Women who were enslaved often bore children who grew up to serve as slaves as well. These children were considered the property of the slave owner, and their labor would be exploited in various ways. This hereditary system contributed to the expansion of the slave population in the Roman Empire, as new generations of slaves were born into servitude.
Punishment for Crime
In some cases, individuals could be enslaved as a form of punishment for committing a crime. While the Roman legal system had specific punishments for certain offenses, one form of punishment for those found guilty of serious crimes, such as theft or rebellion, could be enslavement. This was often the case for individuals who were considered to have violated Roman laws or customs, and they could be forced into servitude either by the government or private citizens.
In the case of rebellion, entire populations could be enslaved as a form of collective punishment. The most famous example of this is the aftermath of Spartacus’s slave revolt (73-71 BCE), where thousands of rebellious slaves were crucified or sold into slavery as a deterrent for other slaves who might attempt similar uprisings. shutdown123