Description
Volume 1 in the new Cambridge World History of Slavery surveys the history of slavery in the ancient Mediterranean world. Although chapters are devoted to the ancient Near East and the Jews, its principal concern is with the societies of ancient Greece and Rome. These are often considered as the first examples in world history of genuine slave societies because of the widespread prevalence of chattel slavery, which is argued to have been a cultural manifestation of the ubiquitous violence in societies typified by incessant warfare. There was never any sustained opposition to slavery, and the new religion of Christianity probably reinforced rather than challenged its existence. In twenty-two chapters, leading scholars explore the centrality of slavery in ancient Mediterranean life using a wide range of textual and material evidence. Non-specialist readers in particular will find the volume an accessible account of the early history of this crucial phenomenon.
Table of Contents
Series editors' introduction: 1. Slavery in the Ancient Near East Daniel C. Snell; 2. Slaves in Greek literary culture Peter Hunt; 3. Classical Athens T. E. Rihll; 4. The Helots: a contemporary review Paul Cartledge; 5. Slavery and economy in the Greek world Dimitris J. Kyrtatas; 6. The slave-supply in Classical Greece David Braund; 7. Slavery and the Greek family Mark Golden; 8. Resistance among chattel slaves in the Classical Greek world Niall McKeown; 9. Archaeology and Greek slavery Ian Morris; 10. Slavery in the Hellenistic world Dorothy J. Thompson; 11. Slavery and Roman literary culture Sandra R. Joshel; 12. Slavery in the Roman Republic Keith Bradley; 13. Slavery under the Principate Neville Morley; 14. The Roman slave supply Walter Scheidel; 15. Slave labour and Roman society John Bodel; 16. Slavery and the Roman family Jonathan Edmonson; 17. Resisting slavery at Rome Keith Bradley; 18. Slavery and Roman material culture Michele George; 19. Slavery and Roman law Jane F. Gardner; 20. Slavery and the Jews Catherine Hezser; 21. Slavery and the rise of Christianity Jennifer Glancy; 22. Slavery in the late Roman world Cam Grey.
