(Third Century CE)
For the senatus consultum Claudianum (SCC), see 11.22. According to this law, a free woman who entered a union with a slave could lose her free status and become a slave.
Under the senatus consultum Claudianum, a daughter who is a slave or a freedwoman cannot inherit her mother’s estate if the latter dies intestate. For neither slaves nor freedpersons are acknowledged as having a mother who is a Roman citizen.
What does Ulpian compare slavery with? Why?
What are the rights of slaves according to civil law?
Does Roman law recognize slave kinship?
How do these passages use the distinction between natural law, civil law, and the law of nations with regard to slavery?
1.12 P.Herm. 18, 1–12: Papyrus with Record of Official Proceedings in Greek, Egypt (323 ce?)
Literature: Wolff 1966; Straus 2004a: 14–15.
[…] when […] were about to become consuls [for the third time], on the eighth day before the Ides of December, on the 9th day of the month Choiak.
When Firmus came forward and presented Patricius, the advocate, Clematius said: “Firmus, who came forward, has a slave called Patricius. Firmus has brought him here so that he be questioned on his status.”
The officials18 said to Patricius, “Are you slave or free?” He responded: “Slave.”
The officials said to him, “Whose slave?”
He replied, “Firmus’s.”
The officials said to him, “From which place did he acquire you?”
He replied, “From Reskoupos.”
The officials said to him, “From whom?”
He responded, “From Nikostratos.”
The officials said to him, “Is your mother a slave?”
He replied, “Yes.”
The officials said to him, “What is her name?”
He replied, “Hesychion.”
The officials said to him, “Do you have siblings?”
He replied, “Yes, one. His name is Eutychios.”
The officials said to him, “Is he a slave, too?”
He replied, “Yes.”
What kind of questions do the officials ask to establish the identity of the slave?
What questions do they ask concerning his family? What does this imply?
What question concerning his family do they not ask? What does this imply about natal alienation?
1.13 Ammianus Marcellinus, History, 28.1.49: Latin Historiography (Fourth Century CE)
Ammianus here delineates the persecution in Rome of members of the senatorial rank through trials under the emperor Valentinian I. Fausiana was a widow of senatorial rank, accused of adultery with two men of the same rank, Abienus and Eumenius. Anepsia was also a widow of senatorial rank. Simplicius of Emona was at the time (ca. 374–5 CE) in charge of the persecution.
Literature: Harper 2011: 69–78, esp. 72.
But after Fausiana was convicted, they (i.e. Abienus and Eumenius) were enlisted among the accused and summoned with edicts to appear in court. They took themselves off into deeper concealment. Of the two, Abienus was hiding for a long time in the house of Anepsia. However, as unexpected events often aggravate pitiable misfortunes, a man called Sapaudulus, a slave of Anepsia, stricken by pain because his spouse (coniunx) had received a beating, denounced the matter to Simplicius, after reaching him in the night. Public attendants were sent and, when they were pointed out to them, the attendants dragged them away from their hiding place.
Why did Sapaudulus reveal the secret of his mistress?
What political conditions allowed Sapaudulus to take his revenge? What are the implications of this for the exercise of slave agency?
What were the consequences of slave family for this particular mistress?
What can we learn from this story about the significance of kinship for slaves?
1.14 Ps.-Plutarch, On the Education of Children, 8f–9a: Greek Moral Philosophy (Late First/Early Second Century CE)
Literature: Golden 1985; Klees 2005.
I also state that children should be guided toward honorable practices through admonitions and reasoning – not, by God, through beatings and blows. For these measures seem rather more fitting to slaves rather than to the free. Children end up dull and shudder at hard work, partly from the pain of the blows, partly from the outrage they suffer. It is, instead, praise and rebuke that are most beneficial for the free – praise because it urges toward what is good, rebuke because it keeps one away from what is disgraceful.
By what means should free children be trained? How should slaves be trained?
How can we explain the different treatment of free and slave?
1.15 IG I3 1390: Greek Inscription on Theater Seat, Athens (450–400 BCE)
In the ancient world, the privilege of sitting in the first row at the theater was a major indication of honor, reserved for magistrates, priests, and benefactors of the community and bestowed on prominent foreigners. The theater of Dionysus in Athens had inscriptions on the marble seats, reserving them for particular categories of people. Ancient cities possessed public slaves who performed many important tasks as civil servants.
Literature: Kamen 2013: 19–31; Ismard 2017: 57–79.
(Seat) of the (slave) assistants of the Council.
To what people does this inscription refer?
Why do you think the Athenians conferred this honor on these slaves?
Can we learn something about slavery from this inscription?
1.16 SEG XL 1044: Greek Funerary Inscription, Gordos, Lydia (69–70 CE)
This funerary text uses the language of honorific inscriptions, a common feature of epitaphs from Roman Lydia. All the names recorded are Greek. Because the style is largely elliptical, we have added the assumed words in round brackets, to assist comprehension.
Literature: Martin 2003; Zoumbaki 2005.
In
