Slaves Could Buy Their Freedom
Slavery had a long and complicated history in the ancient world. One way that Roman slavery differed from other cultures was that they had the concept of Manumission—meaning slaves were able to be freed.
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Some Roman slave owners just freed their slaves outright, while others allowed them to pay for their own freedom using any money they’d saved as gifts. The prospect of potential freedom encouraged slaves to be hardworking and obedient, but the process was complicated. Some slaves never earned enough to buy their freedom and some after being freed still found the stigma of slavery hard to overcome.
