Figure 1.--This greek vase from Athens shows a contemprary depiction of slavery. The vase has been dated to 470-460 BC. A reader suggests that it shows a gynaeceum scene, a slave woman presenting a baby to its mother. One of the major uses os slaves in ancient Greece was a domestic servants. Among wealthy families in Athen the gynecaeum was the part of the house where the woman lived with the little children and the female slaves. This should not be confused with the gymnasium, a public training facility where atheletes prepared for public games. It also became a place for socializing and discussing intellectual issues. Gymnasium comes from 'gymnós' (naked); gynaeceum come from 'gyné' (woman). Source: National Archaeological Museum in Athens

Greece is the first ancient civilization for which we have a full understanding of Slavery. This is because the Greeks were the first people known to have consudered the ethical basis of slavery. This assessment is a little complicated because unlike Rome, there was no unified state. Each city state had their own laws and in some cases like Sparta there were major differences with the rest if Greece. Our understanding of Athens is the most detailed, but a good bit is known about other city states as well. The Greek city states, despite their tradition of democracy, had economies which were to a substantial degree based on slavery. Some historians have described the Greeks as the first true slave society in history. Large scale Greek slavery emerged between the 6th and 4th centuries BC. Major slave markets developed in the larger city states (Athens, Rhodes, Corinth, Delos, and others). As many as a thousand slaves might be sold in a single day. This was in large measure determined by military action. After a particularly important engagement, a Greek city state like Athens might have as many as 20,000 captives to deal with. The institution of slavery, however, varied widely among the different city states. Athens and the other city states had what can be seen as slavery in the the standard form. Sparta was substantially different. The Spartan economy was based on labor performed by the helots. Some authors suggest that is more correct to refer to them as serfs. They were a conquered people, They did work on lrge estates run by the Spartans, but lived in family groups on hereditary land. They were required to turn over the bulk of their harvest to their Spartan master who was an absentee landholder. The rights of Greek slaves varied from city state to city state. This varied as to who owned them and the tasks assigned. Slaves were owned by both the state and idividuals. Conditions varied significantly. The mines owned by the state were worked by slaves. The state leased the mines to private proprietors who often drive the slaves savagely to maximize profits. Other state slaves were treated better. The best treated were 300 Scythian archers who somewhat strangely served as the Athens police force. Most Athenian slaves were privately owned. Most of these were employed as domestic servants. Freeborn Athenians did not work as domestics. The conditions of slavery for privately owned slaves was primarily determined by the relationship whuch developed with their masters. Here close relations were possible. Women might be used to care for the children and thus become trusted family retainers. They also might be used as concubines offering the opportunity to become emotionally close withe masters. Male slaves by take on the role of a steward and actually run the household.

Contemprary Discourse

Greece is the first ancient civilization for which we have a full understanding of Slavery. This is because the Greeks were the first people known to have consudered the ethical basis of slavery. None other than Aristotle addressed the issue. And some of this discussion has survived to our modern age.

City States

This assessment is a little complicated because unlike Rome, there was no unified state. Each city state had their own laws and in some cases like Sparta there were major differences with the rest if Greece. Our understanding of Athens is the most detailed, but a good bit is known about other city states as well. Basically except for Spara, the slave system was similar in most city states. Athens and the other city states had what can be seen as slavery in the the standard form. Sparta was substantially different. The Spartan economy was based on labor performed by the helots. Some authors suggest that is more correct to refer to them as serfs. They were a conquered people, They did work on lrge estates run by the Spartans, but lived in family groups on hereditary land. They were required to turn over the bulk of their harvest to their Spartan master who was an absentee landholder.

Importance

The Greek city states, despite their tradition of democracy, had economies which were to a substantial degree based on slavery. Some historians have described the Greeks as the first true slave society in history. Large scale Greek slavery emerged between the 6th and 4th centuries BC. This began before the emergence of democray i athns, but contibued throughout the Golden Age.

Slave Markets

Major slave markets developed in the larger city states (Athens, Rhodes, Corinth, Delos, and others). As many as a thousand slaves might be sold in a single day.

Sources

This was in large measure determined by military action. After a particularly important engagement, a Greek city state like Athens might have as many as 20,000 captives to deal with. The institution of slavery, however, varied widely among the different city states. Another important source was the Steppe. The Greeks established Blaxk Sea trading post colonies. Here the Synthians and other groups exchanged captives seized on the Steppe and to a lesser extent the Balkans for goods offered by the Greeks. The Phoencians also traded slaves from various sources.

Rights

The rights of Greek slaves varied from city state to city state. This varied as to who owned them and the tasks assigned. Slaves were owned by both the state and idividuals.

Conditions

Conditions varied significantly. The mines owned by the state were worked by slaves. The state leased the mines to private proprietors who often drive the slaves savagely to maximize profits. Other state slaves were treated better. The best treated were 300 Scythian archers who somewhat strangely served as the Athens police force. Most Athenian slaves were privately owned. Most of these were employed as domestic servants. Freeborn Athenians did not work as domestics. The conditions of slavery for privately owned slaves was primarily determined by the relationship whuch developed with their masters. Here close relations were possible. Women might be used to care for the children and thus become trusted family retainers. They also might be used as concubines offering the opportunity to become emotionally close withe masters. Male slaves might take on the role of a steward and actually run the household.

Ethical Thought

All too many modern historians are prone to judge ancient societies by our modern stndards. And quite a number focus on slavery rather than the Greek invention of freedom. The Greeks did not invent slavery nor did Greek democracy, but it is absoliutely true that slavery was an important part of Greek society and the economy, actully more important than in most other ancient sicieties wher the ecomomies were primarly based on landless peasantry. The existence of freedom and slavery were indeed a fact of life in ancient Greece. For the Greeks it was not as strange ase now see it. For them, freedoim meant the ability to enslave others. While it is true tha slavery was important in Greece, the Greeks also appear to have been the first people to have considered the ethical basis of slavery, at least the firsr people we know of that have thoufgt deeply on the issue. We may not like the conclusions tht important Greek thinkes like Aristotle arrived at, but the fact that it was a topic being considered is important to mention. The central contribution of the Greeks was applying reason to matters of human concern and this was one of the many issues addressed.

Sources

Created: 11:37 PM 3/12/2011
Last updated: 8:47 AM 6/3/2015