Why read Ideas of Slavery from Aristotle to Augustine?

Book cover of Ideas of Slavery from Aristotle to Augustine

Book description

This study, unique of its kind, asks how slavery was viewed by the leading spokesmen of Greece and Rome. There was no movement for abolition in these societies, nor a vigorous debate, such as occurred in antebellum America, but this does not imply that slavery was accepted without question. Dr…

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Why read it?

1 author picked Ideas of Slavery from Aristotle to Augustine as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Jerry Toner

Author

Peter Garnsey was my PhD supervisor and he is a generous soul with a love of big topics. This book gives an overview of the many ways in which the ancients thought about slavery. It is true that there was no Roman abolition movement, but many ancient writers thought deeply about slavery and the issues involved. Sometimes they justified it, other times they criticised it, but throughout slavery was seen as unavoidable. The Christians called their God “dominus” just as slaves would have done their master.

From Jerry's list on Roman slavery.