The Horrible Life of an Average Roman Empire Slave

Whatever you need a website for, create yours today with Wix: www.wix.com/go/infographics2019
What was life like for Roman slaves? Let's look at this historic era of ancient Rome and see how they treated their people.
Slaves in ancient Rome weren’t all laborers working hard under the hot sun as some wicked slave driver stood behind them with a whip in his hand. Many of the slaves were domestic servants, some were skilled artisans, others were even said to be highly educated physicians. The ones who did generally have a very hard life were those that were doing their time as property of a Roman as a punishment. Life for these people was brutal and often very short. For that reason there were sometimes slave revolts, with the one you all probably know about being led by the slave Spartacus. This former gladiator and military leader took part in what are now called The Servile Wars. But what about the average joe slaves?
So, as Roman slaves lived such diverse lives, let’s start with the great Spartacus.
The Greek writer Plutarch tells us that Spartacus was “a Thracian by birth, who had once served as a soldier with the Romans, but had since been a prisoner and sold for a gladiator.” If he was indeed Thracian, that would mean he came from what we now called Bulgaria, or possibly Greece or Turkey. While sources differ, it’s said that Spartacus was first captured by Roman legions and then trained in gladiatorial school. If you’ve seen our show on what sometimes went down in the Roman Coliseum, you’ll know that gladiators didn’t exactly have an easy life. What do we know about the schools? Well, these prisoners of war were kept often two to a cell. They were in fact in prison, but each day they would train outside of their cells in an arena. Gladiators had different kinds of skills and training methods, and Thracian gladiators practiced in the art of swordsmanship. National Geographic tells us that the slaves were not allowed out of the fortress unless being taken to the coliseum or another arena. But while the cells were not exactly a great place to live, it’s said there were heated floors for winter, baths, an infirmary, and the slaves lived in confines that were equipped with plumbing. Historians say these gladiators were highly valued slaves, and so they were kept in good condition so they could fight well. These slaves, we are told, would not usually die or even be treated too badly in their prison. They occupied a 32-square-foot (3-square-meter) cell, which as we said, was probably shared with one more person.
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[@TheInfographicsShow]

What do you think was the best thing about living in ancient Rome?

[@99Polle99]

Slaves

[@Aqua-_]

Grapes

[@dorianphilotheates3769]

The Infographics Show - I rather fancy the idea of slave physicians and actors. Many modern medical doctors and “stars” tend to be a bit too full of themselves; slavery might be a nice corrective to “attitude”; as an added bonus, it would keep medical and cinema costs down...

[@thecoolknight8929]

your mom

[@idkshtt]

Why do u have 6 likes

[@MrRed9zz]

"Stand up and walk!" Said the soldier with the most friendliest smile ever drawn

[@ultimatebishoujo29]

I know right?

[@parktamaroon226]

9:30 Creepiest deathmarch driver imaginable.

[@evaristegalois6282]

*_Spartacus is typing ..._*

[@FBISHOJI]

What were you expecting Spartiflop?

[@WitheredFreddo]

*Zeus has entered chat group..*

[@sm00ly22]

yeet

[@f.b.i.8950]

*Spartacus has been deleted from this chat*

[@TheTutorialDude]

*Spartacus left slavery…*

[@itsjad8365]

I can't take this seriously with all the happy faces

[@gamingkitsune1947]

:D

[@TheRealChemlock]

ya, and this "animation" is garbage, absolute minimum effort all around makes me doubt any of the "info" being presented.

[@High_Monk]

@@TheRealChemlock What does the animation have to do with the info? This has always been their style, would some 3D animation with Hollywood blockbuster VFX make the information more accurate? Maybe they should hire Michael Bay to direct some 10 min informational video to please people. Wait nvm, everyone would hate it then.

[@ike4584]

:)

[@blackred1032]

@@TheRealChemlock just the animations alone take 3 weeks to a month

[@sackbot107]

You just compared the suffering of those slaves to making a website.

[@ruby4751]

worst segue ever

[@pinkfloydmeddle6692]

Lol

[@hanyu_dada]

they didnt have to fight CSS

[@SuperFeefer]

Best segue ever! 😂

[@woooooooooooooooooooooooo]

Mate, you're watching the infographics show.

[@imaverywhere6252]

All roads lead to Rome..... *Country rooooads, take me Rome*

[@tomryan3408]

Country roads take me home

[@fionnlaghcowan8419]

@@tomryan3408 country roads, take me Rome

[@tomryan3408]

@@fionnlaghcowan8419 LMAOOOO

[@airwakkerre1861]

@@fionnlaghcowan8419 country roads take me to big hilly billy man

[@richardbenzler346]

Which is kinda far, From Bolooon...ya!

[@HighDarkDragon]

Slaves recieved money from their owners if they worked hard enough, and they could literally buy their freedom too. ''Liberto'', the liberated slaves, was a proper social class.

[@dennythedavinchi3832]

But he can't vote.

[@falynch]

Only with their owners permission. If the master refused to let you buy your freedom there was nothing they could do.

[@decanusseverus8773]

Dooyong Park nobody could vote? Being not a slave was a pretty good start in my opinion

[@dennythedavinchi3832]

@@decanusseverus8773 I think you misread.

[@won1853]

@@decanusseverus8773 Rome used to be a republic. Even after it became an empire, certain positions of power (like senators, consuls, quaestors and plebeian tribunes) continued to be filled through election.

[@darkphoenix2580]

This show is a slave to WIX 😂😂

[@neehaa]

i mean... they need to make their coin somehow

[@jaec100x]

Chase a bag don’t worry what I’m doing

[@georgesnowdon7988]

true dat true dat

[@Void_Dweller7]

Its either that or more ads which do you prefer?

[@seersam]

_Having slaves was as normal as having people that work for low wages in current day factories or coffee shops._ That was nasty

[@MacCoalieCoalson]

A KZbin Channel How some. He's comparing the fact that they are very common, not the conditions....

[@ronweber1402]

Nasty but the truth. The ancient world abounded with slaves and not only the Romans.

[@joetrolo7076]

Truth isn't always pretty. Don't like it? Use the kids version of KZbin.

[@andrewsmith3257]

I feel personally attacked 🤣

[@shaquilleoatmeal911]

Slavery still technically exists

[@bfbxdfdbf]

Imagine drying in the heat worked to death and someone just yell out “ he’s dead”

[@-yourandyoureare2different612]

Lol

[@TheYavy]

Spartacus was hell of a tv show..

[@karstenpedersen7749]

Seen it 3 times I think

[@zakalon123]

It didn't mention in this video which is a sinful omission that slaves were sexually abused by their masters especially the women who a lot of them probably ended up pregnant by their masters. I would imagine. A great book to read on the subject is called FORGOTTEN ROMANS about the lives of Roman slaves.

[@waffleboomerang6643]

zakalon123 yeah... I figured he would mention it but guess not

[@ekothesilent9456]

He didn’t mention because KZbin would have censored it and demonitized his video. This isn’t a place for free speech.

[@FlickSh0tt]

Eko Thesilent why would they do that if he mentioned it?

[@aidenfrost7008]

muffinhead121 because it uses an algorithm that lacks all nuance as a result of YT’s political agenda.

[@Cicero82]

@6:16 mentions this, actually.

[@aaronyandell2929]

During the Empire years, conquered peoples would be enslaved. Husbands, wives and children were forcibly separated. Men were delegated to hard labor or slave soldier training. Women were delegated to sex work or were married to rich Roman men. The reason for this was to encourage loyalty and a sense of nationality to Rome and insure that the offspring of conquered peoples will be Roman. It was both cruel and ingenious.

[@brittanybarthel1410]

Aaron Yandell not at first. At first as the Empire started those Conquered were made into citizens. But then after the Empire became large and more powerful that when it started as a backwater place, those that Rome Conquered became slaves. I have a VHS series about Rome that explains that in detail among other things. I can’t remember at the moment when exactly the Empire enslaved those they Conquered instead of offering citizenship though unfortunately. I think it was a couple hundred years at least though.

[@ineedmorecarrots6063]

"Slaves receives money if they work hard and get a chance to be released and be free again" sounds like modern minimum wage earners except for the freedom part

[@paulcorda]

Pretty much, like Roman times there are many many jobs that need to be done to make society work the way it does (Like he said, plowing fields, mining, etc...) and most people are not going to willingly do these jobs, so they need to be forced to do them. Back then slavery, now wage slavery.

[@ihunoble4878]

It doesn’t sound like modern minimum wage earners lol. They weren’t property’s. You got to start some where.

[@icywolf9923]

@@ihunoble4878 Have you seen the way companies treat minimum wage employees?

[@ihunoble4878]

Icy Wolf I’ve seen how minimum wage have negative impacted on employees?

[@Dennis-nc3vw]

@@paulcorda None of those jobs pay remotely close to minimum wage.

[@FBI-uf9jz]

Wanna know whats worse than being a slave? Not being sponsered by wix

[@aperson5428]

That is not funny. Slavery was horrible.

[@uncleruckus5871]

the man who fell in the river in lego city sir are you okay, people are worried about you

[@chickennugget315]

*GET OUT OF MY COMPUTER-*

[@JakobCerasuolo]

Are you the real FBI

[@nasal]

Lol slaves lol funns 🤣🤣

[@charleshamilton9274]

Man, those gladiators had some serious armpit hair. They be manly men!

[@haydenfoley6102]

wow dude your so funny NOT

[@precious1918]

Hayden Foley chill bro just let him live. If it’s not funny to you just keep scrolling.

[@ryano9530]

*you're

[@ngolokante7805]

@@haydenfoley6102 girl lufe isn't that hard

[@finngeometry7570]

These videos are very well structured and researched, also the animation is great. Good job!

[@poweroffriendship2.0]

**Nero burns Roman Capital** Christians: AM I A JOKE TO YOU?

[@ericaburke89]

Friendship the answer is always yes

[@CoffeeSuccubus]

Yes

[@itsomeh4085]

Im muslim

[@randommandoade1465]

Thats a myth he didn't burn Rome

[@daveforfav7650]

That's not funny any more

[@crienospmoht]

love your channel man, the episode on Charles Bronson was great.

[@bajingo1006]

Thanks for teaching me how to organize receipts Danny Devito!

[@ZeoViolet]

"STAND UP AND WALK!" He said, with a cheery face....

[@DeadCardinal]

Whenever I hear ”Wix” I think that it is a breakfast cereal that also have some kind of cerealbars. Even though I’ve seen hundreds of videos sponsored by them.

[@toffee5266]

Luv u infographic show

[@AliHussain-uh9xt]

Love your channel!!

[@mohammedbarakat8594]

علي

[@jbolo5378]

I'm half Thracian on my mother's side. Who do I talk to about reparations?

[@Amharizz]

Ethiopia

[@heyyou1911]

Ancient Rome apparently 😂😂😂

[@thegigadykid1]

Not this guy again

[@heyyou1911]

@wannabchomsky chill out fam

[@jbolo5378]

@@heyyou1911 , give him a break. He's mad because my comment completely unravels everything he's been brainwashed to believe.

[@debruhh5491]

this is the second time you’ve posted a video right when i was learning about it. chill out fbi man!!!

[@Crystal-58]

holy shit dude your comment is right above a comment made by user "Federal Bureau of Investigation"

[@andrei1637]

@@Crystal-58 saw that too

[@furiousflame7413]

I know right?

[@TheInfographicsShow]

😂

[@macman975]

*WELEASE* *WODERWICK*

[@StevenCaesar]

Enjoyed watching your

[@colin5484]

Let’s go I get to watch your great vids as hw

[@jeffreybaker7703]

At least they didn’t get hit in the face with a Wix add at the beginning of every KZbin video😂

[@pmp1337]

After the Spartacus uprising. Laws were passed stating slaves could put themselves for sale if their owner wasn't treating them right. Slaves in the late Roman Empire had more rights than some "free" people today.

[@arx3516]

Aren't we all putting ourselves for sale when we look for a job?

[@pusheenbuttercup8319]

every customer service job, ever

[@vz-v]

Free agents.

[@sarahaziz6876]

Free Spartacus...

[@ronweber1402]

@@sarahaziz6876 Free beer!

[@austinabanidoni5835]

Great segue!!!

[@Chuchutato]

I watched Spartacus and it's very informative, my brain couldn't take every knowledge it has that gives me a nosebleed.

[@DCAbsolutJohn1]

The bodies of slaves found in Pompeii were contorted due to extreme heat shock from the pyroclastic flow that killed them. However, this was more evident in bodies found in the other city buried, Herculaneum, which was discovered below the modern town of Ercolano. There, some bodies were found by the dock without heads, as the extreme heat caused their brains to boil and the steam pressure made them explode.

[@nateh1007]

Could u guys make another vid abt Rome pls

[@darthranger23423]

You Infographics have have to insert that WIX pun at the end!?

[@YESITSWILL]

Thank you for that light hearted look at slavery. Can you do leprosy next? Please, pretty please!

[@yurichan6557]

*Julius Caesar has left the server*

[@furiousflame7413]

He had a slave. His daughter's teacher.

[@misipar1934]

I would say the horrible thing that happened to them is that their were sexually abused , the age of consent in Rome was 12 but the slaves didn’t have any rights

[@furiousflame7413]

Oh God. If the age of consent was 12, I'd have to watch out. *IM FLIPPIN 12*

[@spamfed5417]

rape was not legal

[@furiousflame7413]

@@spamfed5417 Rape still is illegal but does that stop anyone from doing it? Just saying.

[@ghettoandroid]

@@furiousflame7413 I'm sure it has stopped a lot of people from raping. I'm not sure the point you're trying to make here. Are you *saying* that making rape illegal is useless?

[@spamfed5417]

@The Unknown wrong

[@noblepolygon8694]

Designing websites from scratch actually pays me very well thank you very much

[@AnonymousFrogNG]

Hey Infographics, I've never heard from your Patreon again because you don't use the link in your videos anymore, so I have to comment those links on your more recent videos. Why would you do this? You could gain so much from it.

[@donaldboughton8686]

Being a slave of Greeks was worse. The Greeks had name for slaves which meant 'Tool that Talks'. The Greeks did not bother to feed or water their slaves who used to last about six months.

[@jackforester8456]

Where did you find that?

[@ackermanlol]

You mean 'instrumentum vocale'? That name was also used for the slaves in Rome. The masters had 'ius vitae necisque potestas' (power of life and death) over their slaves.

[@pingukutepro]

wrong af. If any slave owner did as you said. They will receive very bad punishment and become a slave himself

[@donaldboughton8686]

@@pingukutepro If any one is currently a slave owner they will end up in jail. If I had my way the slave owner and all adult male members of the family would be castrated. I was talking about what happened in the Greek city states some thousands of years ago. Once the Greeks were conquered by the Romans the Greeks became slaves.

[@pingukutepro]

I was talking about Ancient Greeks slave owners, they didn't treat their slave like shit because Ancient Greek law doesn't allow to

[@USA2Brazil]

5:16 Now I know where the term "pissed off" comes from.

[@peterluna593]

That smooth transition though

[@JqAnimateshello]

I like ur animation skills Challenge: make a video using the FlipaClip animation app

[@mr.knightthedetective7435]

Soo basically, gladiators were historic cage fighters?!

[@tunnar79]

Na,cage fighters are just pussyfied gladiators!

[@mr.knightthedetective7435]

@@tunnar79 Lol

[@richie5200]

Yah.. like the WWE

[@grantrizmo2002cb]

Great video. There's just one discrepancy though. Not all Romans choose to wear togas is because not all Romans were allowed to wear togas. Togas were kinda similar to how modern day society views a business suit. The general plebs of Rome wore tunics. Usually solid white. Slaves wouldve HAD to wear markers of some sort. Depending on what era of Rome, sometimes colored and part of the fabric and sometimes not. Togas were for senators, judges, anyone who held a civic position and/or was wealthy and a patriarch (high social status)

[@ketronmcarthur7405]

@the infographic show should do another you vs with the flash

[@henokf6815]

please make a video about ancient philosophers

[@tiffanywilliams2593]

No one: Infographics Show: Making your own Website is worst and harder than Roman Slavery

[@AustiuNoMatterWho]

roman slaves sound like modern day coal miners, starbucks employees, and well every "low level" job. you have enough to eat and may have a roof over your head but, in most cases you want your boss to like you and treat you well. you also realize that one day you will become free. financially free. debt will enslave you to the point where work is life.

[@Finnegan-s-cake]

im suck at starbucks working for 4 years now. FML. i need some DMT

[@yukongetit4603]

Austin Thompson maybe work landscape? Or warehouse jobs? I was 18 getting a starter pay of 13 bucks an hour. Just saying.

[@chillybilly1452]

Except, if you work a low wage job today, you won't even be able to afford a roof over your head.

[@anismatar]

Even worse, today's slaves (low wage workers) struggle to find food, clothes and roof with their meager wages, which is all too convenient for their owners who gain all slaves productive hours without thinking twice about covering their costs.

[@king0vdarkness]

On the bright side: At least you don't get beaten to death or sent to fight a lion 🦁

[@ozzyzee1770]

That was cheeky how you incorporated the Wix endorsement at the end into your speech about roman slaves lol

[@briangitari6110]

Hey @infographics you guys should do a video on how cancer affects the human body.

[@NicolaoNerio]

I would be interested in seeing an infographic show compairing Roman slaves to Eastern kingdoms like the Persian empire or Babylon.

[@clockwerkclockwerk5537]

why the armpit hairs are so damn emphasized ?

[@-yourandyoureare2different612]

@The Lavian yes, does it? You fool! (I'm from Latvia as well!)

[@LocalHeretic-ck1kd]

Interesting. My Bachelor thesis was actually about slaves in Roman Republic. And I have to say that I agree with almost everything that have been said here. Great job.

[@SoTiredOfYourBS]

Yay!! Im so glad it this narrator

[@aidandeng950]

0:40 that boi is smiling while fighting

[@Erickwashere]

Can this kat get 1 k Subs 🐐

[@saumitrachakravarty]

7:27 Replace "slaves" with *employees* and "buy" with *hire*

[@ryanforster8761]

It's still legal to have slaves in the US. They're called inmates.

[@platinumvoid1648]

This is really sad, even though they're long dead I feel for these people.

[@thaddiusglunt2424]

That segway into the Wix promo at the end just ensured I will never watch another video from this channel. Bravo.

[@Darthbelal]

There was one source that said the Greeks thought the Romans were weird for freeing so many slaves. Also, the town of Herculaneum was said to be populated by many ex slaves who had their own businesses or whatever.......

[@0ppor2nity]

Bro those gladiator cells are bigger than my dorm room

[@mrafitzy17]

Thanks for the spoilers on Spartacus

[@matttenzin9822]

Sweet episode. Heres a question, which type of slave would you wish to be if you had to choose.

[@jrusu70]

There's no choice

[@dimmosaurus8242]

Spartacus is Bulgarian warrior, and is well documented in our history and even his hometown in Bulgaria where he is belived to be born recording to writings the town has build a big statue of him in the center of the city.

[@PyroNexus22]

4:30 "the richer romans didn't walk through the streets, as that would be beneath them" - Remus, stop sitting in front of the computer all day, go for a walk with friends like normal people. - But mooooom, that's *beneath* me!

[@Bankey3x]

There was a show called spartacus and that was my favorite

[@vincefrancisangelocoligado5512]

Can you make vid about pirates

[@robertjarman3703]

Worth remembering that slavery wasn't universal in civilizations. The Achaemenids had abolished it.

[@robertjarman3703]

james c That would have been the Assyrians' task.

[@leonardodavid2842]

Yeah, but than they brought it back.

[@trinitychambers8123]

No, but taxation has always been theft, and they did it even in 300 BC

[@niveyoga3242]

The Mongols under Dschingis Khan abolished slavery as well!

[@steamaccount3442]

@Hoàng Nguyên Is that why China is a world superpower and Vietnam is irrelevant?

[@AdityaSingh-gu4ps]

0:40 the damned smile

[@theodorosgeorgitsis5600]

Wow. Was it necessary to animate the hair beneath the arm pits ?

[@ashkay2920]

Hello, please can you make a video about serial killer kuchisake-onna. She is so intresting myth.

[@roombussr5676]

*Sparticus In A War* Sparticus: THIS IS SPARTAAAA!!

[@TheManCaveYTChannel]

Make videos about the eastern Roman Empire aka Byzantine empire.

[@liddz434]

That Segway though, from slavery to website building...😧

[@doc8271]

I often use the term often to describe things that happen often, often I overuse the word often but it often fits my description. Often.

[@OneDreams54]

Also, I'm not completely sure about the roman empire, but in many societies, a good part of the slaves being given the worst jobs, were bandits and thieves who were caught. Instead of just being killed or emprisonned, it was considered a better option.

[@DanijelTurina973]

Slavery is just an unpopular name for the condition most people have to endure today. Basically, you either work hard for your master for a subsistence wage, or die. The only thing that really changed is the sugarcoating.

[@SamS-uv2ql]

What country do you live in?

[@jeremyallen9624]

“Aristotle said that some people were only fit to be slaves. I do not contradict him. But I reject slavery because I see no men fit to be masters.” - C. S. Lewis

[@ptsadvance2921]

Make video on columbus and his adventures

[@sadenuttie2234]

He protecc He attac But most importantly He walk or get wacked

[@ramamahar8323]

So basically they are role models for modern saudis?

[@juanshaftpatel7488]

and the USA

[@mtrich8113]

US Saudi North Korea and Israel.

[@gipsyjp14]

That ad at the end hahahahaha

[@kauegraumann1822]

You know what else is horrible? A website made without Wix.

[@pine3391]

Was that the movie gladiator?

[@nate7432]

Gladiator is similar to the story of Spartacus but it isn’t the same.

[@femikarjalainen1185]

I specialise in Roman slavery through my degree and I think that this video is an excellent representation of the diversity of slaves and presented really well! I’ve just done my dissertation on the diversity of slaves haha

[@kayodakonspiracy]

Did you compare the roman slavery to the slavery of America? And notice they're the exact same people.

[@Esseredio1199]

@kayodakonspiracy Who are the same people the people being enslaved or the masters ?

[@Fat12219]

We r all slaves at one time 😮

[@a-aronpre-sent1447]

Designing websites from scratch?! Oh my!

[@justrenee2640]

Inreally love history, I hope neuroscientists learn history...It would help explain more

[@raywhite7179]

WHO'S READY FOR THE COFFEE SHOP WORKER REVOLT?!?!

[@alexiv250]

Everyone watching this video has A good Life.

[@lukemabe7222]

The mix of so may character styles hurts my eyes.

[@kingdomofgarvin3432]

Do one about Trinidad and Tobago vs Jamaica

[@sirchickenfood8561]

Spartacus wants to *know your location*

[@captainbacon9668]

4:02 that Roman be living in a medieval/castle!?

[@echostarling84]

That pivot...

[@karanbhatt4802]

Hey info graphics

[@Rog5446]

Roman household slaves had freedom to walk around the city in their free time and even go to the games. They could even run their own little businesses on the side and save up to buy their freedom and Roman citizenship. A Roman Senator once proposed a law to make all slaves wear the same colour tunics, so that they could all be recognised as slaves. When the Senate thought about it, they realised that there would be about 30% of the people walking the street recognisable as slaves, so they scrapped the idea, as if they could all recognise each other, they might gang up and start a revolt.

[@jacksongoss2389]

Infographics tantalizes higher ideas but always delivers less information than wikipedia just with pictures.

[@valilloshi1525]

Can you make a video about sultan abdulhamid the 2

[@mayettaxtriger436]

2:40 man the new lego movie looks wild