The World's Oldest Economic Engine, Proven to Make Nations Wealthy

Not many people realise that one of the oldest and most enduring economic engines in human history was slavery. This is evidenced by the success of the slave system, which was an essential part of the economic life of one of the largest and oldest empires in history, the Roman Empire.

In her writing for National Geographic, historian Emma Southon reveals that slavery was not merely a small part of the economy of the empire that had existed since 27 BC. The labour of enslaved people actually supported almost every aspect of society, ranging from domestic work, agriculture, and mining to construction and the imperial bureaucracy.

“It was not just a part of the Roman economy; it was the Roman economy,” Southon wrote.

This practice expanded alongside Rome’s territorial growth. Every conquest of new territory meant an increase in the number of people who could be enslaved. Populations from conquered cities were gathered and sold to traders who followed the Roman armies.

During the conquest of Gaul, for example, Julius Caesar even claimed to have enslaved approximately one million people. At certain periods, it is estimated that around 30% of the population of the Roman Empire consisted of enslaved individuals.

Their labour was subsequently used to build and maintain the grandeur of Rome. Millions of bricks and tiles were produced manually. Marble was mined in various regions and transported across the Mediterranean Sea to construct temples, forums, amphitheatres, and elite buildings.

Less visible tasks were also performed by the enslaved. Around 700 enslaved individuals were tasked with maintaining Rome’s aqueducts and fountains. Others worked as temple attendants, document scribes, bureaucratic officials, miners, and domestic servants.

Even domestic life was inseparable from this system. Roman elite households could possess hundreds of enslaved people to manage the various needs of their owners. Beyond the elite classes, ordinary families could also possess one or two enslaved individuals to assist with daily chores.

However, their lives were overshadowed by violence. The physician Galen noted seeing enslaved people attacked with pens and swords, resulting in broken bones and eye injuries. In 319 AD, Emperor Constantine even issued a regulation prohibiting owners from killing their slaves.

Southon describes being enslaved as meaning the loss of identity alongside the facing of potential violence from one’s owner. Ultimately, only a small fraction managed to obtain freedom. Even in a Carthaginian imperial burial site containing approximately 1,300 people, two-thirds died while still in slavery.

In Indonesia, slavery was used during several historical periods. However, similar to the rest of the world, slavery has since been prohibited.