Roman society was structured according to class and wealth. Its hierarchical system saw the senatorial, aristocratic class at the top of the social pyramid. In the middle were the equestrians, the plebeians, and the freemen, in that order. Those with the lowest social status were the slaves.
Many Roman slaves lived lives of unimaginable cruelty. After all, Roman law designated slaves as property, not people. But slavery in ancient Rome underpinned much of society’s success, and the freeborn citizens of Rome were actually heavily dependent on slaves for their world to operate effectively.
Vast numbers of slaves were traded throughout the empire, from Britain in the North to Syria in the East. At the beginning of the Imperial era, it is believed that the ratio of slaves to freeborn people in the city of Rome was 3:1. Slave ownership was common for those at the top of society. Plutarch tells us that the Republican consul, Marcus Licinius Crassus (pictured above left), owned so many slaves that he had 500 just for acquiring and rebuilding property. But it was also not uncommon for plebeians, as well as ex-slaves, to own a few slaves as well. Slave ownership was a sign of status and wealth which nearly everyone in ancient Rome aspired to.
Roman literature, epigraphical sources, and archaeological finds all provide us with information about slavery in ancient Rome. The letters of Pliny the Younger in particular provide excellent source material on slavery, but there are also obvious limitations to written work produced by elite members of Roman society. Many, like Pliny, were prone to idealization. Sadly, there is no surviving literature written from the viewpoint of someone actually living the life of a Roman slave.