Labor and Slaves

Citizens abhorred physical labor and came to rely on slaves. Even the tireless classifier himself, Aristotle, believed that the goal of a civilized man was to attain a life of leisure so that he was free to pursue the higher things in life. How was this life of leisure attained?...With slaves, of course. Aristotle believed that the laws of nature dictated that free men should rule and dominate slaves. Slaves were bought at the market and were used in mining, agriculture, construction and as household slaves. They could be craftsmen, entertainers, teachers, secretaries or even businessmen trading for themselves. One thing a slave was not was a citizen. For the status of a slave was often closer to that of an animal than a human being. The Hellenic used slaves and prisoners to build their temples. Most slaves were people captured in wars or in pirate raids. In many cases they were serfs, or conquered people, that came with the land and passed their statuses down from generation to generation. Mycenaean tablets, dated at 1200 B.C., described slave women who worked as grain grinders, spinners, and pourers of baths, They were often grouped by the places they were captured: "women in Asia," "women of Knidoes," "women of Miletos.” They were tortured on the stand in a court of law until they told the "truth," their faces branded and put to death for simply belonging to a murdered man. But despite their harsh roles in society, Slaves to the Hellenic were often freed or allowed to buy their freedom.

Slave Trade

Source PZO9410 Most slaves are kept to do menial jobs, but sometimes slaves perform specialized tasks such as craft or teaching. Slaves vary in quality; the price may be half as much for old or infirm slaves, or several times more for healthy, or "attractive" ones.

Table of Cost of slave-

Type	Price	Weight	Source
Slave,common	15 gp	175 lbs.	PZO9410
Slave, hard labor	20 gp	200 lbs.	PZO9410
Slave, household	10 gp	130 lbs.	PZO9410
Slave, specialized	100 gp	160 lbs.	PZO9410