Synopses & Reviews
Marcus Sidonius Falx is just an average Roman citizen. Born of a relatively well-off noble family, he lives on a palatial estate in Campania, dines with senators and generals, and, like all of his ancestors before him, owns countless slaves. Having spent his entire life studying how best to exploit and control the slaves on his landmany of them prisoners of war from Romes numerous conquestsFalx decided to write an owners manual of sorts for his friends and countrymen.
The result, coauthored” by Dr. Jerry Toner, a distinguished historian at Cambridge, is The Roman Guide to Slave Management, which offers an unvarnished and, believe it or not, darkly comic tour of Roman institutional slavery. Falx explains where and how to buy slaves even though the practice is officially banned throughout the Empire, how to tell a productive slave from a problematic one, and what to do in the event of an uprising. He also offers guidance on the delicate subject of when you should let your slaves engage in amorous relations with each otheror with their master. Provocative and uncompromising, this is the Roman Empire as youve never seen it before.
Review
“Thought provoking . . . written in a tone that feels both educated and archaically brutal . . . [Toners] history and commentary provides context for the dirty institution upon which modern civilization is built.” —
Publishers WeeklySynopsis
Having spent most of his life managing his servants--many of them prisoners from Rome's military conquests--he decided to write a kind of owner's manual for his friends and countrymen. The result, , is a sly, subversive guide to the realities of servitude in ancient Rome. Cambridge scholar Jerry Toner uses Falx, his fictional but true-to-life creation, to describe where and how to Romans bought slaves, how they could tell an obedient worker from a troublemaker, and even how the ruling class reacted to the inevitable slave revolts. Toner also adds commentary throughout, analyzing the callous words and casual brutality of Falx and his compatriots and putting it all in context for the modern reader. Written with a deep knowledge of ancient culture--and the depths of its cruelty--this is the Roman Empire as you've never seen it before.
Synopsis
Marcus Sidonius Falx is an average Roman citizen. Born of a relatively well-off noble family, he lives on a palatial estate in Campania, dines with senators and generals, and, like all of his ancestors before him, owns countless slaves.
About the Author
Jerry Toner is Fellow and Director of Studies in Classics at Churchill College, Cambridge. He is the author of Roman Disasters, Homer's Turk, and Popular Culture in Ancient Rome.Mary Beard is a Cambridge professor and author of more than a dozen books, including Confronting the Classics.