This course offers critical engagement with the legal, literary, archaeological and epigraphic evidence concerning the institution of Roman slavery. Exploring the firm place occupied by slavery in Roman society, lectures will investigate the bleak reality of slavery as ownership, but also foreground the slaves’ agency through their occupational paths, involvement in cultic activities and rebellions, before approaching their acquisition of freedom through manumission. The course shows how slavery deeply affected not only the socio-economic life of the Romans, but also significantly permeated their cultural endeavours. It seeks furthermore to stimulate students to reflect on the various methodological issues that scholars encounter when trying to access the experience of the enslaved in Roman society.
Besides developing the skills of historical and critical analysis on the basis of diverse primary source material, the students will engage with the most recent scholarship, and will be encouraged to pursue their own interests within the framework of the course.