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!    Free Ancient Greek PowerPoints Return to Ancient Greek Daily Life    To learn more about Ancient Greece, click on Apollo