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Life of Slaves in Ancient Greece
Learn about Life of Slaves in Ancient Greece, including how many people were slaves, where they came from, what rights and work they did, and if they were set free
Life of Slaves in Ancient Greece
Overview
In ancient Greece, slavery was a common practice, although it may appear unusual (and dreadful) to us today. Slaves played a significant role in ancient Greek culture and the country’s economy; the majority of Greek families had at least one slave.
Did the Greeks have a lot of slaves?
Although the precise number of slaves possessed by the Greeks is unknown, historians typically calculate that between 30 and 40 percent of the population was enslaved. Some affluent families possessed hundreds of slaves, while even the poorest families owned at least one.
Where did the slaves come from?
Foreigners who had been taken prisoner during battle or acquired through the slave trade made up the majority of the slaves.
What kind of work did they do?
Slaves performed a wide range of jobs based on their ownership and skill set. Some slaves worked long hours on farms or in mines. Some slaves worked as artisans in the city or performed domestic tasks.
Did they have any rights?
Depending on the city in which the slave resided, there were various kinds of slaves in ancient Greece and corresponding laws. Slaves did not, however, often have many rights. They had to put in a lot of overtime performing whatever task their owner required. Slaves had fewer rights than citizens and were not allowed to possess property. Without a fair trial, they could not usually be executed.
Were slaves ever set free?
Indeed, masters occasionally freed their slaves (a practice known as “manumission”). Additionally, owners would let slaves accumulate savings to purchase their own freedom. Even after being freed, slaves frequently maintained duties to their former owners and were not yet regarded as complete citizens.
How did they know who was a slave?
In ancient Greece, it was sometimes difficult to tell a slave from a free person. Slave women often had their hair cut short. This would have marked them as slaves because free women kept their hair long. Sometimes slaves were marked with scars or tattoos so they could be recognized as slaves.
Slaves of the Spartans
The Spartans ruled over a group of people called the Helots. The Helots were treated like slaves by the Spartans. They farmed the land and performed other manual labor for the Spartans. There were actually a lot more Helots than Spartans. In order to keep control, the Spartans had secret police who kept track of the Helots and killed anyone they thought might rebel.
Facts About Slaves in Ancient Greece
- Slave owners were responsible for any crimes their slaves committed.
- Slaves participated in most occupations in Greece but were not allowed to participate in politics.
- The worst job for a slave was working in the mines. This was dangerous and hard work. Slaves working in the mines didn’t live very long.
- Wealthy Greeks would buy slaves as an investment and then rent them out to others.
- The Spartans would declare war on the Helots each year so they could kill them without it being considered murder.
- Slaves were often captured by pirates or bandits and sold at the slave market.
Read also:Soldiers and War in Ancient Greece
