Greek and Roman Slavery (Routledge Sourcebooks for the Ancient World)

Evidence for the study of slavery can be challenging to find since slavery was such a common part of the ancient Greek and Roman worlds that it can be casually part of any literature yet also so mundane that details are sadly difficult to grasp. Even if you don't need a translation of the ancient texts, such reference books can give you information about where to find further information.If you are teaching undergraduates or even graduate students who may not have the language skills to read in the original texts this book is a good addition to other sources books all ready on the topic or related topics. Reading original material related to slavery helps bridge the gap between pop culture understanding, New World incarnations, and ideas that students come to class with.I found that Wiedemann offered a lot of new material so it works as a good additional book even if I might translate a few things differently myself. It has earned a well-respected place in my academic home library.

Interesting read. My main walk away was, Slaves are controllable if their master gives them hope of freedom.

One of the great misnomers of contemporary Christianity is that slavery in the ancient world was somehow "better" than US chattel slavery. This book not only proves this myth to be false, but gives wonderful, clear examples of the brutality of Roman slavery.

This collection of primary source passages would be immensely approved if Wiedemann had endeavored to separate passages on Greek slavery from passages on Roman slavery. Roman, Greek, Egyptian, Assyrian, Persia: each major imperial power had its own system of slavery. It seems naive to mix together these two as though they were identical.Beyond that very pressing problem, this is a useful tool for primary source research on slavery in Greece and Rome. The translations look fine, often include glosses of Greek and Latin terms, are are grouped into important themes.

superbly written!