The Invention of Ancient Slavery

Slavery was a key institution in antiquity, but historians' reconstructions of the lives of ancient Greek and Roman slaves have varied significantly, not just across time, but also between different countries today. Core assumptions made about the ancient slave can be subtly different in Germany (for example) than in the US or Britain. This book samples some of the different approaches available. It also examines why the differences exist and what they imply for those trying to discovery the 'reality' of slave life. It raises key questions about how historians attempt to access the past and the impact that the nature of the evidence has on their work, even when this has not always been made explicit to the reader. Scholarly interpretations sometimes tell us more about the modern world than the ancient. Possible alternatives are explored.

Niall McKeown is Lecturer in Ancient History, University of Birmingham.