Who were slaves in Ancient Greece?

Slavery is one of the worst institutions in human history, responsible for unending suffering and horrors beyond measure. In ancient Greece, however, things weren’t that bad. Compared to other societies at the time, Greek slaves led quite a privileged life. Archaic Greece had two main kinds of slaves: a household slave (called a ‘ house-slave’) who served as an assistant to their master – often playing the role of tutor for sons or daughters of their master – and a field slave (called a ‘work-slave’) who was considered part of the estate and as such belonged to the master along with his land. In no sense were they treated like animals; in fact, many eventually became emancipated and successfully integrated into Greek society. Here are some interesting facts about slavery in Ancient Greece you probably didn’t know

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Ancient Greeks were not allowed to sell their own children as slaves.

The earliest lawbook concerning slaves that we have comes from Ancient Athens. It dates back to the 6th century BC and is known as the “Lawbook of Solon.” It says that “no one may make a child or a garment slave.” In other words, a person cannot sell his or her own child as a slave or use them to pay debts.

Slave traders in ancient Greece were called “paedokanepētai” or child-buyers.

The most common way of acquiring slaves in Ancient Greece was through war. The defeated population would be divided into two groups – the ones who could be ransomed back to their relatives and the ones who were to be enslaved. The first group would be exchanged for money, while the second group would be auctioned as slaves. The people who bought the slaves were called “paedokanepētai” – child-buyers – because they mostly purchased young people with no family or property to ransom them back. The child buyers were not only responsible for selling slaves, but also for providing them with basic education and training. They would give the slaves a new name, educate them in the Greek language, and even teach them a trade. They would also be punished for any misdeeds. In many cases, the child-buyers were former slaves who had been emancipated by their masters and were now making a living off of selling other former slaves.

Slaves who misbehaved could be branded on the forehead with a red-hot iron.

According to a treatise on slaves written by Hermias, a former slave himself, when a slave misbehaved their owner would brand them on the forehead with a red-hot iron. The mark would be either the initials of the master or a symbol of disgrace, like a crown or a pig. Such a punishment would also be inflicted on a runaway slave so that they could be easily recognized and apprehended. The branding would leave a permanent mark that would stigmatize the slave in their later life.

A slave could be sold for a very small amount of money in ancient Greece: as little as 2 drachmas (equivalent to 2 days' wages for a skilled worker).

The average price for a Greek slave was 15 drachmas (~3 days' wages for an unskilled worker). But some slaves could be sold for a paltry sum, like the ones who were captured in war or were born to slaves. Such people would be sold for a very small amount of money, even as little as 2 drachmas. This was because the state provided for the upkeep of such slaves. For example, the Athenian state would give a ration of corn and oil to any slave who worked in public service.

Most slaves in Ancient Greece came from wars and kidnappings.

Almost all slaves in Ancient Greece came from wars or kidnappings. The wars were mainly between the Greeks and the barbarians – the Persians, the Thracians, and the Gauls. The slaves who were captured in the wars would be sold to the Hellenes for a high price because of their martial background. The people who were kidnapped came from all walks of life, including noblemen and women. Children who were kidnapped would be sold to slave dealers and would be trained from an early age to become skilled workers.

Greek slaves had certain rights and privileges, even if they were treated badly by their masters.

Aristotle, in his treatise “Politics,” states that “if they [slaves] are not ill-treated, they are better off than any freeman who is not above his work.” What he meant was that freemen would be shamed by manual labor, while slaves would accept it as their given place in society. If a slave was treated badly, however, they could report their master to the authorities. The state would then conduct an investigation and punish the slave owner if they found the charges valid. The state would also take care of badly treated slaves who had no masters to take care of them. For instance, the Athenian state provided for certain classes of people who were not citizens – foreigners, slaves, the blind, and people who were suffering from a natural disaster, like a plague or an earthquake.

Sources

Slavery By Any Other Name: The Evil of Forced Labor - by Adam David Wager Slavery and Social Death: A Reader - Edited by David W. Bruman and Richard S. W. Erikson Slavery, the State, and War: Studies in the Pathology of Inter-human Relations - by Philip W. Wodders

Conclusion

Slavery is one of the worst institutions in human history, responsible for unending suffering and horrors beyond measure. In ancient Greece, however, things weren’t that bad. Compared to other societies at the time, Greek slaves led quite a privileged life. Still, it is important to remember that no matter how well they were treated, they were still not free. It is also important to remember that many of the slaves who were used by the Greeks were war captives. The Greeks were also responsible for the first recorded slave rebellion, the Third Servile War, which took place 150 years after the practice of slavery began.