMANA-An era of peace/limited conflict in which income of slaves reduced
Possible Essay Questions
To what extent did the lives of slaves in the Roman Empire depend on the attitude of their owner?
(12m) FACTORS; Gladiator slaves, Villa Rustica/Latifundia, Mines, Emperor’s Slave, Domestic
(Household) slaves...
Notable Figures
-Emperor Augustus-First Roman Emperor
-Spartacus- Gladiator slave who led revolt
-Pliny the Elder- Author & contemporary source for slaves – good friends with Vesaspian
-Vespasian- Roman Emperor who built Colosseum & brought 20,000 slaves into Rome from Jerusalem
-Pliny the Younger- Lawyer & orator
-Cicero- Governor of Sicily, marvelous orator (THE MAN!) assassinated on the orders of Marc Anthony
in 43BC
-Larcius Macedo- Praetor who was killed by one of his slaves while he was bathing, leading to the deaths
of all of the slaves within his household as punishment
-Pedanius Secundus- Senator who was killed by one of his slaves, leading to the execution on the orders
of Emperor Nero of his whole household of slaves.
CONTEXT/BACKGROUND
-The traditional ideal of the free Roman was to be a small, independent freeholder, owning and
farming just enough of his own land to support himself and his dependents, including perhaps a
handful of slaves:
-Slaves were possessions under the absolute control of their owners.
