als and in constant fear of the whip or the cross." And "It was common in criminal cases for slaves' evidence to be given under torture, and the law of the Imperial age was explicit on how to do so." The following is a description of the harsh conditions of slaves who worked at a flourmill, written by Apuleius, (c. AD157):"These poor, undersized slaves. Their skin was black and blue with bruises, their backs covered with cuts from the whip. They were covered with rags, not clothes, and it was hardly enough to make them decent. They had been branded on the forehead and half of their hair was shaved off. On their legs they wore iron chains." Although many slaves were treated very badly, there were many masters that treated well and sometimes even respected their slaves, who were often more talented at a particular craft than their master. Many slaves were often released by their masters. "It was discovered that, the nearer the lot of a slave approached a free man, the more useful he was." This realisation helped slaves invariably.ConclusionAlthough much of the evidence portrays the Romans as brutal, unforgiving and obsessed with violence, we must look at exactly why this is thought. When writers try to prove that the Romans were obsessed with violence, they often refer to: gladiatorial fights, chariot racing, wild beast hunts, and (mostly) the keeping of slaves. However, when you look at this list of 'entertainments', you see that they are all similar to things that have been/are done in the 'modern world'. Consider boxing - although the rules are more stringent and the boxers do not fight to the death, they do beat each other, causing long-term damage to both. This isn't all that different to gladiatorial fights! Chariot racing is very similar to motor racing, and today, people pay to hunt drugged animals in confined parks. Needless to say, the keeping of slaves continued well into the 19th Century. And although it can be said that the R...
