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The Material Life of Roman Slaves
The Material Life of Roman Slaves is a major contribution to scholarly debates on the archaeology of Roman slavery. Rather than regarding slaves as irretrievable in archaeological remains, the book takes the archaeological record as a key form of evidence for reconstructing slaves' lives and experiences. Interweaving literature, law, and material evidence, the book searches for ways to see slaves in the various contexts – to make them visible where evidence tells us they were in fact present. Part of this project involves understanding how slaves seem irretrievable in the archaeological record and how they are often actively, if unwittingly, left out of guidebooks and scholarly literature. Individual chapters explore the dichotomy between visibility and invisibility and between appearance and disappearance in four physical and social locations – urban houses, city streets and neighborhoods, workshops, and villas.
317 pages, Paperback
First published July 10, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 10, 2026
First my credentials: I have a Master Degree in History and have studied ancient Rome extensively, including primary resources.
Who were the Roman slaves? This book attempts to put flesh and personalities into these unknown persons, and it succeeds much more than I though possible. By looking at the physical structure of various Roman ruins (i.e., Pompeii, Herculaneum, and rural villas, etc.), the authors are able to bring the slaves out if the darkness and into the light of history.
First of all, the writings of the elite often mention owners' frustration and anger over slaves being lazy, noisy, late, cumbersome, thieves, and prone to fleeing. Slaves were to be perfect "implementa" (tools) and perform their duties quickly, thoroughly, correctly, and in perfect choreography (when necessary). The fact that such sentiments appear often in elite writings is a strong indicator that slaves found many ways to seize personal moments and experiences.
By using elite writings and layouts of buildings, the authors show how slaves were supposed to move about a house or factory to fulfill their duties, but they also illuminated how slaves could sneak out back doors or move to a part of the structure so as to be out of the master's sight. Joshel and Hackworth Petersen call slaves' little actions to avoid work or the oversight of their master "tactics." Other tactics included lingering at fountains, stopping at a bar located near the structure for a drink when about the master's business, or slipping outside to meet other slaves. The authors also reference slaves testimony and writings from the U.S. Civil War to support their their analysis. Their investigation into buildings' layouts and the archeological indicators of slave activities is nothing less than groundbreaking.
Of course, not all slaves had freedom of movement. Many were shackled or locked in the structure, especially at night. Also, they were usually housed in small, dark, dingy rooms. Even so, slaves found ways to grab a bit of freedom whenever possible and get some pleasure out of life. Graffiti was an additional source for the authors. Slaves left graffiti stating their names, who they loved, who they wanted to win at the games, who they disliked, and much more; thus, giving themselves voices.
One aspect of slave/master relationship that struck me was the master's absolute need for "performance" movements when hosting. In other words, most slaves were to be positioned out of sight but close enough to respond to orders, and were to move at a stated pace and through specific corridors so as to not disturb guests and to show off the master's power and wealth. Several villas and houses have zebra stripes painted on select walls. The authors postulate that the purpose of the stripes was to mark corridors that slaves could enter without express permission, and to keep them to areas of work but out of areas with designed views so as not to detract from the view.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book, found it highly illuminating, and an exciting addition to our knowledge about ancient Rome. It is an exceptional investigation into the lives of slaves in ancient Rome, and is a must read for those interested in ancient Rome, the history of slavery, and ancient Mediterranean history. The book has numerous diagrams and pictures, which make the text that much more immersive. A simply outstanding work by Joshel and Hackworth Petersen.
NOTE: This is not written for the casual historian, but is an academic work.
Who were the Roman slaves? This book attempts to put flesh and personalities into these unknown persons, and it succeeds much more than I though possible. By looking at the physical structure of various Roman ruins (i.e., Pompeii, Herculaneum, and rural villas, etc.), the authors are able to bring the slaves out if the darkness and into the light of history.
First of all, the writings of the elite often mention owners' frustration and anger over slaves being lazy, noisy, late, cumbersome, thieves, and prone to fleeing. Slaves were to be perfect "implementa" (tools) and perform their duties quickly, thoroughly, correctly, and in perfect choreography (when necessary). The fact that such sentiments appear often in elite writings is a strong indicator that slaves found many ways to seize personal moments and experiences.
By using elite writings and layouts of buildings, the authors show how slaves were supposed to move about a house or factory to fulfill their duties, but they also illuminated how slaves could sneak out back doors or move to a part of the structure so as to be out of the master's sight. Joshel and Hackworth Petersen call slaves' little actions to avoid work or the oversight of their master "tactics." Other tactics included lingering at fountains, stopping at a bar located near the structure for a drink when about the master's business, or slipping outside to meet other slaves. The authors also reference slaves testimony and writings from the U.S. Civil War to support their their analysis. Their investigation into buildings' layouts and the archeological indicators of slave activities is nothing less than groundbreaking.
Of course, not all slaves had freedom of movement. Many were shackled or locked in the structure, especially at night. Also, they were usually housed in small, dark, dingy rooms. Even so, slaves found ways to grab a bit of freedom whenever possible and get some pleasure out of life. Graffiti was an additional source for the authors. Slaves left graffiti stating their names, who they loved, who they wanted to win at the games, who they disliked, and much more; thus, giving themselves voices.
One aspect of slave/master relationship that struck me was the master's absolute need for "performance" movements when hosting. In other words, most slaves were to be positioned out of sight but close enough to respond to orders, and were to move at a stated pace and through specific corridors so as to not disturb guests and to show off the master's power and wealth. Several villas and houses have zebra stripes painted on select walls. The authors postulate that the purpose of the stripes was to mark corridors that slaves could enter without express permission, and to keep them to areas of work but out of areas with designed views so as not to detract from the view.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book, found it highly illuminating, and an exciting addition to our knowledge about ancient Rome. It is an exceptional investigation into the lives of slaves in ancient Rome, and is a must read for those interested in ancient Rome, the history of slavery, and ancient Mediterranean history. The book has numerous diagrams and pictures, which make the text that much more immersive. A simply outstanding work by Joshel and Hackworth Petersen.
NOTE: This is not written for the casual historian, but is an academic work.
April 3, 2026
This book is definitely for historians. Though I am not one myself, I am studying to become a classicist so I could understand this quite well. The book posed some intriguing questions, and it was quite interesting to read. I only had a few days to read it, and it was easy to finish it in the time I had because it didn't drag at all or get too confusing if I accidentally took something literally. It genuinely changed the way I think.
August 3, 2024
An absolutely beautiful and groundbreaking study of the enslaved Roman people that made Pompeii, Ostia, Herculaneum, as well as countless villas function. Never before have I read a piece of scholarship so heartfelt. I'm obsessed with Dr. Joshel, she really sets the standard on how to speak about/study ancient slavery.
October 11, 2015
Recovering the World of Ancient Slaves
The Material Life of Roman Slaves seeks to bring to the foreground the space in which Roman slaves lived and worked in order to better understand them. It offers useful insights and builds upon recent work by others to analyze the space and time of the ancient Roman context. I found it very much worth reading and reflecting upon. The authors also take on a crusading tone when it comes to decrying the neglect of scholars of the presence of slaves in the lives of the elite. They show how a careful reading of ancient sources and archaeological remains may uncover the experiences of Roman slaves.
The Material Life of Roman Slaves seeks to bring to the foreground the space in which Roman slaves lived and worked in order to better understand them. It offers useful insights and builds upon recent work by others to analyze the space and time of the ancient Roman context. I found it very much worth reading and reflecting upon. The authors also take on a crusading tone when it comes to decrying the neglect of scholars of the presence of slaves in the lives of the elite. They show how a careful reading of ancient sources and archaeological remains may uncover the experiences of Roman slaves.
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May 3, 2017Nothing personal against the book, just that 80% of the books I've read were more enjoyable/edifying than this one.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews