AJ+Crime&Punishment+slaves

In ancient times slaves were considered property; they had no rights and could be hurt without consequence. Most slaves weren't always slaves, rather they were captured during battle as prisoners of war. Women and children who were captured were forced to do housework for rich people, or jobs such as:


 * Nannies
 * Cooks
 * Butlers
 * Cleaners[[image:drs.jpg width="301" height="280" align="right" caption="Credit: Creative Commons"]]
 * Stable-boys
 * Tutors
 * Accountants

These jobs are a lot like the undesirable (for most) jobs of today, but back then they were not paid for it. The people who were forced to do these jobs often had families but had no way of keeping them together. Children were often sold and anyone else could be taken away at any moment. Men and women sometimes worked in farms too. They were overseen by a freedman (often when slaves became older they were freed by their masters and given the title of freedman, once slaves were freed they could own or rent land of their own ). They worked all through the blindingly hot daywith hundreds or even thousands of other slaves also condemned to a life of farm work. They could also be rowers who rowed the rich men and women's ships (they were usually shackled to the oars). If they didn't get the last three jobs they might have been government slaves who worked in mines. This was the worst of all the jobs with most slaves dying after only a couple of years of starting the job.

Sometimes slaves were not a result of war. Ancient Romans, for example, often had to become slaves if they were unemployed (so that they could feed themselves and their family).

Over two thirds of Athens owned slaves. Lots of slaves that were bought were bought for an investment, they were purchased cheaply without known skills (possibly as children) then their skills were built up. They would sell things and all the profit would go to their master then when they were ready they were sold again for a price much higher than what was paid.

Punishments for slaves were painful but not deadly because slaves aren't always cheap so common punishments for slaves were getting whipped or branded otherwise they could be forced to wear wood around their neck or sent to a work house. In a work house you were made to turn a mill for grinding corn.

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