Slavery in the late Roman world, AD 275{u2013}425

Capitalizing on the rich historical record of late antiquity, and employing sophisticated methodologies from social and economic history, this book reinterprets the end of Roman slavery. Kyle Harper challenges traditional interpretations of a transition from antiquity to the Middle Ages, arguing instead that a deep divide runs through 'late antiquity', separating the Roman slave system from its early medieval successors. In the process, he covers the economic, social and institutional dimensions of ancient slavery and presents the most comprehensive analytical treatment of a pre-modern slave system now available. By scouring the late antique record, he has uncovered a wealth of new material, providing fresh insights into the ancient slave system, including slavery's role in agriculture and textile production, its relation to sexual exploitation, and the dynamics of social honor. By demonstrating the vitality of slavery into the later Roman empire, the author shows that Christianity triumphed amidst a genuine slave society. Half-title......Page 3 Title......Page 5 Copyright......Page 6 Dedication......Page 7 List of Tables......Page 11 Acknowledgments......Page 14 PART I The economy of slavery......Page 17 CONQUEST AND CAPITAL: THE PROBLEM OF SLAVERY IN ROMAN HISTORY......Page 19 "THE RICH MAN DANCES IN THE SAND!": THE MEDITERRANEAN ECONOMY IN THE LATE EMPIRE......Page 26 RECOVERING THE LATE ROMAN SLAVE SYSTEM: EVIDENCE AND MODELS......Page 32 THE END OF ANCIENT SLAVERY: FROM MODES OF PRODUCTION TO SUPPLY AND DEMAND......Page 39 DEFINING SLAVERY AND SLAVE SOCIETIES......Page 49 TOWARDS A CENSUS OF LATE ROMAN SLAVERY......Page 54 LATE ROMAN SLAVERY IN HISTORICAL CONTEXT......Page 76 STUDYING THE ROMAN SLAVE SUPPLY......Page 83 REPRODUCTION AND REPLACEMENT OF THE SLAVE POPULATION......Page 85 CANNIBALIZING THE MEDITERRANEAN: INTERNAL SOURCES OF THE SLAVE SUPPLY......Page 94 TRANS-FRONTIER TRADING AND RAIDING: EXTERNAL SOURCES OF SLAVERY......Page 99 THE SLAVE TRADE: MERCHANTS AND MARKETS......Page 107 THE ECONOMY OF THE ROMAN HOUSEHOLD......Page 116 UNSKILLED DOMESTIC LABOR......Page 119 SKILLED LABOR AND HOUSEHOLD SLAVERY......Page 128 TEXTILE PRODUCTION AND SLAVE LABOR......Page 144 AGRICULTURAL LABOR AND SMALL SLAVE-OWNING HOUSEHOLDS......Page 151 CONCLUSION: SLAVERY, HOUSEHOLDS, AND THE ROMAN ECONOMY......Page 158 THE PROBLEM OF ROMAN AGRICULTURAL SLAVERY......Page 160 FROM SLAVERY TO SERFDOM? PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSITION MODEL OF LABOR......Page 161 EXCHANGE, INSTITUTIONS, ESTATES: THE LONG-TERM DYNAMICS OF SLAVE LABOR......Page 165 SLAVE LABOR AND AGRICULTURAL ESTATES IN THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN......Page 178 SLAVERY IN THE FOURTH-CENTURY WEST......Page 195 SLAVES AND THE LAND IN THE WESTERN PROVINCES......Page 198 CONCLUSIONS: RE-FRAMING THE END OF ROMAN SLAVERY......Page 214 PART II The making of honorable society......Page 217 IN SEARCH OF MASTERS AND SLAVES......Page 219 "AMELIORATION" AND CHRISTIANIZATION......Page 225 A SOCIAL HISTORY OF SLAVERY: FRAMING THE QUESTIONS......Page 230 THE MASTER-SLAVE RELATIONSHIP......Page 235 THE AIMS OF DOMINATION......Page 239 THE TECHNIQUES OF DOMINATION......Page 241 DOMINATION THROUGH POSITIVE INCENTIVES......Page 254 CONCLUSIONS: DISCIPLINE, COMMODITIES, MARKETS......Page 262 FROM THE SLAVE'S PERSPECTIVE......Page 265 INDIVIDUAL REACTIONS......Page 268 THE SLAVE FAMILY......Page 277 THE ROMAN SLAVE COMMUNITY......Page 289 CONCLUSIONS......Page 295 SLAVERY AND SEXUAL EXPLOITATION......Page 297 MARRIAGE AND SOCIAL REPRODUCTION IN THE ROMAN EMPIRE......Page 301 THE EFFECTS OF DISHONOR: THE EXPLOITATION OF SLAVES......Page 307 FROM PRIVATE TO PUBLIC WOMEN: PROSTITUTION IN LATE ANTIQUITY......Page 320 PACTS OF LUST: CONCUBINAGE IN LATE ANTIQUITY......Page 330 CHRISTIANIZATION AND CHANGE......Page 336 THE DOMUS FELIX IN LATE ANTIQUITY......Page 342 HONOR AND STATUS IN THE LATE ROMAN WORLD......Page 343 “CLOSELY-WATCHED HOUSEHOLDS”......Page 345 CONCLUSION: MASTERY AND SPIRITUAL MISGIVINGS......Page 361 PART III The imperial order......Page 365 AN ORDER IMPOSED......Page 367 STATUS AS AN INSTITUTIONAL PROBLEM......Page 371 AN INSTITUTIONAL HISTORY OF SLAVE STATUS IN THE LATE EMPIRE......Page 379 ROMAN LAW BEYOND ROME......Page 383 LEUKOPETRA: ROMAN LAW AND LOCAL CUSTOM......Page 385 BACK TO THE CENTER: DIOCLETIAN'S RESCRIPTS......Page 394 STARS, STRANGERS, AND SLAVES......Page 407 THE JURIDICAL REGIME OF ENSLAVEMENT: BETWEEN LAW AND PRACTICE......Page 408 SALE AND EXPOSURE IN THE AGE OF CONSTANTINE......Page 414 NEW DIRECTIONS: CONSTANTINIAN CHANGE......Page 420 TEN THOUSAND TEARS: THE SALE OF CHILDREN AFTER CONSTANTINE......Page 425 EXPOSURE AND ENSLAVEMENT AFTER CONSTANTINE......Page 432 CONCLUSION: ENSLAVEMENT AND THE STATE IN LATE ANTIQUITY......Page 438 “THE CHILD OF THE SLAVE-WOMAN”: A BRIEF HISTORY......Page 440 THE COMMUNITY OF HONOR: QUID LICEAT, ET QUID HONESTUM SIT......Page 442 FREE WOMEN, UNFREE MEN, AND THE STATE......Page 448 WELL-ORDERED EXPLOITATION: FREE MEN, SLAVE-WOMEN......Page 458 CONCUBINAGE AND ILLEGITIMACY AFTER CONSTANTINE......Page 471 CONCLUSION: FROM ANTIQUITY TO THE MIDDLE AGES......Page 476 THE LATE ANTIQUE EQUILIBRIUM: BETWEEN CHURCH AND STATE......Page 479 MANUMISSION IN THE ROMAN EMPIRE: FORMS AND EFFECTS......Page 481 LATE ANTIQUE RITES: THE ALAPA AND MANUMISSIO IN ECCLESIA......Page 484 THE DUTIES OF FREEDMEN......Page 501 MANUMISSION IN THE CHURCH IN THE FIFTH CENTURY AND BEYOND......Page 505 CONCLUSIONS: MANUMISSION AND INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE IN LATE ANTIQUITY......Page 508 SLAVERY AMIDST THE RUINS......Page 513 THE END OF ROMAN SLAVERY IN THE WEST......Page 515 THE END OF ROMAN SLAVERY IN THE EAST......Page 520 CHURCH AND SLAVERY IN THE MIDDLE AGES......Page 522 THE END OF THE PAST......Page 524 Appendixes......Page 527 APPENDIX 1 The word οỉĸέτης in late antiquity......Page 529 APPENDIX 2 Slaves in the Codex Hermogenianus......Page 535 BIBLIOGRAPHY......Page 540 INDEX......Page 614 "Capitalizing on the rich historical record of late antiquity, and employing sophisticated methodologies from social and economic history, this book reinterprets the end of Roman slavery. Kyle Harper challenges traditional interpretations of a transition from antiquity to the Middle Ages, arguing instead that a deep divide runs through 'late antiquity', separating the Roman slave system from its early medieval successors. In the process, he covers the economic, social and institutional dimensions of ancient slavery and presents the most comprehensive analytical treatment of a pre-modern slave system now available. By scouring the late antique record, he has uncovered a wealth of new material, providing fresh insights into the ancient slave system, including slavery's role in agriculture and textile production, its relation to sexual exploitation, and the dynamics of social honor. By demonstrating the vitality of slavery into the fourth century, the author shows that Christianity triumphed amidst a genuine slave society"-- Provided by publisher Machine generated contents note: Part I. The Economy of Slavery: Introduction; 1. Among slave systems: a profile of late Roman slavery; 2. The endless river: the supply and trade of slaves; 3. Oikonomia: households, consumption, and production; 4. Agricultural slavery: exchange, institutions, estates; Part II. The Making of Honorable Society: Introduction; 5. Semper timere: the aims and techniques of domination; 6. Self, family, and community among slaves; 7. Sex, status, and social reproduction; 8. Mastery and the making of honor; Part III. The Imperial Order: Introduction; 9. Citizenship and litigation: slave status after the Antonine constitution; 10. The enslavement of Mediterranean bodies: child exposure and child sale; 11. The community of honor: the state and sexuality; 12. Rites of manumission, rights of the freed; Conclusion: Roman slavery, proto-modernity, and the end of antiquity; Appendices.