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The nationality of slaves under the early Roman Empire

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 September 2012

Mary L. Gordon
Mary L. Gordon
Affiliation:
Assistant Lecturer in Classics, University College, Exeter.
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Extract

The Roman master who visited the slave-market to buy a new slave had little difficulty in solving the important question of nationality. He could read the label attached to each man, on which name and origin were recorded, or listen to the crier who announced the nationality of every slave in turn, as the law required; and if he feared the ‘tricks of the trade,’ which were innumerable, he could observe for himself whether the appearance and speech of the slave chosen corresponded to the place of origin ascribed to him. Our difficulties in approaching the same problem are much more formidable. A very large number of Roman slaves and freedmen are known to us by name, but of these only a small minority come to us with labels attached in the form of an explicit statement of origin; and though these ‘labelled’ examples have been collected, and form a body of evidence which is not without interest and value, they are too accidental and isolated, and too widely diffused chronologically and otherwise, to bear the weight of very far-reaching conclusions. Are there then any other indications which may throw light upon servile nationality, and help us towards a more vivid and accurate picture of the slave population of the Roman empire?

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Roman Studies , Volume 14 , Issue 1-2 , November 1924 , pp. 93 - 111
Copyright
Copyright ©Mary L. Gordon 1924. Exclusive Licence to Publish: The Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies

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References

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page 93 note 2 Wallon, , Histoire de l'esclavage, Bk. ii, ch. 2, p. 38Google Scholar.

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page 94 note 2 Strabo, xi, 495-6.

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page 94 note 4 Homolle, , Les Romains à Délos,’ Bull, de corr. bellén. viii (1884), p. 75CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

page 95 note 1 Speck, vol. III, ch. i, §606.

page 95 note 2 Cicero, ad Att. iv, 16Google Scholar.

page 95 note 3 Bang, , Röm. Mitth. xxvii (1912), 189 ffGoogle Scholar.

page 95 note 4 Juvenal, iii, 60-85.

page 96 note 1 Oxé, , ‘Zur älteren Nomenklatur der römischen Sklaven,’ Rhein. Mus. 1904, p. 108Google Scholar.

page 96 note 2 C.I.L. viii, Suppl. i, p. 1301; cf. iv, p.2479.

page 96 note 3 Cicero, pro Milone, xxii, 60Google Scholar; C.I.L. i, 728, 737, 1032, 1068; ii, 4970, 440; iv, 1847; vi, 6514, 4632; xi, 6700, 597; xv, 5651-5663. Cf. Rufa: C.I.L. i, 1034, 1094, 1102, 1242, 1260; vi, 3927; ix 3527.

page 96 note 4 Flavus: C.I.L. vi, 14023; xii, 5686, 364. Fuscus: vi, 4276, 4716, 13911 5 viii, 12748, Fusca: 13112, 13042.

page 97 note 1 Bassus: C.I.L. vi, 4337, 4338, 4342, 13552, 13526. Bassa: 4067, 13529. The Bassi were a tribe in Belgium. Cf. however also Dessau 2196, P. Ael. Basso nat. Bessus.

page 97 note 2 Menophilus: C.I.L. i, 623, 1067, 1068, 8070; vi, 13754. 3939, 4356, 4356, 4228; xi, 6700, 453. Tyrannus: vi, 13807, 13908, 14203, 3985, 4012, 4423. Cicero, ad Att. iv, 8Google Scholar, Tyrannio.

page 97 note 3 C.I.L. i, 1028, 1032, 1041, 1102, 1129; vi, 3930, 14176. Cicero, ad Q. fratr. iii, 1, 5Google Scholar.

page 97 note 4 Cf. C.I.L. x, 6261 (fanum Fortunae), Fortunia Fortunata.

page 98 note 1 Antiochus: Cicero, Pro Caecina, viii, 22Google Scholar; Pro Flacco, xxxvi, 89; C.I.L. i, 571, 602, 725, 815, 1095, 1131, 1156, 1477. Seleucus: i, 1065, 1483; vi, 12752. Antigonus: vi, 4079, 4171, 4328. Philotaerus: i, 570; vi, 13592. Pbiladelphus: vi, 3971, 4012.

page 98 note 2 Nicknames: cf. Donat. ad Ter. And. i, 3, 21Google Scholar, ‘Lesbia, velut ebriosa’; sunburnt girl nicknamed Σύρα, Theocr. x, 26. A free Greek might receive the name Σκύθης from his red hair or snub nose. Occupations: Germanus, guardsman; Numida, courier; Thraex, gladiator. Cf. C.I.L. vi, 10197, Macedo Thr(aex) tiro Alexandrin(us). Proper names: Cf. Celtic names: Caricus, Indus, Araps.

page 98 note 3 C.I.L. i, 1180, Gallus; vi, 14006, Galla; v, 1362, Germanus; vi, 10909, Germana; vi, 13499, Baeticus; viii, 13053, Getulicus; 13188, Libycus; 2888, T. Iulio Mauro sive Ruzerali liberto; 2237, Affra; vi, 10860, Ponticus; vi, 4042, Phryx; vi, 155, 3976, Lydus; Cicero, ad fam. iii, 1Google Scholar, Cilix; C.I.L. viii, 12621, Cilix; vi, 8868, Araps; 29112, Parthus; 1877, 13979, Persicus.

page 99 note 1 Romanus: vi, 1819Google Scholar (Urbanus and Romanus) 3151, (M. Aur. Romani…n. Sur. M. Aur. Romanus frat.); 11935, (Romanae et Urbico parentibus); 13780, (Caecilio Urbico, Caeciliae Romanae); vi, 3970, 10935, 11015, 11212; xiii, 10009, 293; viii, 24698, 13118, 13119, 14687.

page 99 note 2 Brambach, 780. For Sabinus as a slave-name compare also C.I.L. vi, 3938, 3940, 4446, 11221, 13221, 14257.

page 99 note 3 Cf. Cicero, ad Fam. xv, 20Google Scholar ‘Oratorem meum Sabino tuo commendavi Natio me hominis impulit, ut ei recte putarem: nisi forte, Candidatorum licentia hic quoque usus, hoc subito cognomen arrpuit: ets. modests eius vultus sermoque constans habere quiddam a Curibus videbatur.’

page 99 note 4 C.I.L. vi, 4033, 12705, Atticus; 12708, Attica; 4252, 13290, Attice; 14160, Athenais; v, 1014, Graeca; viii, 24703, Ionicus; iii, 4870, Asiaticus; vi, 3952, Asia; viii, 24711, Asia Aug. ser. Asiaticus p. et Cupita m.; vi, 2223, Fannia Ɔ.l. Asia; Fannia, Ɔ.l. Sura mater; i, 602, Surus; 1316, Surisca; vi, 13754; xi, 577; xiii, 2106, Surus; viii, 24826, Syria; 13145, Surus.

page 99 note 5 Chius: vi, 1952, 4051, 4234 (Chius and Homerus), 3937 (Chio Homeri frat.); Lesbia: vi, 4025, 4606; Lesbius: 4155, 4527; Zmyrna: vi, 3989, 4600, 4650, 4656, 10254, 12914; Laudica: i, 1212; vi; 13754, 6483; Laudica Cilicissa, Pergamis: vi, 13729.

page 99 note 6 Varro, , de Ling. Lat. viii, 21Google Scholar. ‘Sic tres cum emerunt Ephesi singulos serous, nonnunquam alius declinat nomea ab eo qui uendit, Artemidoras, atque Artemam appellat, alius a regione quod ibi emit, ab Ion <i> a Iona[m], alius quod Ephesi, Ephesium, sic alius ab alia aliqua re, ut uisum est.’

page 99 note 7 Corinthus: C.I.L. v, 1305; vi, 11541, 3956, 4454.

page 99 note 8 C.I.L. vi, 13820, ‘Caeciliae Graeculae natione Hispana … P. Aelius Menophilus coniugi.’

page 100 note 1 Cf. Strabo, vii, 304.

page 100 note 2 Pharnaces: Cic. ad Att. xiii, 44Google Scholar; C.I.L. i, 602, 1035, 1064; vi, 13754, 14065, 14184; Tiridas: vi, 4393, 12902; Mahes: vi, 13706; Barnaeus: Cic. ad. Att. xiv, 19Google Scholar; C.I.L. i, 973; vi, 4289, 4597; Malchio: i, 1087, 1091, 1300; vi, 3999, 4710; Martha: i, 1058, 1229; v, 1295; Bargates: i, 1029; vi, 12692; ix, 8214; Bithus: vi, 3969, 4373, 4578, 10652, 11652,; Dasius: i, 1044; Sasa: vi, 4183, 4371; Lullu: vi, 4171, etc.

page 100 note 3 Cic. in Verr. ii, 3, 39Google Scholar. Plin. N.H. vii, 74Google Scholar.

page 100 note 4 Alaucus: C.I.L. i, 1406; ii, 4970, 15; xiv. 3367, etc. Ambactus: vi, 13402.

page 100 note 5 Rhys, Proc. Brit. Acad. 1911-12.

page 100 note 6 Cf. Prof.Weekley, E., The Romance of Names, ch. v. ‘The Absorption of Foreign Names,’ p. 51Google Scholar. ‘We have many official lists of these foreigners, and these lists we cath the foreign name in the very act of transforming itself into English. This happens sometimes by translation, e.g … a refugee bearing the somewhat uncommon name Petitoeil transformed himself into Little-eye which became in a few generations Lidley. But comparatively few surnames were susceptible of such simple treatment, and in the great majority of cases the name underent a more or less arbitrary perversion which gave it a more English physiognomy… This occurs most frequently in the case of Jewish names of German origin.’

page 101 note 1 Lambertz, , ‘Die griechischen Sklavennamen.’ Progr. Staatsgymn. Wien, viii, 1907, note 109, p. 68Google Scholar. Friedländer, vol. i, ch. 2, §4, Freedwomen. Jewess Acme (Hacma =‘clever’), slave of Livia.

page 101 note 2 ‘Race Mixture in the Roman Empire,’ Amer. Hist. Rev. xxi (1916), p. 689Google Scholar. Economic History of Rome, ch. x.

page 102 note 1 Cf. Koeser, , de captivis Romanorum, Diss. Giessen, 1904Google Scholar.

page 102 note 2 Josephus, , B.J. iii, 10, 10Google Scholar.

page 102 note 3 Ibid. vi, 9, 2.

page 103 note 1 Suetonius, Augustus, 21. Cicero, Tusc. Disp. iii, 22, 52Google Scholar.

page 103 note 2 Strabo, iv, 205.

page 103 note 3 Dessau, Ins. Sel. i, p. 352Google Scholar.

page 103 note 4 Spain: Phoebus, Eros, Philocyrius, Carpime; Gaul: Syntropus, Phoebe; Dalmatia: Pempte; Sardinia: Charito; Africa: Helpis. Cf. C.I.L. vi, 9709: T. Flavius Genethlius nummul. de basilica Julia natione Bess.

page 103 note 5 C.I.L. vi, 10184, Phoebus qui el Tormogus Hispanus.

page 104 note 1 See note 6, p. 99.

page 104 note 2 Lambertz, Gr. Sklavennamen, p. 6.

page 105 note 1 C.I.L. xiii, Pt. iii, vol. 1, p. 601.

page 106 note 1 C.I.L. iii, 14203.

page 106 note 2 P(h)ilemo: C.I.L. i, 570, 571, 602, 734, 1094, 1095, 1104, 1241, 1269; Pbilargyrus: i, 721, 726, 729, 1034, 1087, 1203, 1241, 1268, 1305, 1393; Pamphilus, Philetaerus, Philotimus, Philogenes, also occur.

page 106 note 3 Nicephor Cic. ad Q. frat. iii, 1, 5Google Scholar; C.I.L. i, 570, 1028, 1032, 1041, 1102, 1129; vi, 3930. Cf. Lambertz, op. cit. note 9, p. 6.

page 107 note 1 See note 1, p. 96.

page 107 note 2 Schulze, ‘Zur Geschichte lateinischer Eigennamen,’ Rom. Mitth. 1904; Schwab, ‘Nomina propria Latina a participiis,’ etc. Jahrb. f. class. Philol. supp. Band xxiv, p. 637.

page 107 note 3 Lambertz, Gr. Sklavennamen, p. 6.

page 107 note 4 C.I.L. viii, 12941, Aelia Felicula Felix et Caletyche fil. motri; vi, 8724, C. Iulio Luciferi filio Posphoro architect. Aug. Claudia Stratonice uxor uiro optumo.

page 107 note 6 Philostratus, Vit. Soph. ii, i, 23.

page 108 note 1 Schwab and Otto, Jahrb. f. class. Philol. euppl. Band xxiv, p. 637.

page 108 note 2 Gsell, Histoire ancienne de l'Afrique du Nord, vol. iv, p. 221, 227. Compare also Arishat, ‘betrothed’ (of Baal), with C.I.L. vi, 4190, Sponsa Liviae l.

page 108 note 3 Municipalities of the Roman Empire, p. 251.

page 109 note 1 Ingenuus: C.I.L. 71, 4278, 4610, 4656; Ingenus v, 1170; vi, 3207; Ingenuos: vi, 13877. Cf. Dottin, La langue gauloise, glossary: enigeno cf. Irish ingen (‘daughter’), Ogam inigena.

page 109 note 2 E.g., Bambix Publ. lb., Craxsantus Barbi P(ublii) s., Postumia P. l. Battu, A. Titio A. l. Bellico, P. Occius P. l. Dunomarus, … us M.l. Epicatus, Iantulle nuri, M. Heluius W. lib. Marsua, Sassus Ouincii; C. Catellius C.I. Licinus, Reginus uerna Augustorum, C. Iulius Karicus l., M. Valerius M.l. Cissus, L. Furio L.l. Lalo, etc. Slaves with purely Celtic names are naturally to be found chiefly in the Celtic-speaking provinces; but Holder includes as of possibly Celtic origin many apparently Latin or Greek cognomina, such as Blandus, Dubius, Ilarus, Lasciuos, Cupitus, Speratus, Macarius, Marturus, and even Pilemo (to give but a few instances out of many). The abundance of such names at least shows that the Celtic stems used in name-formation must have readily suggested Latin and sometimes Greek equivalents.

page 110 note 1 Marquardt, , Privatleben, i, 4, p. 246Google Scholar.

page 110 note 2 C.I.L. vi, 10049, 14208, etc.

page 111 note 1 E.g., C.I.L. vi, 10791: d.m. T. Aelius Aug. lib. Saturninus et Aelia Glyconis infelicissimi parentes hunc munimentum comparauimus nobis et T. Aelio Saturnino filio nostro dulcissimo qui uixit annis vi, mensibus viii, dib. xvi, horis vi.