Page:A Short History of the World.djvu/215

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Man's Life under Early Roman Empire 195 they could be outraged, nuitiUited, and killed ])y their luasters. A master eould sell his slave to light beasts in the arena. If a slave slew his master, all the slaves in his hcnisehold and not merely the murderer, were erueified. In some parts of Greeee, in Athens not- ably, the lot of the slave was never quite so frightful as this, but it was still detestable. To sueh a population the barbarian invaders who presently broke through the defensive line of the legions, eame not as enemies IjTit as liberators. The slave system had spread to most industries and to every sort of work that eould be done by gangs. Mines and metallurgieal operations, the rowing of galleys, road-making and big building operations were all largely sla'e oceupations. And almost all domes- tic service was performed by slaves. There were poor free- men and there were freed - men in the cities and upon the country- side, working for t h e m. s e 1 V e s or even working for w ages. They were artizans, supervisors and so forth, workers of a new money- paid class work- ing in competi- tion with slave workers ; but we do not know what R^J'ns of a street in pompeii , . , ■. The former Brighton of Rome. Note the ruts io roadway proportion they worn by chariot wheels