Slavery and sexuality in the ancient world are well researched on their own, yet rarely have they been examined together. Chapters address a wealth of art, literature, and drama to explore a wide range of issues, including gendered power dynamics, sexual violence in slave revolts, same-sex relations between free and enslaved people, and the agency of assault victims.
This is an authoritative and clearly written account of the main issues involved in the study of Greek slavery from Homeric times to the fourth century BC. It provides valuable insights into the fundamental place of slavery in the economies and social life of classical Greece, and includes penetrating analyses of the widely-held ancient ideological justifications of slavery. A wide range of topics is covered, including the development of slavery from Homer to the classical period, the peculiar form of community slaves (the helots) found in Sparta, economic functions and the treatment of slaves in Athens, and the evidence for slaves' resistance. Throughout the author shows how political and economic systems, ideas of national identity, work and gender, and indeed the fundamental nature of Greek civilisation itself, were all profoundly affected by the fact that many of the Greek city-states were slave societies. With 12 illustrations.
Slavery in Greece and Rome has always prompted comparisons with that of more recent history. This volume includes discussions of the relationship between war, piracy and slavery, early abolitionist movements as well as the supply and domestic aspects of slavery in these ancient societies.
Capitalizing on the rich historical record of late antiquity, and employing sophisticated methodologies from social and economic history, this book reinterprets the end of Roman slavery. Kyle Harper challenges traditional interpretations of a transition from antiquity to the Middle Ages, arguing instead that a deep divide runs through 'late antiquity', separating the Roman slave system from its early medieval successors. In the process, he covers the economic, social and institutional dimensions of ancient slavery and presents the most comprehensive analytical treatment of a pre-modern slave system now available. By scouring the late antique record, he has uncovered a wealth of new material, providing fresh insights into the ancient slave system, including slavery's role in agriculture and textile production, its relation to sexual exploitation, and the dynamics of social honor. By demonstrating the vitality of slavery into the later Roman empire, the author shows that Christianity triumphed amidst a genuine slave society.
"Originating in a conference organised in 2007 by the Centre for the Reception of Greece and Rome at Royal Holloway, University of London, and held at the British Library ... this accessible volume offers a pathbreaking study of the role played by the interpreters of ancient Greek and roman texts in the debates over the abolition of slavery. Focusing on Britain, North America, the Caribbean, and South Africa from the late 17th century, the essays examine the arguments of critics and defenders of slavery and legacy of slavery, in later periods." --Book jacket.
