How would slaves have addressed their masters in Ancient Greece?

How did Greek slaves address their masters?

edepol, ere, ne tibi suppetias temperi adveni modo! @TheHonRose No, slaves, both ordinary and highly educated only used the word ere. Domine was never used as a form of address. This is partly because of usage.

How were slaves viewed in ancient Greece?

Slaves in ancient Greece were treated like pieces of property. For Aristotle they were ‘a piece of property that breathes’. They enjoyed different degrees of freedom and were treated kindly or cruelly depending on the personality of the owner.

How were slaves treated in ancient Greece?

Enslaved people who lived and largely worked independently of their masters were those least likely to feel the iron rod of discipline. Athenian slaves, too, could be physically punished and even tortured, and enslaved people elsewhere were also subject to beatings.

What did Greek slaves call their master?

Plautus most famous character, the slave Epidicus, addresses his master as “ere”, which is Greek slang and means “boss”. Another of Plautus’ slaves, Pseudolus, uses exactly the same word to address his master.

How were slaves treated by their masters in ancient Rome?

Under Roman law, enslaved people had no personal rights and were regarded as the property of their masters. They could be bought, sold, and mistreated at will and were unable to own property, enter into a contract, or legally marry. Most of what we know today comes from texts written by masters.

What did they call the master’s house in slavery?

The Big House

The house slave—one who was relegated to working in the big house (sometimes referred to as the great house), the master’s and mistress’s home—often enjoyed an easier and more comfortable existence when compared to their field hand counterpart.

How did Spartans treat their slaves?

Spartans, who were outnumbered by the Helots, often treated them brutally and oppressively in an effort to prevent uprisings. Spartans would humiliate the Helots by doing such things as forcing them to get debilitatingly drunk on wine and then make fools of themselves in public.

What was the position of female slaves in ancient Greece?

Female slaves served as maids, nurses, and cooks, and there were craftsmen, artists, musicians, and others who were enslaved but could live a decent life and earn income, as well. Craftsmen who worked with their masters lived in their own quarters and earned their income at free will.



What were slaves not allowed to do in ancient Greece?

All activities were open to slaves with the exception of politics. For the Greeks, politics was the only occupation worthy of a citizen, the rest being relegated wherever possible to non-citizens.

What was the relationship between the masters and slaves?

The life of a slave was subservient to the master. They had to obey without question or face punishment. Even if the master was less abusive and demanding, the slave still held resentment, for his life was not his own. For slave owners, the main object was to keep financially valuable slaves alive and working.

Why did slaves take their Masters last name?

In the 1930s, ex-slave Martin Jackson explained why he chose his last name after Emancipation: The master’s name was usually adopted by a slave after he was set free. This was done more because it was the logical thing to do and the easiest way to be identified than it was through affection for the master.

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