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2 results

  • Chapter 1 - Approaching Slavery in Ancient Greece

  • Sara Forsdyke, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
  • Book:
    Slaves and Slavery in Ancient Greece
    Published online:
    08 June 2021
    Print publication:
    10 June 2021, pp 1-51

  • Summary

    This chapter provides an introduction to the book. It begins by justifying the study of ancient slavery then turns to the difficulties of studying slavery from the available evidence. Methods for recovering the experiences of slaves are explored, including the use of comparative evidence. Next, ancient and modern definitions of slavery are surveyed and the distinctions between slavery and other forms of unfree labor, including serfdom, are discussed.

Slaves and Slavery in Ancient Greece
  • Sara Forsdyke
  • Published online:
    08 June 2021
    Print publication:
    10 June 2021
  • Slavery in ancient Greece was commonplace. In this book Sara Forsdyke uncovers the wide range of experiences of slaves and focuses on their own perspectives, rather than those of their owners, giving a voice to a group that is often rendered silent by the historical record. By reading ancient sources 'against the grain,' and through careful deployment of comparative evidence from more recent slave-owning societies, she demonstrates that slaves engaged in a variety of strategies to deal with their conditions of enslavement, ranging from calculated accommodation to full-scale rebellion. Along the way, she establishes that slaves made a vital contribution to almost all aspects of Greek society. Above all, despite their often brutal treatment, they sometimes displayed great ingenuity in exploiting the tensions and contradictions within the system of slavery.