In this episode, Doug takes us through a brief rundown of slavery in Mesopotamia, the Levant, and the Mediterranean. Then, we dive straight into how it worked in Roman times. In Rome, one out of six people were slaves. The origins of slaves were as diverse and varied as their jobs and treatment. Some slaves were Celtic or Germanic prisoners of war who suffered in the mines. Others were orphaned Romans who worked their way up to managing farms and properties. Still, others were highly educated physicians, accountants, secretaries, and foremen who had their own slaves and lived luxurious lifestyles. There may have been one slave who was a famous troll philosopher. Regardless of treatment, the practice was not always popular. Stoics and Christians publicly denounced it. And some slaves and ex-slaves were desperate enough to go to war to put an end to it. Live free or die.
