Ancient Rome lasted for more than two thousand years, from the first city-state, to the last empire, although the political system of ancient Rome changed again and again, but the most basic nature of ancient Rome is still a slave state. But then again, was ancient Rome a slave state from the beginning? Of course not, the original ancient Rome was a primitive tribal group that gathered, and there was no slavery at that time.
Moreover, in order to develop and grow, the original Roman city continued to recruit new members from outside. The new members were used to increase the population of the city of Rome, and these new members, whether civilians or slaves outside the city of Rome, were free Roman citizens as long as they arrived in the city of Rome and were accepted by the city of Rome. It is precisely because the original ancient Rome had such an inclusive mind that its strength will gradually grow.
Ancient Roman architectural ruins
However, the primitive tribal alliance system of ancient Rome was difficult to maintain for a long time, and the equality and freedom of the original ancient Roman society must be broken with the emergence of various classes and classes. If there is a ruling class and a ruling class, then there is also a ruled class and a ruled class. In ancient Rome, the lowest level of society was naturally slaves. Since the establishment of the city of Rome, slavery has been the most basic political system in ancient Rome.
Slavery in ancient Rome appeared around the time of the monarchy, and later ancient Rome, although it entered the republican era, also moved towards the imperial system. But no matter how the power system changes, it has never changed its most basic slavery nature. The slave economy has always been the dominant economy of ancient Rome, allowing the original small peasant economy of ancient Rome to survive in the cracks. Slaves, on the other hand, were pervasive in all aspects of ancient Roman society, in all walks of life.
You can see slaves in the royal palaces and temples of ancient Rome; you can see slaves in the private residences of nobles; you can see slaves in plantations, on ancient Roman merchant ships that travel far away, and even in small workshops of chai rice oil and salt. Without slaves, ancient Roman society would have been paralyzed. The citizens could not eat the freshest bread, the merchant ships could not travel far, and the nobles had no one to take care of their food, clothing, shelter and transportation... And this is precisely the importance of slaves.
Map of the Roman Republic
In ancient Rome, however, slave life was miserable. They were not free, and the master could kill them at will. Slaves did the dirtiest and most tiring work, but lived the most miserable lives. Were these slaves born to be slaves? Living under the whip of the slave owner, even those beautiful female slaves will only become the slave owners' playthings and live a miserable life.
It can be said that the human rights of ancient Roman society were only given to slave owners, and what can slaves talk about human rights? But how did slaves in ancient Roman society emerge? How did slavery arise in ancient Rome? Some people say that from primitive society to slave society, this is an inevitable trend of social development! If this is explained, it is too general. Let's start with the historical process of ancient Roman society and see how slavery arose in ancient Rome!
Portrait of a slave at work
War promoted the development of slavery in ancient Rome
The gathering of primitive tribes
Slavery arose in ancient Rome, and it was inseparable from war. As we all know, the most important means of ancient Rome's continuous external expansion was war. War is the most direct and effective method of obtaining territory. In primitive societies, when there was a war between tribes, the plundering of property was on the one hand, and on the other hand, it was to obtain captives, but only female captives were left for breeding. The rest of the captives were all executed.
Ancient Rome was also a gathering of primitive tribes in the beginning, and in the event of foreign wars, the disposal of prisoners was also the same. After all, captive women could marry men from the city of Rome to increase the population. However, the captured men and other old and weak not only did not contribute to the prosperity of the city, but also wasted a lot of grain, but also a potential danger of rebellion, so for the ancient Romans, who were still in the original clan form, they could only kill most of the captives except female captives.
A relief of a slave bound by chains
Why did captives become slaves?
It can be said that ancient Rome at the time of the primitive social form was still barbaric, especially the treatment of captives was even more brutal. However, as ancient Rome gradually civilized, the primitive clan tribal form was gradually broken up, and the attitude towards captives gradually changed. After all, the scale of foreign wars is constantly expanding, and the continuous integration of foreign members into ancient Rome has gradually affected the attitude of ancient Romans towards captives. Instead of killing captives on a large scale, they turned captives into their original slaves.
The fact that captives became slaves indicates a change in the attitude of the ancient Romans in dealing with captives. The ancient Romans realized that the original killing of captives was actually to the detriment of their own interests. If captives were turned into slaves, in the hands of slave traders and nobles, they could be turned into money in the blink of an eye. Or conquering the inhabitants of a certain country or tribe, and having that country or tribe redeem these captive inhabitants, is also the slave scripture of ancient Rome.
Portraits of slaves awaiting auction
The development of ancient Rome was in dire need of slaves
Address labor shortages
Slavery arose in ancient Rome, inseparable from the development needs of ancient Rome. Since the establishment of the ancient Roman city-state, the overall trend of ancient Roman development has been growing. As a result, in all walks of life in ancient Rome, a large number of people were needed. But ancient Rome had a limited population after all, and even if a foreign population entered Rome, the identity of Roman citizens could not be given casually. Therefore, to solve the problem of insufficient labor force and solve the problem of labor shortage, it is only possible to introduce slaves in large quantities.
Slaves in ancient Rome were initially just flooded with plantations, and slaves were like mules and horses, working hard day by day under the whip of the slave owners, creating wealth for the slave owners. The ancient Romans saw the benefits of using slaves, and slaves were used in all aspects of the ancient Romans' lives. Production workshops, trading merchant ships, private residences of the court, and even grooms who served as knights, ancient Roman society was really inseparable from slaves.
Capture slave portraits
Changes in the social system of ancient Rome
Thus, the ancient Romans found that slaves made themselves rich and comfortable, and through money and war, they continued to introduce slaves and increase the number of slaves. For the life and life of the slave, the slave owner took it and controlled it. The emergence of a large number of slaves solved the shortage of labor in ancient Roman society, but the emergence of slaves also changed the social system of ancient Rome.
The small peasant economy of the primitive society of ancient Rome collapsed in an instant after the emergence of a large number of slaves. The emergence of a large number of slaves, while making the ancient Roman economy continue to grow, is also quietly changing the social system of ancient Rome. The emergence of slaves and slave-owning classes in ancient Rome, the slave-owning aristocracy was able to free up most of its energy for political, economic and cultural aspects, which made the division of labor among the members of ancient Rome more clear.
Portrait of a slave fighting in a gladiatorial arena
Slaves were integrated into ancient Roman society as a special class
Reflections of the ancient Roman nobility
Before the advent of slaves, ancient Roman society was divided into classes between clan chiefs and ordinary members, or nobles and commoners. But after the advent of slaves, slaves became a lower class than the commoners. Civilians could also have their own freedoms and their own property, but slaves were nothing more than the property of others.
In the eyes of slave owners, the biggest difference between slaves and mules and horses is that slaves can talk. Slaves engaged in heavy manual labor, and it seemed natural that they lived under the whips of their slave owners. However, in ancient Rome, as slave revolts continued to appear, the ancient Roman nobility gradually realized that slaves could not be overly oppressed. If slaves are really treated only as mules and horses, then it is the slave owners who will ultimately suffer.
Gladiatorial portraits of executed and trembling slaves
Increase the enthusiasm of slave production
Slave owners also appropriately gave slaves some rights, at least the slave owners and nobles could not execute slaves at will, as they did with mules and horses. And because slaves became the main body of production in ancient Roman society, slave owners and nobles also tried their best to increase the enthusiasm of slave production. Slaves also had the right to marry, and although the children born were still slaves, their dependence on slave owners was also stronger. For example, in a large family of slave owners and nobles, there are slaves who have taken care of their masters for generations.
Many slaves were even very loyal to the noble families of slave owners, taking care of their masters in peacetime and acting as family guards in wartime. Many slaves were tied to the fate of slave owners' families, one prosperous and one lost. Slaves developed into a special class in ancient Rome, and many slaves who were attached to the families of great slave owners were even better off than many commoners. But it is still undeniable that slaves are still oppressed.
Slaves in everyday life in Roman society
summary
Above, we start from the historical process of ancient Rome and explore how slavery arose in ancient Rome. According to our historical materialism, when the society reaches a certain stage, the primitive society will inevitably be replaced by the slave society. However, the rise of slavery in ancient Rome also had a long process. Wars, the development of the city of Rome, the emergence of the slave class, these are undoubtedly important reasons for the rise of slavery in ancient Rome.
Perhaps many friends feel that the emergence of slavery represents the progress of ancient Roman society. But the replacement of primitive society by slave society also led to barbaric oppression in ancient Rome. The freedom, equality and honor that the ancient Romans admired were so pale and ridiculous in the reality of barbaric slavery.
Portrait of a Roman aristocracy
1. Even if the slave owners slightly improved the living conditions of the slaves in order to alleviate social contradictions, in ancient Roman society, oppression still existed, and the tragic fate of the slaves was not fundamentally changed.
(2) Equality and democracy in ancient Roman society were nothing more than equality and democracy among slave owners and nobles. No matter how much power was distributed among slave owners, whether it was a royal government, a republic, or an imperial system or an oligarchy, slaves were still the object of oppression.
Some people say that slavery is the progress of human civilization relative to primitive society, and of course, it is also the progress of ancient Roman civilization, but it is also the embodiment of barbarism and cruelty in the development of ancient Roman civilization!