SLaves were important to the economic conditions of the era
The purchasing and auctioning of slaves was a vital sector of the economy of Rome. Slaves could be a “baker…barbers…serve the … rural household…repair the villa…cook bread…use on the estate” (The Digest of Justinian). Slaves participated in labor in a variety of places from mines to engineering things for the city. Slaves on farms grew essential crops such as grain, olives, and grapes, which were a large part of the Roman trading industry. Not only did they grow crops, but they also tended the animals some farmers had on their farms such as cows and sheep (used for meat and hide). Some of the luckier slaves participated in business involved jobs. They did things such as managing shops which made the owners wealthy, and as a result, benefiting the economy. Many slaves were used for manual labor to make Rome more technologically advanced and innovative. They often built arenas, roads, and aqueducts for drainage (richeast.org). Because of the essential jobs slaves took on, slaves potentially became much like a Roman citizen without all of the rights they typically obtained (pbs.org).