Roman Slavery

After reading about the details of slavery in the Roman Empire it is amazing how the people viewed it as a right.  It's hard to believe that perception still exists today. I think the aspect that was most shocking is how the reading mentioned that if a Roman was murdered then his slaves would be executed as well for not doing enough to stop it. Their welfare was directly tied to their owner - the reading also mentioned suicide would also end the lives of the slaves. I wonder how this perception could even persist. Perhaps through the generations having slaves was normal, I wonder how many if any people questioned the consequences of slavery. Overall, I felt it was a little ironic that the dependence of slavery and the economy that was centered around it was ultimately a contributing aspect to the downfall of Rome. Ultimately, you would think other countries would have learned a lesson from the Romans, however it's evident that many didn't.