Slavery in Ancnt Mediterranean

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

Slavery was an important feature of the Roman world. This course attempts to better understand the people who served as the labor force of ancient Rome, often under brutal conditions. We will examine ancient slavery using a variety of sources; while enslaved voices are rarely preserved directly, we can see their traces throughout Roman culture. Students will not only learn about the lives of enslaved people under the Roman empire but will also assess the methodological problems inherent in studying non-elites through records of elite activity. Students will be tested on this material with a midterm exam in addition to a short and a long paper.