Slavery
Aspects of slavery from c. 500 BCE until c. 1650 CD
Slavery or servitude could be described as one of the most important factors that shaped the culture and lifestyles of the world. Slavery is an essential characteristic to mention when describing all parts of history, including ancient, medieval and New World societies. These societies viewed class status as a major structural part of their everyday life and social makeup. Class status helped to organize the hierarchy of the nation and produce a working environment that caused each to be successful. Each nation formed a means of servitude or slavery that provided for the base of their economy, hierarchal structure and culture. While historians and peoples of the time period viewed slavery as a part of their society, nations such as ancient Greece and Rome, the medieval Europe, and the New World Colonies, held different attitudes towards the importance of slavery, which can be revealed through how these attitudes have evolved through time.
Ancient slaves of Rome and Greece were mainly different in only one way. When a slave was permitted to be free in Greece, the slave only received the status of a foreigner or a resident that was non-Greek. This contrasted Roman slaves because freed Roman slaves were allowed full citizenship if they applied for such. Fully Greek citizens were not permitted to be slaves; therefore, slaves were mainly acquired through warfare, birth or purchase. War captives became part of the slave life if they proved to be fit, agile and young enough to reproduce sometime in the future. Once in slavery, children to be born to slave parents were not considered free peoples. The children were also considered part of the master’s property just as the child’s parents. Slave trade was also a common way for an individual to become enslaved. Poor families would often sell one of their children, most often females, in order to receive payment in return. Males were mostly kept within the poor
Slavery or servitude could be described as one of the most important factors that shaped the culture and lifestyles of the world. Slavery is an essential characteristic to mention when describing all parts of history, including ancient, medieval and New World societies. These societies viewed class status as a major structural part of their everyday life and social makeup. Class status helped to organize the hierarchy of the nation and produce a working environment that caused each to be successful. Each nation formed a means of servitude or slavery that provided for the base of their economy, hierarchal structure and culture. While historians and peoples of the time period viewed slavery as a part of their society, nations such as ancient Greece and Rome, the medieval Europe, and the New World Colonies, held different attitudes towards the importance of slavery, which can be revealed through how these attitudes have evolved through time.
Ancient slaves of Rome and Greece were mainly different in only one way. When a slave was permitted to be free in Greece, the slave only received the status of a foreigner or a resident that was non-Greek. This contrasted Roman slaves because freed Roman slaves were allowed full citizenship if they applied for such. Fully Greek citizens were not permitted to be slaves; therefore, slaves were mainly acquired through warfare, birth or purchase. War captives became part of the slave life if they proved to be fit, agile and young enough to reproduce sometime in the future. Once in slavery, children to be born to slave parents were not considered free peoples. The children were also considered part of the master’s property just as the child’s parents. Slave trade was also a common way for an individual to become enslaved. Poor families would often sell one of their children, most often females, in order to receive payment in return. Males were mostly kept within the poor