Watch this mini-documentary on Slavery in Ancient Rome....
We canNOT fully understand the
history of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade (or “black” slavery) without first analyzing the early stages of the institution of slavery itself. After many years of research, award-winning historian Hugh Thomas portrays, in a balanced account, the complete history of the slave trade. Use your reading of Hugh Thomas' "Humanity is Divided in Two" to thoughtfully respond to the following: What is a slave?
In the Ancient World, what
separated slaves from non-slaves?
58 comments:
A slave, as it says in the reading, is a property with a soul. To have a soul is to be a human being, and you're someone else's property until you are freed. In the video, it showed that some slaves in Rome were treated very well and were taken care of by their masters. But that's not how it always is in different parts of the world. It also said in the video that if you didn't want to be a slave, you had to kill yourself, which is obviously a huge decision to make. In slavery, there are the rulers and the people who are ruled. What separated slaves from non-slaves is that you choose to be a slave, or you're born into a family of power and you are a free person. A non-slave doesn't have to choose the life he or she wants to be in, but a slave does.
A slave is an "object that does whatever you want it too". There are different types of slaves. Most people think of the ones who work in the mines and farms. Some slaves were body slaves. A body slave is a person who is with you at all times. Even when you are in the bathroom. They do your hair, makeup, and know everything in the house. Body slaves are clothed, fed, and very well respected. Other slaves were doctors, lawyers, cooks, or just used for there beauty. The slaves who live with there masters have a better chance of being freed. According to the reading, a slave was treated as a domestic animal."Slaves were basically like buying a car". The ones who were more educated were higher priced. Slaves had the option to be slaves. Some accepted a life of servitude while others killed themselves. Killing yourself was considered honorable. A non slave got to live a free life where they got to show emotions and be who they truly are. A slave had a forced life of orders and didnt have the option of free will.
A slave is "property with a soul." Slaves can be used for anything. They can be doctors and lawyers etc. They are used mainly to do handy work. A non-slave can be free and does not have to be stuck in one place doing a single job and getting no money, a slave does.
A slave is "a property with a soul" (Page 29). If you are a human you are also a soul. Slaves were others owned properties. Slaves have a lack of rights but I do think they are very valuable. That is why there were many slave owners back in the day."Domestic animals and slaves is about the same they both lend us their physical efforts to satisfy the needs of existence." This quote shows us that some slaves were compared to animals. That shows that they were looked harsh upon. There were slaves all around the world. Some were treated differently than others. As Madison Penrose said, Slaves had the choice to keep their life or not. I agree with her on how that is a horrible decision to make. Non-slaves never had that huge choice brought upon them. That is a big thing that separated the two. Non-slaves were usually born into a well suited family with money while slaves were not. Non-slaves also had so much more freedom than the slaves and also less pressure too.
A slave is a property with a soul (Pg.29). A soul is the spiritual part of a human being. Throughout the video it shows how some slave owners take good care of there slaves in some parts of the world while others very bad in other parts. Most slave owners gave the choice between being a slave, or taking your own life, and committing suicide. In the slave perspective most look up to the owners as being very important while the owner thinks of them as nothing. Non slaves had much more freedom then slaves.
A slave is property with a soul meaning a person is to follow the rules of their master however still contain the emotions and affection of someone who is free. In Ancient Rome, if you were a slave there were different respects for people with education and strength. Slaves were put up to an auction where they would be priced and sold. There were only two types of people, people who ruled or people who were ruled. You were free or non-slaved based off of your family background. Slavery was a choice of consuming or killing yourself which was "honorable".
A slave, as was said by many people in this thread and in the reading, is property with a soul. To have a soul is to be human. So, a slave by deduction is an owned human, with thoughts and feelings of their own. To be a slave in the ancient world was to be the property of another, and to do their bidding util they are freed or die. Ancient slavery is much different from Transatlantic slavery, because it had nothing to do with race and slaves had much more rights. Some were highly respected and many were very close to their masters.
A slave is "property with a soul". I agree with Madison, to have a soul is to be human because you have the ability to reason and the capacity to feel emotions. The textbook definition of a slave is "property with a soul whose purpose is to do the bidding of one's master". However, slaves had varying roles in society. For example, "Humanity is Divided in Two" states that "...some slaves practiced as doctors or lawyers..." This shows that they were not just used for menial labor, but had other, and considered in today's society, respectable, jobs.
Slaves were separated from non-slaves by the fact that they had little to no rights. Slaves had no legal standing, they could not bear witness in a trial, and they could not accuse someone of doing wrong. Of course, there is the difference between statuses. I believe Aristotle's quote sums it up very well: "Humanity is divided into two: the master and the slaves...those who have the right to command; and those who are born to obey." In this case, it is usually the non-slaves who are the commanders, and the slaves are the ones being commanded. Non-slaves have freedom that slaves lack. While non-slaves do not necessarily live in luxury, some could likely live poverty, but they answer to nobody but themselves. Slaves are not allowed such luxury, they will answer to their masters, as the chances of being freed are very slim.
A slave is property with a soul. Ancient slaves were owned people with their own thoughts. To me ancient slaves were not treated as harshly and did jobs that some people do today, and get paid for. So I see ancient slaves as the working class of the ancient world. If you have a soul then you are human. All humans think independently. So even though you are "owned property" no one can own you thoughts or change how you truly think. I agree with everyone who said "slaves had the choice between being a slave or taking your own life. Although slavery is bad most of our word has been built on slavery and by slaves. For example the Egyptian pyramids.
As it says in the paper, a slave is a property with a soul. Soul = human. In the video, it says that you have a choice. Its either you want to be a slave or you dont want to be one and you had to kill yourself. But some slaves in Rome treated well and some slaves were also doctor, lawyer, etc. Slaves were basically like an object. They sell you by how educated you are. If you are highly educated then you have a higher price. Non Slave doesn't have to get through all of this thing. Usually, Non slaves are born into the wealthy nonslaves family.
A slave is as it says in the reading is compared to domestic animals but is property with a soul. With this said it was very hard to be a slave because you would have to do the will of other forcefully and if you refused to you will be punished or even killed. Many of these slaves refused to work for someone else so they either ran away and got captured or beheaded themselves with axes . The differences between a slave and a Non slave is that a slave did not have the right to chose if you wanted to be a slave you were forced . However, the non slaves did not chose have to chose if they wanted to be enslaved by being apart of a free family and a family that showed great power
A slave is a property with a soul, it has emotions and feelings. "It" can think for itself. A slave does the master's bidding. In the video, slaves with a good amount of knowledge were valued and bought for more money, some slaves lived well and some did not. But sometimes they are also treated as if they were animals (pg 28)who satisfy the need of living. Slaves were the building blocks of cities and empires, without them massive buildings and important structures would not have been built. A slave had a choice to accept their fate as a slave they had a choice to take their own life, while a non slave is someone who lives freely doing his or her own will.
Just as it said in the excerpt " Humanity is divided into two, those who command and those who were born to obey".
A slave, as it says in the reading, is a property with a soul (Page 29.) What Aristotle meant, in my opinion is that a human is a human no matter what. Humanity was separated into two groups: the free, and the enslaved. When you're a slave you're a masters property until you're freed. However, there are many types of slave. As showed in the video, slaves in Rome were treated fairly well, and their masters treated them okay. But it's not always like that. Slaves or people who were born into slavery were given two options: become a slave, or kill yourself. What separated slaves from non-slaves is if you choose to be a slave, or you're born into a powerful family, and you are a free person. A slave does not have an opinion on the life, they live. They simply have the choice whether to kill themselves, or become a slave.
In the reading, Humanity Is Divided into Two, it states, "A slave is property with a soul". Soul meaning, a human. A human being that you can do anything with. You can command it to do anything, and you are allowed to do this as a slave owner because the law says you can. Although, laws changed and you were no longer allowed to abuse your slaves for no reason. Still, many slaves receive poor treatment. A slave is not determined by race or ethnicity, but rather by social status. The slaves served a great purpose in the free peoples lives. From the video about ancient Roman slaves, it stated that without the underclass, there is no upper class. The people depended on slaves for their unpaid service. "Although, the law stated it, was slavery really supposed to practiced?" Was a slave rightfully placed?" These are some questions that were on my mind during the research and overlook of our essential question of "What is a slave". My questions were eventually partly answered. In the reading, Humanity Is Divided into Two, Plato's comtemporaries had an answer to my questions. They stated, "...slavery had no basis in the law of nature, since it derived from custom.
Slaves were divided by non-slaves by the freedoms they had. Obviously, a slave had little to no freedom. They had barely any rights, and usually no pay. It was either all the freedom and rights or basically nothing at all. Aristotle's big quote from our reading stated, "Humanity is divided into two: the masters and the slaves.". This is what separated slaves from non-slaves. Their freedom, and rights, were determined by the little thought of social status.
As discussed in part of class today, a slave is property with a soul whose purpose is the bidding of one's master. A slave is a human with emotion just like us but they get so much taken away from them. With Rome being such a diverse city, the population included many different cultures and races of people. There were two types of people which included the masters/rulers, and the people who were ruled. Something that caught my attention that was said in the video was, "without underclass there is no upper class." This is very true but in a way is sad because its like saying the people wouldn't be able to survive without slaves. Not all slaves did poor work, some practiced as doctors and lawyers. Slaves chose to become a slave. Some even killed themselves if the job couldn't be handled anymore. Slaves also had body slaves in which they stayed the slave 24/7. Slaves were bought or even rented and were treated like any object such as a table or chair.
A slave from the ancient period of time was something that someone owned. A slave had no rights back in the ancient and was considered property with a soul. Slaves were compared to animals and were said to have one purpose which was to fill peoples lives with service. Although they were considered slaves, they were treated quite nicely (this only being some slaves.) One had on his tombstone," born a slave, died a son." so they were considered family sometimes and even, rarely, set free by their masters. So what separates a slave from a non-slave is their rights. Non-slaves, even the poorest of the poor had rights and were given them but slaves were not. they were not considered people but non-slaves were. And the biggest reason why a slave is different from a non-slave is a non-slave has a choice in the matter. A slave is forced. Its like the word of a great man, your either commanding or commanded.
As the majority of the others stated, a slave is a "property with a soul." While slaves were technically owned by their masters, they were still human. Slaves had free will, but their free will was restricted by their masters. That was a big difference between a slave and non-slave: slaves had to do what they were told no matter what. However, in the Ancient World, slaves often formed bonds with their masters and could have jobs. Some slaves worked in fields and all of that stuff, but others were doctors and lawyers. For the most part, the only difference between slaves and non-slave was the ownership factor. Other than that, a slave's life was similar to a free citizen's.
A slave is a property with a soul. A human being with a soul. A slave is owned by their masters and the masters could do whatever they wanted or whenever they wanted to do to their slave. Some slaves were taken care of and some weren't. Some slaves would commit suicides because there was no other option, it would take them out their misery. A non-slave does more freedom than a slave does.
A slave is a property with a soul, a slave has emotion but they get pretty much most of their lives taken away from them. I wrote some things from the video that I thought were interesting like " you didn't become and slave. You either chose to be a slave or you killed yourself." Also, "once a slave, now a son" and the one that i liked the most is "you can make it". I liked that one the most because it showed that even when people were slaves they still believed they would make it even if they didn't.
What is a slave? A slave is a property with a soul and to have a soul is to be a human being. When you’re a slave your someone else’s property until you are freed. In some part of the world such as Rome, slaves are treated well and thought high of. And in other parts of the world being a slave is a horrible thing. You sometimes had two options when becoming a slave. One to be a slave or two to kill yourself and end it now. That’s a huge decision to make. My personal opinion would be if I had a choice that I would be a slave. I would work hard and hopefully work my way up to either be free or be a higher positioned slave. In slavery there are people who are the rulers or there are people who are ruled. Once a slave now a son. What separated slaves from non- slaves is that you choose to be a slave or you are born into a family of power and you are a free person if you are lucky. A non-slave doesn’t have to choose the life he or she wants to be a part of but a slave does. A non-slave can be free and does not have to be stuck in one place doing a single job and getting no money, a slave does Slaves can be used for anything. Like I said earlier there are higher positioned slaves. They can be doctors and lawyers and other jobs that are thought highly of. But slaves are often used mainly to do handy work.
A slave in the ancient world, as both the reading and many others have mentioned, was considered "property with a soul". To possess a soul means to be human, so even though they are (by legal status) considered as property able to be bought and sold they are still viewed by the free people as humans with the ability to think and reason. They are considered to be able to make their own choices; for instance, they could choose to commit suicide if they did not like being a slave (which was seen by society as an honorable act). This perspective of slaves that the people of the Ancient World had is what differentiated the definition of slaves from the Ancient World vs. African slaves from the Trans-Atlantic Trade.
Race was not a major factor in the separation of slaves and non-slaves. One big dividing line is the rights that they have. Slaves have more limitations than non-slaves of course: they are not able to make criminal charges, create a will, or bear witness in civil cases.
A slave is considered "a property with a soul", just as everyone said. Having a soul means that you are a human being, with the ability to reason and construct, which means that even slaves are considered humans. Slaves were supposed to the "bidding of one's master", but slaves then could also do such things like becoming a doctor or a lawyer. They were still considered property however, but sometimes the slaves were as close as family. Slaves could be very valuable depending on their skills.
Slaves and non-slaves were different in many ways, such as social status. Being a slave then was considered a social status, and it was different from the serfs, the peasants. Unlike the non-slaves, slaves lacked a choice or freedom. They were enslaved people that had to listen to orders from their masters, and also lacked most rights that non-slaves had, such as bearing witness in court. Aristotle once wrote that "Humanity is divided in two: the masters and the slaves", which also means humanity is made of those that rule, and those that are ruled. Slaves were owned, since they were considered property, but non-slaves still had free will to do as they liked. There was a chance that slaves lived a better life than non-slaves however, as non-slaves who lived in poverty had no help, but a slave lived life according to how his or her master allowed it to be. Some slaves were treated with respect and lived nicely. Some non-slaves lived in poverty, while others could live happily if they were lucky and had the means to do so.
From the "Humanity Is Divided into Two" reading Aristotle stated that "A slave is a property with a soul." I feel that slaves can be owned by people but still be their own person on the inside with their own thoughts and ideas. According to the Romans, slavery was a choice. Romans felt that slaves had a choice to stay slaves or kill themselves. I think this is the difference between slaves and non-slaves. Slaves had to make a decision whether or not they want to live life as a slave or end it. Non-slaves didn't have to make this hard to decision let alone think about it. Slaves were forced to live certain lives that they didn't want and non-slaves had free range to live any life they wanted.
In society there were two different kinds of people. The people who ruled and the people who were being ruled. You may look at this and think some were winners and others were losers. In this case the slaves were the losers. Being a slave wasn't terrible, you could be a slave that lives with your master and have a better life style than other slaves. Also if you were a slave with a skill, it put you on the higher end of the slave business. There were such thing as powerful slaves. In Rome, there consisted of other types of slaves like rental slaves and second hand slaves.
If you thought being a slave was that bad, there was always a way out...death. Slavery was not race based, it was really just a social status. In the video one of the actors said "They were just objects." These "objects" were actually humans. Having a soul=humanity.
A slave was not allowed to bare witness in a trial. They also could not accuse a crime, especially if the person was highly respected. A slave owner COULD NOT abuse a slave without cause or else the owner would lose the slave. One question I have is, would this be a chance for the slave to be free or would they go on to serving their next master?
Without slaves, cities would not exist. Without the underclass there would be no upperclass.
As stated in the reading, a slave is a property with a soul. Having a soul also could mean being human. Therefore, a slave is a human property. Slaves are people that are controlled and are forced to do what their owners tell them to do. The difference between a slave and a non-slave is that a non-slave is not "controlled" and is not forced to do what their owners tell them to do. They get to choose their own lives and make their own decisions, while slave have no say over this and must obey what their owner tells them to do. Also, a slave is subject to abuse and possibly murder. While a non-slave can also be subject to both, it is more likely for a slave to suffer from abuse and murder than for a non-slave to suffer.
As many people have already stated and according to our short reading of "Humanity is Divided in Two" I have come up with the definition of a slave as a property with a soul. Properties do not usually have souls because property is usually not a human. That is why the concept of being a slave is such a horrible one. Slavery is simply wrong. In the ancient world slaves had to go through appalling conditions. There were social classes of slaves, however, and some slaves had it better off than others. If you did not enjoy being a slave the only other option was to kill yourself. In the ancient world in particular what separated slaves from non-slaves was freedom. A non-slave was actually a person while a slave was considered just an object. I agree with most of what Madison Penrose said.
A slave is an object or a piece of property with a soul. It is a human because it does have a soul. Slaves are either treated really well, or really bad. They could be respected by their masters, or tied up outside and forced to do hard labor. A slave although did have a choice to stay as a slave. If they chose they didn't want to be a slave anymore they could kill themselves. Some slaves were sometimes set free by their masters. A slave also didn't have many rights. They were not able to speak as a witness of a crime and the couldn't accuse others of a crime. On the other hand slave had a high value. They were sold and worth a lot no matter where they were from.
What separated a slave from a non-slave was that a non-slave could live under a free will and had the freedom to be and do what they want. Non-slaves also did not have to listen to any ones orders but their own. A slave was either born in to a family of slaves or are some sort of a captive. They had no class system and had to follow everything their masters told them to do.
"A slave is a property with a soul".A soul being a human, even though you may be owned by another human being. "The use of domestic animals and slaves is about the same". This shows me that the value of human beings was not equal if a slave could be compared to the use of domestic animals. "Slaves were like buying a car".Higher educated slaves were priced higher than others. Slavery was a decision but the only option of of it was death.Slaves were not determined by race or ethnicity but by their social status. Although slaves were placed at the bottom of any type of social status they played a huge role in the lives of their masters and the free peoples."Their were two types of people, people who ruled and people who were ruled".In most cases it seems like it is the non-slaves who rule and the slaves who are ruled.Non-slaves have freedom but slaves are the property of another being.Usually non-slaves are born into a family of wealthier people who are already non-slaves.
As it has been popularly stated, I believe a slave is “property with a soul.” Having a soul expresses the humanity of slaves. In essence, to have a soul means to be human, having emotions and thought. When it pertains to slaves, they are slaves, but they are not free men and women like other members of society. They are seen as property and are treated accordingly. The treatment of slaves in different ancient cultures differed drastically. In Rome for instance, you could be treated well and with respect. Your masters could develop affection for you like any other human being. “Born a slave, died a son.” In other places, you were given two options: live a slave or die free. However demeaning their lifestyle was as a slave, as Elizabeth stated, they could have respectable jobs in society. “…Some slaves practiced as doctors or lawyers…”
Slaves and non-slaves had one largely obvious difference in their freedom, or lack thereof. There were many more differences though, separating the two further. Slaves had no legal standing, and that made society’s viewpoint obvious. No matter how well they were treated, a slave was still a slave. Nothing changed that. Looking at slaves and non-slaves in a social standing there is another apparent difference: slaves were always the bottom of the social standing. If you weren’t a slave, you had the chance to move up in society and gain a higher standing. Slaves and non-slaves shared the earth from two completely different mindsets. One from, compared to the other, a substantially better vantage.
I believe a slave is "a property with a soul." Slaves have lack of rights but however, are very valuable. You can put your slave to work in any way you want. I agree with Caytlen using the quote "Domestic animals and slaves is about the same they lend us their physical efforts to satisfy the needs of existence" and how they were treated harshly and compared to animals. Non-slaves on the other hand had a lot more advantages. Their family usually had money. Non-slaves had less pressure in the work they had to do. Non-slaves overall had a lot more freedom then slaves did.
Based on the Hugh Thomas reading, "Humanity Is Divided into Two," slaves in antiquity were most often seen as as "property with a soul." Slaves in the ancient world were human, they had a soul. Their role in society may have been as a slave, but this did not determine whether they were a human being. In the ancient world, slaves were entitled to having some personal rights. This is one example that proves the role of slaves in society. Slaves were valuable. They were usually assigned based on their skill set. The reading discusses how many slaves were doctors and lawyers. In some ways, slaves were just another social class, but with modifications. For example, slaves were not allowed to make criminal charges, create a will, or bear witness in civil cases. During presentations in class, Maddison Stone's group pointed out an interesting idea that really stood out to me: "The unimportant are still important." This idea is more evidence that again emphasizes the importance of slaves in society. Slaves were natural, and slavery was naturally a part of society.
"Humanity is divided into two: the masters and the slaves...those who have the right to command; and those who are born to obey." This quote differentiates a slave and a non-slave in antiquity. The institution of slavery has obviously changed over time; in the ancient world, race did not matter. A slave was a slave. The comparison between Trans-Atlantic slavery and Ancient slavery supports that slavery can change. The idea of people commanding others will always exist, however, there are just different ways of approaching the meaning and establishment of slavery.
Based on the reading, I believe that a slave is a property with a soul. "Humanity is divided into two: the master and the slaves...those who have the right to command; and those who are born to obey."-Aristotle. In the Ancient World, there were several tasks for slaves. These slaves also had very different lives. For example, "...rural and urban domestic slaves lived different lives; a man working in a gang in the fields had a different life from one in a workshop in the city; some slaves practiced as doctors or lawyers..." Rights and freedom are what separated slaves from the non-slaves. Slaves lacked rights. Like Madison Penrose said, "A non-slave doesn't have to choose the life he or she wants to be in, but a slave does."
A slave, as defined by the ancient world, "is property with a soul" (p.28). In a general sense, property is something that can be bought or sold and is often a necessity. This definition is applied to slaves. However, the sad and poor people we often think of working on the fields or in mines are a small part of what it means to be a slave. Some slaves or some of the enslaved, especially in the times of Ancient Rome, had the opportunity to be doctors, noblemen, shepherds and lawyers. And in the Old Muslim World, there was a whole caste of slaves who worked in the military called Malmud.
Then, "The Slave Trade" by Hugh Thomas explains that for a long time race was a non-factor when it came to legal statuses with, "...in the sixth century B.C., the Romans were unprejudiced on grounds of race: they were quite insensible as to whether someone with black skin was superior to someone with white, or vice versa." (p. 27)
But, the limitations that came with being a slave were very apparent. Unlike the free men, slaves were not able to vote, bear witness in trial or to accuse others of a crime, despite the fact that "a Roman slave could...be punished for crimes [because]...the law envisaged the idea of a slave as a person..." (p. 28)
From a sociological standpoint, slaves made the world go 'round. They were a necessity because they made up a task force that did work whether forced or not. However, the quote "First a slave, then a son" summarizes the fact that at times, the line that separated freemen from slaves was thinner than one might think. I think that some of the warm, fuzzy feelings that allowed slaves some freedoms included the fact that slaves were a big part of their master's lifestyle. In ancient times, it seems that it was much harder to own a slave and not have any idea of who they were or how helpful they were to you as a person and not just as a tool.
A slave is a property with a soul (Page 29). When you have soul you are considered to be a human being. In the video it showed that slaves had a choice to either become a slave or take their life. This shows that slaves had a few rights and had some type of respect for being a human. Meanwhile, during slavery, the slaves were divided in a way similar to social classes. Some slaves were treated better than others. Depending on what type of education backgrounds they had determined what job you had as a slave. Your job as a slave determines the type of relationship you would have with your master and how well you would be treated. I would consider the slaves who worked close with the masters to be considered "non-slaves" because of how well they're being treated. They were being treated as if they were a free man.
A slave is a soul under control, and the whole idea for humans is to not be controlled. That must have messed up the minds of slaves, having no freedom to make decisions, to be under the orders of your owner. The idea of "property with a soul" gives owners the right to do anything they want to that slave. What it means to be property is that a soul or a living thing belongs to you and they can do nothing about it. In the same way that our shoes or a video game are our property, a slave is something that was owned. Owning a slave was like owning a dog. Depending on how you feel you could treat that slave any way you wanted. Slaves on a Southern plantation were almost robots. Black people were considered not human in the South. Southern slaves were considered objects. Roman slaves were different. They were considered more like people. Roman slaves were not only black, there were many different kinds of slaves from different races. In the South, owners did not see slaves as human so they were never set free. In Rome, they were sometimes set free because they were considered human. The act of buying a slave is very barbaric. It doesn't respect human rights. In the end, it doesn't work for any one in any way.
I think the slave can be defined as a person who is forced to serve another person for no pay. They often are not treated like humans and have little to no rights. Aristotle said that, "a slave is property with the soul". He's basically saying that a slave is indeed someone's property but they also people and should be treated as such. African slaves that were brought to the Americas were not treated like people.
Slavery in the Ancient world, however, was much different. Some slaves are respected and even loved by their masters. Even though they had a little amount of rights, they were extremely valuable to there masters. In the Ancient world slaves were actually thought of as people with souls. It was illegal to harm slaves in any way, ".....if a master were to treat a slave badly he had to sell him." The relationship between slaves and non-slaves in the Ancient world was a little complex. Slaves were not treated like dirt and, for the most part, were well taken care of, however, there was a fine line that divided the two groups. In the Ancient world, non-slaves had every right and privilege available, slaves could not bear witness in a trial or accuse anyone of the crime. Aristotle once said, "Humanity is divided into two: the masters and the slaves.......those who have the right to command; and those who are born to obey."
a slave , as i read in the reading that it a property with a soul. there are different types of slave. most of the them work on are farms. some of them are queen and king and stay in a house and give order. in one of the videos i watch , its says that we don't make you a slave , you chose to be a slave, either you a slave or you simple just kill yourself.
A slave is really a person with a soul who belongs to another human being. In order to have a soul is to be human. Masters of slaves believe that the slaves are born to be what they are, and the only option out is death. Slaves were very important in the ancient civilizations because without them, who else would've finished developing famous world monuments? And plus, slaves are the backbone to the majority of famous civilizations origins.
According to the reading, a slave is a property with a soul. Slaves can be the property of others, but they are still humans. I agree with Caytlen when she said "Domestic animals and slaves is about the same they both lend us their physical efforts to satisfy the needs of existence." because this quote shows that slaves were considered to be equivalent to animals.Even though they were treated as animals, they still had there own thoughts and ideas which make them human. There were many different types of slaves. They varied from mine workers, and maids, to lawyers, doctors, shepherds, and noblemen. Therefore, some slaves lived extremely poor lives and others lived educated and wealthy lives. However, you did not have to be a slave if you did not want to be. Instead of being the property of others, there was always the option of killing yourself. Its easy to say but if you were put in that situation it would be a very difficult decision. In addition, slaves were forced to live certain lives that they didn't want or choose. In contrast, non-slaves were able to choose what kind of life they wanted to live.
A slave, as previously stated by many if not all of my classmates, is "Property with a soul." They are simply people who are owned by other people. The thing that makes them different from domesticated animals is the fact that slaves still retain their free will. A slave always has the option of committing suicide if they found death a more pleasurable prospect than spending their life serving other humans. Slaves’ humanity though, at least in ancient times, was never put into question.
In the notes I took on the posters, I came across an interesting statement which is that "Slavery is a legal status." A slave’s position in society is the only thing which separates them from non-slaves. "First a slave and then a son" comes to mind when I think about how a slave could exist in society as a beloved member just as any other civilian could.
A slave can be many things. A slave can hold may jobs, or can be treated many ways. There are so many types of slaves as well. In some cases a slave was nothing other than property. They were nothing more than an object that had to do whatever was told of them. In other cases a slave could be something more. A slave could be a person who you could have around to give you oppinions on things, listen to you talk, or give you advise. A slave could serve many purposes in a hosehold but it is clear that many thing would not be able to function without a slave which is why all in all a slave was very important during the ancient world.
The two biggest elements in slavery is life or death. In Rome's case it is the choice of death or a slower death as a slave. A slave by basic definition is a property with a soul. When you have a soul, it means you're living so a slave is an object that is alive, can breathe, and have the ability of reasoning. Most problems with slaves is that they can't speak their minds. A non-slave is an individual with freedom and a higher social class than slaves. I think social class was determined even deeper by ancient societies that passed on from generation to generation, meaning you are either born a slave or born a wealthy, free man. It is all determined by family blood. The Romans sometimes were very fond of their slaves and rarely were treated with respect or with wealth, most cases they would live with poor conditions and be branded a slave everywhere. slaves with knowlege were highly respected as lawyers, doctors, and other professions; but they are still branded a slave.
There are several views as to what a exactly a slave is. In Ancient Rome a slave was considered an object. However, according to Aristotle, "a slave is property with a soul". I think this is a more accurate definition. Having a soul means you have the ability to reason and the quality of being human. Even though slaves were meant to do what their masters wanted, they are still people, not objects. In the Ancient World slavery did not just apply to a certain group of people, like it did in the Atlantic Slave Trade. Enslaved peoples in this time were very diverse, having different religions, cultures, and ethnicities. Unlike later slave trade, race was not as big a factor. During this time a slave wasn't considered a person of a specific race or ethnicity; there were various possibilities as to who an enslaved person could be.
Aristotle believed that "Humanity is divided into two: the masters and the slaves". In society, there would always be those who rule and those who are ruled. However, in the Ancient World there was less of a distinction between enslaved and free peoples. Slaves in this time were not completely powerless. Though they lacked several rights, they were considered extremely valuable. They had a free will to a degree and had the chance to live a decent life. For example, if masters treated there slaves poorly it was thought they should lose their "property". Slaves always had hope for freedom. Also, a lot of slaves actually faced good conditions. If a slave was educated, they had a higher position. In Rome, some slaves were lawyers and doctors. Some were even close to their masters, which is supported by the quote, "first a slave, then a son". In conclusion, "The distinction between master and slave exists only by law.." (Aristotle), which corresponds to the lack of rights for enslaved people. Other than that distinction, it wasn't as clear who the slaves were in the Ancient World as it was in later times.
Based on the reading, I can conclude that a slave is a human who is only limited in his or her status by law. In the excerpt from "The Slave Trade" by Hugh Thomas, it was mentioned that Aristotle had said that "A slave is property with a soul." I agree with the other students who had said that this quote also supports the idea of having a soul to be a human trait. Stoic philosophy and Christianity also supported the idea of slaves being human when they innovated the idea that "...if a master were to treat a slave badly, he had to sell him." This shows that slaves did have the rights to be treated properly and not just as tools to be abused. Slaves also had the right to choose. Whether or not they wanted to remain a slave depends on whether or not they killed themselves (which was not considered a negative thing).
The only thing that I can see that separates the slaves from the free would be the law. Slavery was just an idea that was established by society and enforced by human creation. The Sophists had come to that conclusion as they had believed that "slavery had no basis in the law of nature, since it derived from custom."
When we analyze the ancient world the idea of a slave is interesting. "A slave is property with a soul"(pg. 29). Having a soul makes you human and is very specific. Based off this we can see that a slave is still a person. Contrary to most beliefs that a slave was not a person in the ancient world we see that slaves are still people in the ancient world. In the video we see a slave's tombstone labeled, "First a slave, then a son." This tells me that in ancient rome and Greece slaves were loved in some cases and valued for more than just money. Slaves over time could become part of the family over time. We cannot say slaves had no rights or wills in the ancient world as they did. Even though it was harsh slaves had the choice to die or live a slave, and were not always subjected to total mistreatment like we might think. The idea of a slave in the trans-Atlantic slave is very different from those in the ancient world. "Humanity is divided into two: the master and the slaves...those who have the right to command; and those who are born to obey."-Aristotle. This quote gives an idea of the exact difference between slaves, and non-slaves. So based on this exerept and what we analyzed I have an idea of what a slave is and how a slave in the ancient world can be compared to a trans-Atlantic slave based on what I've read so far and how this will help us understand what a slave is.
A slave, like the reading states, is "property with a soul". This basically means that a slave is owned by someone else but is still able to have their own thoughts without the freedom of voicing them. In the documentary slaves were being treated fairly well but they are not treated as nice in other areas of the world. In the ancient world, slaves could be doctors, lawyers, etc. They were looked up to because they were of high importance. However, slaves were separated from non-slaves because of the little rights they had. As I said, slaves were allowed to have their own opinions and thoughts but did not have the right to voice them or act upon them. Non-slaves, of course, did have that right. They were not owned by anyone but themselves and had the freedom to do as they pleased. Also, in some cases, if you were chosen to be a slave and you wanted to decline, you would either have to suck it up or kill yourself!
After reading "The Slave Trade" by Hugh Thomas. I can conclude that a slave is a property with a soul. The idea of a slave was a little difficult for me to understand at first. Even though slaves are considered human they still belong to someone else which makes them an object. The role of a slave is to please his/her master. At first I didn't know how a human being, which is suppose to be an unimportant object, can be a building block of society. I use that term because slavery basicly ran society in the ancient world. Non slaves were not necessarily rich slave owners either. Surfs are very poor but are still free. Its also very important to note that slaves were not mistreated by their masters. The relationship between the slave and the master can actually be quite pleasant. "Born a slave died a son" is a quote that explains that concept.
Based on the information given, I'd say a slave is considered to be a human with less rights (especially women). A slave is said to be a "property with a soul". This is different because this allows the slave to become close to his master. In African American slavery, a slave was just a slave, but here, a slave could become a son! Slaves are almost similar to pets, in the sense that they aren't on the same level as the master. However, they can become a part of the family. The life of a slave here is far from good, but it could definitely be a lot worse.
a slave, as it was quoted " the use of domestic animals and slaves is about the same;they both lend us their physical efforts to satisfy the need of existence." as i read the article it shows that they really need slaves or the whole society wouldn't really be exist on its own. but the way they stated stated that slaves are the same as domestic animals is harsh, the fact that we have a soul and animals don't that already proven that we are viewed as low people and doesn't have value in ourselves. but not all slaves had a hard life, some were actually head slaves, which means they can choose the next slaves to work for the masters or mistress. But other had a unfortunate life.
a slave, as it was quoted " the use of domestic animals and slaves is about the same;they both lend us their physical efforts to satisfy the need of existence." as i read the article it shows that they really need slaves or the whole society wouldn't really be exist on its own. but the way they stated stated that slaves are the same as domestic animals is harsh, the fact that we have a soul and animals don't that already proven that we are viewed as low people and doesn't have value in ourselves. but not all slaves had a hard life, some were actually head slaves, which means they can choose the next slaves to work for the masters or mistress. But other had a unfortunate life.
Based on what I read ans saw in the video the definition of a slave in the ancient world was a human that lives under total obedience to their master or masters, considered objects of their will.In the passage the many quotes like the "humanity is divide into two...".Also a slave in the ancient world can be any race or skin color and slave owners can be any race or skin color;which shows their was no mass discrimination on one group of people . What separate slaves from non-slaves is the basic mentally of serving some one else cause they were given a way out through death. Also the difference that slaves were consider human object that were sold bought and used for their abilities.
a slave, like many people said, is property with a soul. slaves in the ancient world weren't slaves as we know them today. they were actual people just with a limited amount of freedom. some were given what we would call "a raise". if you was a door slave in Greece, you upgraded to the hairs personal servant; and they wasn't treated as servants like we know. they were almost as close friends (if some weren't considered that already). a slave has a life to choose from, a non-slave didn't. either born free or you were given 2 choices. 1: be a slave and possibly earn your freedom. 2: kill yourself and doesn't have to worry about being a slave.
Consider the dehumanizing impact of being little more than property, an object bereft of history or familial connections. This is a key ingredient in the Seasoning process.
A slave is a property with a soul. To have a soul is to be a human being, and you're someone else's property until you are freed. What separated slaves from non-slaves is that you choose to be a slave, or you're born into a family of power and you are a free person while a non slave has a sense of freedom. Some were treated differently than others. As Madison Penrose and Caytlen Lamaj said, Slaves had the choice to keep their life or not. Just as it said in the excerpt " Humanity is divided into two, those who command and those who were born to obey".
A slave is a property with a soul. There are different types of slaves. Some were treated differently than others. Ancient slavery is much different from Transatlantic slavery, Race was not a major factor in the separation of slaves and non-slaves. There were social classes of slaves, however, and some slaves had it better off than others. slaves with knowledge were highly respected as lawyers, doctors, and other professions; but they are still branded a slave. Also the difference that slaves were consider human object that were sold bought and used for their abilities. Humanity is divided into two, those who command and those who were born to obey
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