Treatment of roman slaves
Slaves were commonly treated according to who they worked for. Some slave owners considered their slaves as part of their family. Slaves that were more expensive were provided with better treatment in order to maintain their value. In the Late Republic, almost all slaves were considered “property” by their owners (www.unrv.com). Some slaves were so trusted by their owners that they helped them with their businesses. Generally, household slaves had an easier life than slaves that worked for Rome itself. Not all slaves were treated exactly the same, but overall, Roman Slaves had a decent life.
Despite the large amount of slaves that had good lives, there were plenty of Roman slaves that led undesirable lives. Slaves were treated horribly and made no salary off of their work. They typically provided practically no rights, given harsh punishments, fed small amounts of food, and had no luxuries. The conditions that the slaves were under were extremely diverse to those of the people they worked for and to that of an ordinary Roman citizen. Slaves would often be branded for identification purposes which was immensely painful, and showed that their treatment was similar to that of animals. They were either whipped or killed by their owners as punishment, and this could occur with no valid reason behind it (pbs.org). The Romans failed to have realized that without the slaves they owned, their society would not remain the same. If they had been treated better, less rebellions would have occurred making for a smoother run empire.
Despite the large amount of slaves that had good lives, there were plenty of Roman slaves that led undesirable lives. Slaves were treated horribly and made no salary off of their work. They typically provided practically no rights, given harsh punishments, fed small amounts of food, and had no luxuries. The conditions that the slaves were under were extremely diverse to those of the people they worked for and to that of an ordinary Roman citizen. Slaves would often be branded for identification purposes which was immensely painful, and showed that their treatment was similar to that of animals. They were either whipped or killed by their owners as punishment, and this could occur with no valid reason behind it (pbs.org). The Romans failed to have realized that without the slaves they owned, their society would not remain the same. If they had been treated better, less rebellions would have occurred making for a smoother run empire.