Department or Program
Classical and Medieval Studies
Abstract
Scholars of the past decades have argued for a shift in the sources for enslaved labor with the end of the Roman Republic and the beginning of the Principate, arguing that war-captives and the long-distance slave trade were largely replaced by natural reproduction of enslaved populations. This thesis examines this claim more closely, using case studies from the Black Sea region and Roman Judea. By examining the literary, epigraphic, archaeological, and art historical evidence this thesis will show the ongoing and continuous nature of both the practice of enslaving the defeated enemy, as well as that of trading enslaved individuals across the pan-Mediterranean world. Ultimately, I argue that the long-distance trade of enslaved individuals continued to play a central role in the Roman slave supply well beyond the years of the Republic, contributing a substantial number of enslaved individuals, a factor long ignored in mainstream scholarship on Roman slavery.
Level of Access
Open Access
First Advisor
Brent, Liana
Date of Graduation
5-2026
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Recommended Citation
Neumann, Tosca, "The Long-distance Provincial Slave Trade during the Roman Principate" (2026). Honors Theses. 544.
https://scarab.bates.edu/honorstheses/544
Number of Pages
133
Components of Thesis
1 pdf file
Open Access
Available to all.