The Archaeology of Domestic Roman Slavery
The Conditions of Servitude for Roman Household Slaves
Apr 21, 2009
Slaves played an important role in the running of the Roman house. Often intimately involved with the lives of their masters, they often received trust and affection. In turn, they often felt great loyalty. But even the most liberal householder would be willing to punish their slaves if necessary. The slaves inferior position was also always emphasised, no matter how highly regarded by their masters.
The Roles of Slaves within the Roman Household
Slaves in a Roman house were involved in a range of jobs. They did the most menial work cleaning the house, preparing food in the kitchen, weaving cloth and dealing with animals in the stables. Such slaves would have been largely in the background although the distribution of domestic implements in houses in Pompeii indicates that their duties could have taken them into public areas of the house such as the peristyle and atrium.
Other slaves had specialised roles that brought them into intimate contact with the family. Slaves were nannies, body servants and trusted secretaries. In a good household, every slave was part of the family
Slaves and the Roman Family
Evidence suggests that slaves could be thought of with great affection by their masters. Children would become very attached to their servile nannies. House born slaves, known as verriae were also great favourites. Verriae were the offspring of two slaves of the house or a master and slave. They were often held in great affection.
Funerary evidence demonstrates this close relationship. The tomb of the Augustali, Munatius Faustus includes not only his own memorial but that of some of his slaves. That these individuals were servile is indicated by their single names. The names were accompanied by ages which shows most of these slaves were very young children, probably verriae that Faustus had favoured
Roman Slaves and Domestic Roman Religion
Religion was another way slaves were included in and bound to their master’s family. It was customary for slaves to join free members of the household worshipping at the household shrine or lararium which was situated in the atrium. Many houses also included a lararium in the kitchen for the sole use of the slaves.
Inscriptions have been found on some household shrinesin Pompeii which indicate that slaves could feel loyalty and concern for their masters. The lararium in the House of Gaius Iulius Polybius is inscribed by a vow by one of Polybius’s slaves, dedicated to his master’s safe return home.
Punishment and Ill-treatment of Roman Household Slaves
Although life as a domestic slave may have been better than for a manual worker, it could also be harsh. Not all masters were kind. Graffiti on some houses in Pompeii shows that verriae far from being privileged pets were rented out for sexual purposes.
Even a reasonable master would not hesitate to discipline a disobedient or unruly slave. One Pompeian house was found to keep leg irons in a cupboard. Some villas often had special cells for the punishment of unruly slaves.
Roman Slaves as Household Objects
No matter how kindly the household, Roman slaves were still not regarded as fully human or equal in any way to their masters. Houses in Pompeii have no discernable sleeping quarters for slaves. Kitchen slaves probably slept where they worked, as did stable slaves. Porters would have bedded down in the small cubicles they used to guard the household entrance. Personal servant would have slept in the rooms of their master’s or across their thresholds. Slaves were human tools who did not require privacy or their own space.
This attitude towards Roman slaves is well illustrated by wall paintings from Pompeii which shows slaves standing around with basins, towels and lamps whilst their betters have sex. Such displays would never have been made in a public context in front of free people. But it was acceptable to do so in front of slaves because like cleaning instruments and lamps, they were household utensils.
Their lesser status continued to be emphasised even after death. For although many slaves had grave markers in or around the tombs of the family they had served, most were marked by a simple stone stelae that did not record their names.
Sources
Pompeii: A sourcebook. (2004) Alison E Cooley and M.G.L Cooley. Routledge: London and New York
The world of Pompeii: (2007) Ed. John J Dobbins and Pedar W Foss. Routledge. London and New York.
