Chapter Summary

Slavery was an institution by which a human being was subjected to the ownership of another, either by being born into slavery or by being subjected to it later. As a piece of property, and even though the master’s absolute power over the slave was restricted over time, the slave was not capable of owning property or of holding rights. Slaves, however, fulfilled a wide range of functions, including business activities, and might be entrusted with a fund of money or property called a peculium. Moreover, a slave might be freed by the master. In the process, the ex-slave became a Roman citizen, albeit one with continuing obligations towards the former master.