3 ms·
There were vastly more slaves in the late Republic and early Empire than the mid or late empire, due to conquest. Slaves undercutting free workers was a factor
by mjhay 2y ago
There were vastly more slaves in the late Republic and early Empire than the mid or late empire, due to conquest. Slaves undercutting free workers was a factor in the fall of the Republic, but it had little to do with the fall of the Empire. Proto-serfdom had already begun by the Empire's fall, so by your argument it should have gotten stronger, not weaker.
- orwin 2y agoI would argue that the fall of the republic was the first nail in the coffin, and like you said, was caused by slave concentration in few patrician's hands (according to the Gracci brothers at least). The slave concentration around rome, and the slave owner concentration at the end didn't help the empire either. And please don't draw parallels, you shouldn't, the society now is very different. [edit] for clarification, the last sentence is a general 'you', I'm not talking about my parent who made an overall good point.