Gregory Aldrete

And the odd thing is in the city of Rome, many of the worst jobs – so if you're just a laborer hauling crap around at the docks or things like that, you might well be a free person and a slave would hold a skilled job. And that seems a little strange or counterintuitive to us, but you see how in the Roman economy it sort of works.

And the odd thing is in the city of Rome, many of the worst jobs – so if you're just a laborer hauling crap around at the docks or things like that, you might well be a free person and a slave would hold a skilled job. And that seems a little strange or counterintuitive to us, but you see how in the Roman economy it sort of works.

There's a big debate. How many slaves were there? What percentage of the populace, let's say, in the city of Rome were slaves? This is something historians like to argue about a lot. We keep coming back to this theme of sometimes it's the little things that illustrate stuff well. For slaves, the one that always gets me

There's a big debate. How many slaves were there? What percentage of the populace, let's say, in the city of Rome were slaves? This is something historians like to argue about a lot. We keep coming back to this theme of sometimes it's the little things that illustrate stuff well. For slaves, the one that always gets me

There's a big debate. How many slaves were there? What percentage of the populace, let's say, in the city of Rome were slaves? This is something historians like to argue about a lot. We keep coming back to this theme of sometimes it's the little things that illustrate stuff well. For slaves, the one that always gets me

is some slaves, and these would be sort of the more abused slaves, they would literally put little bronze collars on them with a tag that said, hi, my name is Felix. I'm the slave of so-and-so. I've run away. If you catch me, return me to the temple of so-and-so and you'll get a reward. So it's a dog tag, right? Except this is a human being. And you can see these in museums.

is some slaves, and these would be sort of the more abused slaves, they would literally put little bronze collars on them with a tag that said, hi, my name is Felix. I'm the slave of so-and-so. I've run away. If you catch me, return me to the temple of so-and-so and you'll get a reward. So it's a dog tag, right? Except this is a human being. And you can see these in museums.

is some slaves, and these would be sort of the more abused slaves, they would literally put little bronze collars on them with a tag that said, hi, my name is Felix. I'm the slave of so-and-so. I've run away. If you catch me, return me to the temple of so-and-so and you'll get a reward. So it's a dog tag, right? Except this is a human being. And you can see these in museums.

I mean, you can go to a museum today and see this little bronze collar with a tag on it That's talking about a human being as if they're this kind of animal that's run away. And this is very telling too. We're talking about Roman law. Under Roman law, technically, when a slave runs away, the crime that he's committing is theft because he's stolen himself from his master.

I mean, you can go to a museum today and see this little bronze collar with a tag on it That's talking about a human being as if they're this kind of animal that's run away. And this is very telling too. We're talking about Roman law. Under Roman law, technically, when a slave runs away, the crime that he's committing is theft because he's stolen himself from his master.

I mean, you can go to a museum today and see this little bronze collar with a tag on it That's talking about a human being as if they're this kind of animal that's run away. And this is very telling too. We're talking about Roman law. Under Roman law, technically, when a slave runs away, the crime that he's committing is theft because he's stolen himself from his master.

So again, it's this very dehumanizing view of it.

So again, it's this very dehumanizing view of it.

So again, it's this very dehumanizing view of it.

I mean, just to build on that, I'd say the othering of others is a morally corrosive thing to do.

I mean, just to build on that, I'd say the othering of others is a morally corrosive thing to do.

I mean, just to build on that, I'd say the othering of others is a morally corrosive thing to do.

Oh, boy. Okay, so... The Roman Republic, on the one hand, is incredibly successful, right? In a short period of time, it's expanded wildly, it's conquered the Mediterranean world, it's gained tons of wealth. The contradiction here is that Rome's very success has made almost every group within Roman society deeply unhappy and boiling with resentment. This is the contradiction.

Oh, boy. Okay, so... The Roman Republic, on the one hand, is incredibly successful, right? In a short period of time, it's expanded wildly, it's conquered the Mediterranean world, it's gained tons of wealth. The contradiction here is that Rome's very success has made almost every group within Roman society deeply unhappy and boiling with resentment. This is the contradiction.

Oh, boy. Okay, so... The Roman Republic, on the one hand, is incredibly successful, right? In a short period of time, it's expanded wildly, it's conquered the Mediterranean world, it's gained tons of wealth. The contradiction here is that Rome's very success has made almost every group within Roman society deeply unhappy and boiling with resentment. This is the contradiction.