A paradox: slavery and democracy in the same time and place

 

A tiny remnant of ancient Greece in our school building – minus the slavery…

One of the reasons that I like history so much is that it is full of contradictions. Just when you think you know everything, have seen it all, you read some unexpected story or discover some absurdity. The story of history, like the story of any single person, is full of twists and turns, inconsistencies and moments (or long periods) of hypocrisy. Like slavery in ancient Athens. Now there’s a brilliant example.

The ancient Athenians are often praised for their contributions to the modern world, and yet in the midst of that seemingly free-thinking, creative society they kept thousands of slaves. Of course, so did the United States until 1865, even though they had written in the beautiful words of their Declaration of Independence in 1776 that “all men are created equal”. You can see what I mean about contradictions.

When I ask my students to describe slavery, they always say, “hard work, no pay, hardly any rights…” Then they do a double-take. “Hey!” they cry. “That sounds like us.”

But that’s an exaggeration. Your teachers don’t own you. Even your parents don’t. We adults must follow the rule of law in how we treat you. A slave, in contrast, has no rights. A slave is the legal property of another and is forced to obey the owner. The owner can oppress the slave, punish him and sometimes even kill him without any punishment.

Slavery is the topic you will be exploring today. Try to work hard. Like a slave.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryhistory/ancient_greeks/athens/

http://www.ancientgreece.co.uk/dailylife/explore/exp_set.html

What percentage of the people of Athens were slaves?
How did one become a slave? (There are several possibilities.)
What jobs were done by slaves? 

What do you think would be the most difficult aspect of being a slave? (put a thoughtful one-sentence answer into a comment)

Finally, try the “House Challenge” at this site, provided by the British Museum. You are not allowed to play this game until you have done the work above!

http://www.ancientgreece.co.uk/dailylife/challenge/cha_set.html

Kind regards from

Your friendly slave-driver,

Ms Green

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10 Replies to “A paradox: slavery and democracy in the same time and place”

  1. I am a slave I live in Athens a beautiful city state in Greece I am a slave at the bottom of the slave it’s all right the work isn’t too hard and the food edible put I hat the thought that I will never be anymore I will always be a slave nothing more I was a slave when I was born and I will be one when I die.

  2. To me the hardest aspect of being a slave would have been cleaning all the things they needed. I think this because there would not have been any soaps or ditergants.

  3. I think it would be waking up every morning know you have no rights or choices in life and that you arent free to make your own decisions freely.

  4. The worst part of a slave would have to be that you have to do anything your master says, and realising that you can’t have any rights, and are trapped, and don’t own your own life.

  5. I think the hardest aspect of being a slave would be doing the labour for the family and doing all the cleaning they need and then getting no money from doing all of their chores.

  6. I think the most difficult aspect was no freedom. It’s because they never finished their work. When they finished some of the work, they would have had even more to do.

  7. What do you think would be the most difficult aspect of being a slave?
    I think the most difficult thing for a slave is not owning their own life and living in a difficult and hard life.

  8. i think the hardest part being a slave was that when they told you to do something you HAD to do it no matter how hard or unpleasant. -James W

  9. The hardest aspect of being a slave would be the small amount of money that you would earn for doing the worst and most unpleasant jobs. Also that you would have to do anything that your owner would tell you to do.

  10. Being a slave you could not do things with your own brain. You had to do what your owner said.

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