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The Slavery System In Spartacus And The Slave Wars

Decent Essays

The slavery system is not a new human innovation; it is something that has existed since ancient times. One of the ancient civilization that had such a system was Rome. Brent Shaw in his book Spartacus and the Slave Wars illustrates the establishment of slavery in Rome. The slavery system was established because of the “economic revolution that depended on slave labor.” The Roman slavery system had a significant impact for those who were caught up in it, especially those whom became slaves because they were mistreated due to that status. Even though the slaves had multiple occupations, they were all being maltreated. Slaves who worked in the fields could be categorized into two types, those who cultivated the land and then the herdsmen (pg. 10). There is a difference in how these two groups of slaves were treated. Although both groups worked under supervision, the slaves who cultivated had less mobility and more vulnerable. Shaw states that, “during the night or at times when they were not working, the slaves were kept penned in quarters.” These slaves were chained or housed in barracks each night for security purposes. On the other hand, the herdsmen were not constrained by chains because their job required them to follow the herds. Furthermore, they were able to carry weapon “to protect the animals from predators, rustlers, and bandits.” The herdsmen had mobility and a way to defense themselves. Those that became gladiators had a more gruesome fate. Gladiators

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