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Primary sources are critically important in studying history, specifically those periods that the living people cannot remember. These sources can include various artifacts, documents, recordings, diary entries, and manuscripts created at the time period under investigation. Different primary sources allow the following generations to understand what happened before better. This essay will discuss excerpts from primary source writings on slavery in Ancient Greece dated back to approximately 750 – 330 BCE. The passages will be examined and evaluated better understand the social and cultural history of the period and learn more about the social order in Ancient Greece.
Ancient Greece was a civilization where slavery was widespread, with Greeks viewing slaves as the property of their masters. Internet History Sourcebooks Project (2021) offers five excerpts from the works of prominent Greek thinkers on slavery and its place in Greek society. Specifically, the writings of Hesiod, Strabo, Antiphon, Demosthenes, and Aristotle are presented (Internet History Sourcebooks Project, 2021). For instance, Hesiod’s Works and Days, written in 750 BCE, depicts the necessity of slaves for labor, particularly farm labor (Internet History Sourcebooks Project, 2021). It can be argued that the source is aimed at the lower-class citizens, who would not be able to survive without reaping a plentiful harvest. It is evident from the writing that both men and women could be purchased as slaves to work on the land of the slave owner. In addition, the excerpt suggests that a female slave should not be viewed as a wife, possibly restricting sexual relationships between slaves and free men (Internet History Sourcebooks Project, 2021). Overall, in Ancient Greece, slaves were necessary for the survival of landowners.
Other primary sources reflect different aspects of slavery in Ancient Greece. Thus, Strabo’s Geographia, written in approximately 20 A.D., illustrates how the wealth of the city was measured in slaves (Internet History Sourcebooks Project, 2021). Written later than other primary sources, Geographia was intended as a descriptive history. Strabo notes that the temple of Aphrodite in Corinth was exceptionally wealthy and could afford to own over a thousand slaves employed as prostitutes at the temple (Internet History Sourcebooks Project, 2021). They were donated to the temple by the city’s free people and became an attraction, resulting in the city being crowded with people and accumulating wealth (Internet History Sourcebooks Project, 2021). It can be concluded that slaves played a crucial role in the economic development in Ancient Greece.
Some writings on slavery in Ancient Greece describe how their owners and free people could treat slaves. These documents were aimed at a broad audience of the people of Ancient Greece, as the majority of them interacted with slaves daily. Thus, in On the Choreutes, dated back to 430 BCE, Antiphon discusses the limitations imposed on masters, noting that killing a slave was an inappropriate act (Internet History Sourcebooks Project, 2021). However, it is unclear what punishment was installed upon the master who killed a slave belonging to him. Antiphon notes that a slave owner should “purify himself and withhold himself from those places prescribed by law” (Internet History Sourcebooks Project, 2021). In contrast, in Against Timocrates (350 BCE), Demosthenes notes that corporal punishment is an acceptable penalty for slaves compared to free people (Internet History Sourcebooks Project, 2021). Thus, slaves belonged wholly to their master, who could treat them at their discretion, physically punishing them for minor misdeeds. However, such acts as the murder of a slave were not viewed in the same light, with slave masters only being subjected to light penance for the killing.
It can be asserted that the issue of slavery was not viewed in Ancient Greece as a moral problem. For instance, Aristotle writes in The Politics – On slavery, dated back to approximately 350 BCE, that slavery is necessary for the existence and development of Greek society (Internet History Sourcebooks Project, 2021). Slavery was viewed as a natural occurrence, with few limitations imposed on slave owners. Slaves were considered inferior to free men, and Aristotle argued that “it is better for them as for all inferiors that they should be under the rule of a master” (Internet History Sourcebooks Project, 2021). It can be alleged that Aristotle intended his talk for all the citizens of Ancient Greece who questioned the right of Greeks to capture slaves and treat them inhumanely. Overall, this piece of writing shows that slavery in Ancient Greece was viewed as natural and was defended by the many prominent Greek thinkers.
In summary, the discussed primary sources demonstrate the collective attitude in Ancient Greece towards slavery and the position of slaves in society. Slaves played a crucial role in the economy of Ancient Greece, working in different capacities, varying from farm laborers to prostitutes. Their work often was the catalyst for the development of cities, as the example of Corinth illustrates. Slaves were the property of their masters, who had absolute authority over them and their lives. Overall, the examined sources show that slavery was not considered an immoral issue in Ancient Greece, and the rights of slaves were not contemplated. Moreover, the right to own a slave was viewed as a superior virtue.
Reference
Internet History Sourcebooks Project. (2021). Documents on Greek Slavery, c. 750 – 330 BCE. Web.
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