Slavery in the Age of the Roman Empire

A father could sell his children into slavery. The last method was to be born of a female slave. Throughout roman history, slaves were seen not just as useful tools, but also as living status symbols for their masters. Among the wealthiest families, at least, the division of labor amongst slaves was taken to absurd extremes. A middle class man would be embarrassed to show himself in public without at least a handful of slaves surrounding him. Even the largest homes in the city were of modest size due to space constraints.