Slavery was a significant and important part of Roman life. During Augustus’ reign, it is estimated that about one third of the population of Rome was slaves (Madden, Roman Slavery http://web.archive.org/web/20031211005259/www.ucd.ie/classics/96/Madden96.html). Based on a staggering fact like that, it is clear that Rome could not have survived without slaves.
Pedanius Secundus, a wealth Roman man, had approximately 400 slaves at one time. This is more slaves than could be put to work. Pedanius Secundus was eventually murdered by one of his slaves for not letting one leave after having promised a paid freedom (Tacitus, Annals The Murder of Pedanius Secundus http://www.umich.edu/~classics/programs/class/cc/372/sibyl/db/Tac-Ann-xiv42to45.html). His actions show that even though he had about 400 slaves, he did not want to let one be free. An action of that sort shows that Rome could not have risen without the help of slaves.
With all of the harsh conditions put on the slaves, the average life span of slave was not long. It was estimated to be less than twenty years. The average life expectancy for a Roman civilian was twenty to thirty years. Because the slaves had a shorter life expectancy, they would need to be replaced faster (Madden, Roman Slavery http://web.archive.org/web/20031211005259/www.ucd.ie/classics/96/Madden96.html).
Where did all of the slaves come from? The two main sources are war and piracy. A Roman jurist said “ervi aut nascuntur, aut fiunt,” which means “slaves are either born or made.” When Rome would conquer an area, all of the people living there that did not die would become slaves. Roman law states that when a slave has a child, it would immediately become a slave (Madden, Roman Slavery http://web.archive.org/web/20031211005259/www.ucd.ie/classics/96/Madden96.html).
There were multiple occasions in which the slaves rebelled against their owners. Diodorus Siculus describes one of the slave’s intentions in the following: “4. The slaves, distressed by their hardships, and frequently outraged and beaten beyond all reason, could not endure their treatment. Getting together as opportunity offered, they discussed the possibility of revolt, until at last they put their plans into action. 5. There was a certain Syrian slave, belonging to Antigenes of Enna; he was an Apamean by birth and had an aptitude for magic and the working of wonders. He claimed to foretell the future, by divine command, through dreams, and because of his talent along these lines deceived many. Going on from there he not only gave oracles by means of dreams, but even made a pretence of having waking visions of the gods and of hearing the future from their own lips. 6. Of his many improvisations some by chance turned out true, and since those which failed to do so were left unchallenged, while those that were fulfilled attracted attention, his reputation advanced apace. Finally, through some device, while in a state of divine possession, he would produce fire and flame from his mouth, and thus rave oracularly about things to come. 7. For he would place fire, and fuel to maintain it, in a nut -- or something similar -- that was pierced on both sides; then, placing it in his mouth and blowing on it, he kindled now sparks, and now a flame. Prior to the revolt he used to say that the Syrian goddess appeared to him, saying that he should be king, and he repeated this, not only to others, but even to his own master,” (Diodorus Siculus, Books 34/35.2.4-7 http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/3slaverevolttexts.htm). This shows how poorly the slaves were treated in Rome, even though they were depended on so greatly. Orosius explains how badly the slaves were defeated in their revolts when he says “For at Minturnae, four hundred and fifty slaves were crucified, and at Sinuessa, four thousand slaves were crushed by Q. Metellus and Cn. Servilius Caepio; in the mines of the Athenians also, a like uprising of the slaves was dispersed by Heraclitus; at Delos also, the slaves, rising in another revolt, were crushed by the citizens who anticipated the movement without that first fire of the evil in Sicily…Fulvius, the consul, Piso, the consul, captured the town of Mamertium, where he killed eight thousand fugitives.” He also says “the victors lost as many as perished among the conquered,” (Orosius Histories Book 5.6 http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/3slaverevolttexts.htm). By this he means that even though the citizens of Rome won when the slaves rebelled, they lost every single slave they killed for it was one of their workers.
The Roman Empire mistreated their slaves throughout their entire reign, even though they would not have risen to power without them. When the slaves went against their owners, the Roman economy was damaged because of how highly dependent they were on their slaves.
FORDHAM.EDU. Web. 25 Mar. 2010.
"MADDEN: Roman Slavery." Internet Archive: Wayback Machine. Web. 25 Mar. 2010.
"The Murder of Pedanius Secundus." University of Michigan. Web. 25 Mar. 2010.
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