CLST 376 - Slavery and Society in Ancient Rome

Institution:

University of Pennsylvania

Subject:

Description:

Distribution Course in Hist & Tradition. Class of 2009 & prior only. Staff. This class examines the phenomenon of slavery in Roman society. A careful reading of primary sources, including many inscriptions dealing with the life and death of slaves will be combined with modern critical readings in order to explore the institution of slavery and to increase our understanding of slavery to both the Roman economy and Roman society. We will try to determine where the slaves came from, how guaranteeing a slave supply affected Roman policies abroad, and how slaves reached the markets of Rome, Delos and North Africa. We will also look at the relationship between slaves and masters in the Roman household. What tasks did they perform, what treatment could they expect, and how did the presence of a significant portion of the population in servitude affect the social relations governing Roman society. We will also examine the position of slaves in Roman law and examine changing attitudes towards the rights of slaves. Finally, using slave narratives from the antebellum south, we will explore the possibility of reconstructing the slave experience in Roman society.

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.upenn.edu

Phone Number:

(215) 898-5000

Regional Accreditation:

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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