Most history books only scratch the surface of Roman slavery, portraying it as just manual labor. But Emma Southon new book 'Servus: How Slavery Made the Roman Empire' reveals a hidden world—slavery that reached into every corner of society, even high finance and bureaucracy. Imagine slaves running entire provinces, managing banks, or even owning property, yet still legally ‘property’ of their masters. The sheer scale means enslaved people could have their own lives, relationships, even tips and businesses—they had agency, in a system designed to control and exploit at every turn. That’s a far cry from the simplistic image many have. Why does this matter? Because understanding the full scope of Roman slavery challenges our assumptions and illuminates just how deeply systemic oppression was woven into their society.
Chalke History Festival is on from the 22nd through to the 28th of June grab tickets from https://www.chalkefestival.com
Grab a copy of Servus https://uk.bookshop.org/a/14692/9781399741255
Keep up to date with Emma via
Her website https://www.emmasouthon.com/
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