Slave markets – as shown in this engraving – were a staple of most Roman towns
ALAMY X2, GETTY IMAGES X1
The Roman Empire was hugely dependent on forced labour. It was a key foundation on which Rome’s power, wealth and influence was built. A great many slaves were set to work in menial and manual jobs – including agriculture, mining and construction. As historian Philip Matyszak explains, these types of jobs could be particularly brutal. “Being sent to the mines was a drawn-out death sentence,” he says “They worked in very dangerous, very unhealthy conditions lit by oil lamps, constantly breathing in fumes. They worked in a state of acute misery.” Unfortunately, those working above ground in agriculture fared little better. “They were treated by the farmers as part of the livestock; offered as much compassion as was given to the cattle, the sheep and the goats.”
Slaves who farmed produce, like the wares at this fruit market, were treated terribly