This suggests that the incidence of running away was always high. Romans labelled runaway slaves 'fugitives', and as the greatest modern historian of ancient slavery, Moses Finley, has remarked, 'fugitive slaves are almost an obsession in the sources'. One was to try to escape, either to return to an original homeland or simply to find safe refuge somewhere. There were other ways to alleviate the burdens of slavery. The law was enforced against those slaves who had not come to the victim's aid in this case, and all the slaves in the household - allegedly 400 of them - were executed, even though most of them could not possibly have known anything about the murder. Roman law required a man's slaves to come to his aid if he were attacked, under penalty of death. In the mid-first century AD an anonymous slave murdered his master, a high official in the imperial administration, either because the master had reneged on a promise to set the slave free or because the two were rivals in a sexual intrigue. He found, in other words, a way to assert himself, to exert power against the powerful, so that the asymmetrical roles of master and slave were suddenly inverted.Īt other times, slaves who were unable to tolerate their conditions assaulted their owners. They had the capacity to resist the absolute authority their owners formally exercised, and when Piso's slave crushingly embarrassed his master by obeying his instructions to the letter, for a moment (at least) he placed Piso in the inferior position that he normally occupied himself. But to outwit an owner as Piso's slave did was to win a victory in the game of psychological warfare that always existed between master and slave.įor unlike other forms of property, slaves were human beings with minds of their own, and they didn't always obey their owners as unthinkingly as they were supposed to. Technically Roman slaves were the property, the chattels, of their owners, held in a state of total subjection. It is a story that presupposes a constant tension between slave and master in the ancient Roman world, and is a striking illustration of how a lowly Roman slave could outwit his superior master. This anecdote was recorded, about AD 100, by the Greek moralist Plutarch. 'Then why didn't you tell me earlier? 'Because you didn't ask.' In despair Piso finally questioned the slave: 'Did you send Clodius an invitation?' 'Yes.' 'So why hasn't he come?' 'Because he declined'. So Piso sent the slave responsible for having invited the guest of honour to see where he was - several times - but still Clodius did not appear. These are the best moments for taking pictures, face to face, not hiding but laughing and shooting pictures.At the appropriate time all the guests arrived except Clodius. The performers may even draw you into the dance circle, tickling you with the bow of a violin. While attending a Gypsy music concert, you will probably get very close to the performers, so don’t forget to bring your wide lens, says photographer Bogdan Croitoru. Travelers stay some nights with Roma families. Among the best is German company Transylvania Active and Cultural Travel, which runs tours in English and works in cooperation with the Asphalt Tango music label. Several organizations lead Roma music trips to Romania. The title comes from a Roma adage: “Bury me standing I’ve been on my knees all my life.” > Experience Roma Music in Person: Isabel Fonseca’s Bury Me Standing (1995) is a captivating history of the Roma and their plight in eastern Europe.
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