Slaves were very important to the
ancient Greek way of life. Slaves cleaned and cooked, worked in the
fields, factories, shops, in the mines, and on ships. Even the
police force in ancient Athens was made up of slaves! Most
slaves lives were not that different from a poor Greek citizen's
life.
There were things
slaves could not do. They could not go to school, or enter politics,
or use their own name. They were given a name by the citizen who
owned them. They were the property of their owner, not citizens of
ancient Greece.
People became slaves
in many ways. Some people became slaves when captured in battle.
Some were the children of slaves. Some were Greek infants, abandoned
on a hill or at the gates of a town, left to die, or to be rescued
by someone passing by. Some children were sold into slavery by poor
families, and some children were kidnapped.
Slaves were so
important to the culture of ancient Greece, that some historians
believe there were as many slaves as citizens!
