Not many people realise that one of the oldest and most enduring\neconomic engines in human history was slavery. This is evidenced by the\nsuccess of the slave system, which was an essential part of the economic\nlife of one of the largest and oldest empires in history, the Roman\nEmpire.<\/p>\n
In her writing for National Geographic, historian Emma Southon\nreveals that slavery was not merely a small part of the economy of the\nempire that had existed since 27 BC. The labour of enslaved people\nactually supported almost every aspect of society, ranging from domestic\nwork, agriculture, and mining to construction and the imperial\nbureaucracy.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was not just a part of the Roman economy; it was the Roman\neconomy,\u201d Southon wrote.<\/p>\n
This practice expanded alongside Rome\u2019s territorial growth. Every\nconquest of new territory meant an increase in the number of people who\ncould be enslaved. Populations from conquered cities were gathered and\nsold to traders who followed the Roman armies.<\/p>\n
During the conquest of Gaul, for example, Julius Caesar even claimed\nto have enslaved approximately one million people. At certain periods,\nit is estimated that around 30% of the population of the Roman Empire\nconsisted of enslaved individuals.<\/p>\n
Their labour was subsequently used to build and maintain the grandeur\nof Rome. Millions of bricks and tiles were produced manually. Marble was\nmined in various regions and transported across the Mediterranean Sea to\nconstruct temples, forums, amphitheatres, and elite buildings.<\/p>\n
Less visible tasks were also performed by the enslaved. Around 700\nenslaved individuals were tasked with maintaining Rome\u2019s aqueducts and\nfountains. Others worked as temple attendants, document scribes,\nbureaucratic officials, miners, and domestic servants.<\/p>\n
Even domestic life was inseparable from this system. Roman elite\nhouseholds could possess hundreds of enslaved people to manage the\nvarious needs of their owners. Beyond the elite classes, ordinary\nfamilies could also possess one or two enslaved individuals to assist\nwith daily chores.<\/p>\n
However, their lives were overshadowed by violence. The physician\nGalen noted seeing enslaved people attacked with pens and swords,\nresulting in broken bones and eye injuries. In 319 AD, Emperor\nConstantine even issued a regulation prohibiting owners from killing\ntheir slaves.<\/p>\n
Southon describes being enslaved as meaning the loss of identity\nalongside the facing of potential violence from one\u2019s owner. Ultimately,\nonly a small fraction managed to obtain freedom. Even in a Carthaginian\nimperial burial site containing approximately 1,300 people, two-thirds\ndied while still in slavery.<\/p>\n
In Indonesia, slavery was used during several historical periods.\nHowever, similar to the rest of the world, slavery has since been\nprohibited.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/the-worlds-oldest-economic-engine-proven-to-make-nations-wealthy-1790585778", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }