How Slavery was Practiced in the Ancient World

The problem of slavery has developed over time. In the quest by man to establish himself and establish control over other human beings, he sought to apply and forcefully seek the services of other people in what it was usually referred to as enslaving other people. Often, the enslaved in the society during the ancient times were the weak in the society. Wealthy business people and large farm owners often sought the services of slaves who worked for them for free. In the ancient world, slavery was practised through various means. Communities also valued slavery and applied it on the other people from the disadvantaged groups. As time sours in, the whole definition of slavery changed and encompassed several other practices ranging from domestic servants, war soldiers, and also the security guards.

One of the ways through which slavery was practised was applying it as a form of punishment. In the ancient times and especially in Greece, justice and punishing the wrongdoers was almost developed practised that captured and ruled how the society worked. Therefore, the wrongdoers in the community at this time were thoroughly punished for their mistakes. debt loans was openly practised in the ancient times and some cases parents could give away their children as slaves to work so that the debt could be written off. Prisoners of war were also the cheap source of slaves during the past. Wars and conflicts were part of the society in the ancient world. Communities, nations, and clans used to engage in combat with one another either as to expand their territories or as a form of revenge.

During this time, many people could be killed, and the wounded ones or those who had surrendered could be captured and taken by the enemy. The discovery of the new lands such as Africa was also the main reason behind the continuous rise in the demand for slavery during this time. Consequently, the hunt for slaves intensified and Africa became one of the primary sources for slaves. The development and the advancement t in sea transport and the development of large ships which could sail for longer distances and carrying many people also significantly initiated the demand for more and more slaves in Europe. This also helped in the slave trade business as more and more slaves routes were developed. Consequently, Africa became one of the hubs for slaves.

As these vices came to be known and felt all over the world, some states and Christina groups went up in arms against the whole issue of slavery. This pressure mounted on the extensive slave trade markets and consequently slave trade were abolished. Bibliographies Hall, Edith. , Proffitt, Laura. , Alston, Richard. , Alston, Richard. Reading Ancient Slavery. Bloomsbury Academic, 2011 This book explains the ancient slavery. It depicts and explains all the information on the ancient slavery. It highlights how various nations in the ancient times portrayed and understood the whole issue of slavery. All the explanations on the role of the Egyptian pharaohs in slavery and the need for slaves in agriculture in Mesopotamia. It is one of the rich historical books that capture the many developments over time in the Egyptian and Mesopotamia history in the context of slavery.