SLAVERY IN THE ANCIENT WORLD
CLAS 115-01
SPRING 2010
TTH 8:10-9:30 in LKH 253
INSTRUCTOR:
Dr. Rudolph Paul Hock
OFFICE / OFFICE HOURS:
LKH 254 / TBA; also you can call at X 6725 or contact me at rhock@howard.edu.
REQUIRED TEXTS (in alphabetical order):
Bradley, K.R.: Slavery and Society at Rome (Cambridge 1994)
Fast, Howard: Spartacus (North Castle books 1996, a new edition with a new introduction by the author)
Plautus: The Pot of Gold and Other Plays (transl. E.F. Watling; Viking Penguin, 1978)
Wiedemann, T.: Greek and Roman Slavery (Routledge, 1994 repr.)
SCOPE AND AIMS OF THE COURSE:
1. This course serves as an introduction both to the general history and to many particular issues and themes of slavery in antiquity, but with special emphasis on the Roman world. As we engage the ancient Romans, some other questions of a broader dimension will be addressed in order to establish a philosophical or ideological framework , as it were, and to indicate the many implications associated with the theory, practice, and historiography of slavery .
2. Also, whenever appropriate and applicable, I shall offer comparisons with New World slavery (for which see the splendid work of Orlando Patterson, Slavery and Social Death: A
Comparative Study [1982] )
3. While the reading list is quite varied in scope and theme, I can not emphasize enough the crucial need to familiarize yourselves with the primary sources (i.e., Plautus and the collection of texts in Wiedemann). It is imperative that we distinguish, as much as possible, what the ancients themselves practiced and thought of slavery from the interpretations of more modern investigators such as Bradley (a secondary source), who will be our guide for our study of
Roman slavery.
4. For the most part, each class will focus upon a specific issue(s) and/or era as noted in the course outline below. I will set the tone and parameters of the argument(s) and then I shall expect participation by the students . A topic of this sort will allow for some exciting and perhaps even hotly debated discussion ; after all, freedom or the absence of it has always been not only at the core of human existence from time immemorial but also a perpetual object of

observation and study by philosophers, dramatists, legislators, moralists, poets, historians, theologians and others!
***5. From what has been stated above (and from what will be reiterated below), it should be clear that, to all intents and purposes, this is really an interdisciplinary examination of a particular topic --- in this case, slavery in ancient Rome. Lectures, assignments, class discussions, etc. will emphasize this notion of interdisciplinarity . It will be expected that the students integrate two or more disciplines in thinking about the topics we engage and in the papers you will write . Furthermore, on occasion we shall be comparing ancient and modern scholarship and analyses.
For example , was slavery primarily an economic or a social institution? Were there any people or movements in antiquity who called for the abolition of slavery? If so, was there an ethical component to that call? to what extent did laws about slavery take into account the economic interests of slaveowners? did lower class citizens sympathize with the plight of slaves ? were slaves treated more or less harshly in antiquity than in the modern world? were ex-slaves viewed with greater favor by the ‘host society’ in antiquity than in more modern times? What were the components of slave revolts ? See further under MAIN OBJECTIVES , below.
MAIN OBJECTIVES:
1. To situate and understand a critical social and economic component of ancient Rome.
2. To appreciate the pervasiveness of slavery in Roman society.
3. To approach the subject of slavery from many angles/ disciplines (e.g. social, political, legal, economic, literary, philosophical) and through many different primary sources (e.g. biblical and legal texts, farm manuals, the comedies of Plautus).
4. To analyze primary sources thoroughly and consider their reliability, and compare them with
New World documentation.
5. To study the impact of the revolt of Spartacus on New World sociological and political thought.

EVALUATION:
A: 90-100 B: 80-89 C: 70-79 D: 60-69 F: less than 60
Grade is based upon:
(1) One mid-term exam, tentatively scheduled for Feb. 25, worth 20%
(2) A comprehensive final (but weighted toward the more recent material), scheduled for
THURSDAY April 29, 8-10, in our classroom. [Graduating seniors will be accommodated during the period April 19-21]. The date of the regularly scheduled final will not be altered, so please note it NOW before making any summer travel arrangements. This exam is worth 20%.
(3) 5 short papers, type-written and double-spaced, of at least 500 words each. Each of the first four papers will be worth 5% = 20%, and the fifth will be worth 10%. You must submit two copies of each. Penalties for late submission are severe, so please be aware. See more below at
PAPERS .
(4) Weekly quizzes at the beginning of class, worth 20%
(5) Class performance, including attendance and particular assignments, will count for 10%
Thus, (1) 20 + (2) 20 + (3) 30 + (4) 20 + (5) 10 = 100
*N.B. Virtually all assignments (including term paper topics, handouts) will be delivered via
BLACKBOARD
.
You will be responsible for a total of 5 short papers. The first four of them will be at least 500 words each on specific texts to be analyzed and discussed. Once this is done, you will be asked to provide a question or issue based on the text which you believe is worth examining from at least two different perspectives/disciplines. Each of these four short papers will be worth 5%.
Your fifth and final paper, which will be worth 10%, will be to write a comparative essay of at least 750 words based on the preferred topic from among the four short papers already done.
The comparison should be between slavery in ancient Rome and another slave system. Before undertaking this final paper, you must clear your topic with me
. REMEMBER TO SUBMIT
TWO COPIES OF ALL PAPERS!

CAESAR’S RULES!
1. No make-ups for the exams will be permitted except under extraordinary circumstances.
In all cases both of the following criteria must be met: first, the instructor or the Department office (x 6725) must be informed BEFORE the exam is to take place, NOT AFTER; second, corroborating and verifiable material, as deemed necessary, must be submitted at the next class session attended.
2. Quizzes can not be made up.
3. ETIQUETTE: No food will be permitted; also, if you must leave the room during class, please inform the instructor. TURN ALL CELL PHONES, ETC. OFF IN CLASS!!!!
These are matters of common courtesy.
4. During exams no external paraphernalia (e.g. all electronic devices, headsets) will be tolerated. Furthermore, all handbags, backpacks, books, etc. will be placed at the front of the class before taking exams.
5. Habitual lateness is frowned upon. It is disruptive and discourteous, and you may miss the quizzes! I reserve the right to bar entry to the class after it has begun, if I detect problems in this area.
6. Any detection of plagiarism will be treated harshly, including the prospect of a failing grade FOR THE COURSE for a major violation. If there are any doubts about plagiarism, see the Student Code of Conduct.
7. Those who have special ADA requirements should arrange to meet me asap for consideration.
8. I myself am virtually deaf in my left ear, so I will beg your indulgence if I sometimes ask you to repeat your questions, comments. You can help by speaking in a firm and audible tone.
9. Make sure you submit the appended Agreement of Understanding asap, lest you unwittingly be recorded as an Unofficial Withdrawal. The statement acknowledges that you have received a syllabus and that you understand all of its components and provisions
NEVER HESITATE TO ASK QUESTIONS IN CLASS AND/OR TO MAKE USE OF OFFICE
HOURS.

.
PRELIMINARY COURSE OUTLINE: PART I
Initial sessions: A full introduction to the course, including the chronological and thematic parameters, the nature of the texts to be employed, the responsibilities of students.
Why study ancient slavery? Historiography / Ideology / Comparative evidence.
Thereafter we shall proceed to a chronological and thematic investigation of Roman slavery, using, wherever possible, the categories which Wiedemann’s source book lists. Thus:
(1) The slave as property
(2) Debt-bondage and serfdom
(3) Manumission
(4) Moral inferiors
(5) Status symbol or economic investment?
(6) Sources of slaves
(7) Domestic slaves and rural slaves
(8) Slaves owned by the state
(9) The treatment of slaves: cruelty, exploitation and protection
(10) Resistance
(11) Rebellion
(12) The true freedom of the spirit: Stoics and Christians.
The most obvious illustration (and a key component of the course) is the coupling of
Wiedemann, chapter 11 (Rebellion) with the study of Spartacus’ uprising as presented in the novel by Fast. If time permits, I should even like to schedule a viewing of the 1960 movie
(restored, 1991), Spartacus. We would then have a grand and rare opportunity to compare and contrast the merits or defects of the historical record, a novelistic treatment, and a film --- three very different types of presentation about the same event. There is, too, the upcoming TV series on SPARTACUS to possibly consider as a ‘document’ to be examined, if time and resources permit.
We shall see, however, that these categories often overlap and that some texts can not simply be pigeon-holed into one of the rubrics. For example, as we shall learn, the comedies of Plautus reveal much not only about various features of slavery but also about the Roman response to and thinking about that institution.
I anticipate as well many opportunities for thoughtful and provocative discussion.

COURSE OUTLINE: Part II
BRADLEY / WIEDEMANN CORRESPONDENCE
Bradley chapters/Wiedemann selections
Chapter 1: Confronting Slavery at Rome
No corresponding Wiedemann passages.
But note the following 4 texts from Bradley, chapter I:
CICERO, Epist. ad Fam. 16.6:
My dear Marcus, as I hope to see you again and my boy and my Tulliola and your son, I am truly grateful for what you have done about Tiro, in judging his former condition to be below his deserts and preferring us to have him as a friend rather than a slave. Believe me, I jumped for joy when I read your letter and his. Thank you, and congratulations.
PAPYRUS TURNER 22:
In the consulship of L. Cuspius Rufinus and L. Statius Quadratus, at Side, before L. Claudius
Auspicatus, demiurge and priest of the goddess Roma, on 26 Loos. Pamphilos, otherwise known as Kanopos, son of Aigyptos, from Alexandria, has purchased in the marketplace from
Artemidoros, son of Aristokles, the slave girl Abaskantis, or by whatever other name she may be known, a ten-year old Galatian, for the sum of 280 silver denarii. M. Aelius Gavianus stands surety for and guarantees the sale. The girl is healthy, in accordance with the Edict of the
Aediles,....is free of liability in all respects, is prone neither to wandering nor running away, and is free of epilepsy.
ILS 1514
To the deserving Musicus Scurranus, slave of Tiberius Caesar Augustus, accountant of the Gallic treasury in the province of Gallia Lugdunensis, from those of his underslaves (vicarii) who were with him when he dies at Rome
DIGEST 21.1.8:
The question arises whether one whose tongue has been cut out is healthy. This problem is dealt with by Ofilius in respect of a horse. His opinion is in the negative.
Chapter 2: The Slave Society at Rome
5; 17; 18; 19; 20; 81; 92; 93; 141
Chapter 3: The Roman Slave Supply
103; 104; 105; 106; 107; 110; 111; 112; 113; 114; 115; 116; 117; 118; 119; 121; 122; 123; 124;
149 (sect. 19)

Chapter 4: Slave Labour
20; 82; 88; 109; 126; 127; 129; 130; 131; 132; 133; 135; 137; 138; 141; 142; 143;144; 145; 146;
147; 148; 149; 150; 151; 152; 153; 154; 155; 156; 157; 164; 165; 166; 167; 168; 169; 170; 171;
172; 173; 174; 175; 176.
Chapter 5: Quality of Life
191; 229 (sects. 27-29); 238 (sect. 14)
Chapter 6: Resisting Slavery
83; 157; 180; 209; 212; 214; 215; 216; 218; 219; 220; 221; 224; 225; 226; 227; 228; 229; 230;
231; 232; 233; 234
Chapter 7: Change and Continuity
1.
(a) Stoicism:
235; 236; 237; 238; 239; 240; 243.
(b) Christianity:
31; 52; 54; 138; 195; 213; 241; 242.
Chapter 8: Slavery and Progress
(a) Manumission:
5; 6; 28; 29; 30; 31; 32; 33; 34; 35; 36; 37; 38; 39; 40; 41; 42; 43; 44; 45; 46; 47; 48; 49; 50; 69;
76; 77; 233.
(b) Torture:
187; 194; 219.
Chapter 9: To be a slave
No corresponding Wiedemann passages

Agreement of Understanding
I, the undersigned, acknowledge receipt of the syllabus for the course, SLAVERY IN THE
ANCIENT WORLD, and I understand all of its components, including, but not limited to, the grading scheme, the dates of exams, the issue of plagiarism and ‘Caesar’s rules’. In the event that I do not understand any part of the syllabus, I will ask for clarification. Once all is understood, I will sign
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