Rome, the Greek World, and the East, Vol. 2 - Government, Society, and Culture in the Roman Empire

chapterseven

Condemnation to Hard Labour in

the Roman Empire, from the

Julio-Claudians to Constantine

*

Introduction

Ina.d.258agroupofNumidianbishops,condemnedtotheminesoftheir
province,wroteasfollowstoCyprian,bishopofCarthage,atthatmoment
inexile:^1

ThereforetheywhowerecondemnedwithusgiveyoubeforeGodthe

greatestthanks,belovedCyprian,thatinyourletteryouhaverefreshed

their suffering breasts; have healed their limbs wounded with rods

[fustes]; have loosened their feet bound with fetters; have smoothed

thehairoftheirhalf-shornhead;haveilluminatedthedarknessofthe

dungeon;havebroughtdownthemountainsoftheminetoasmooth

surface;haveevenplacedfragrantflowerstotheirnostrilsandhaveshut

outthefoulodourofthesmoke.

Evenourscatteredandinadequateevidenceisenoughtomakeitclearthat
fromthesecondcenturyonwardscondemnationtohardlabourinminesor

*FirstpublishedinPBSR52(1984):123–47.Versionsofthischapterweregivenaslectures

attheInstitutdeDroitRomaininParis,inFebruary1980,andataconferenceon‘‘Ilregime
romanoelestruttureeconomicheesocialidell’imperoromano,’’heldattheBritishSchool
inRomeinMarch1983.Iamgratefulforcommentsandinformationtovariousmembers
oftheaudiences,especiallyAndreaCaradiniandJohnBodel;toPhilipStadterforrefer-
encesonthetattooingofslavesandconvicts;andtoRogerHood,ReaderinCriminology
atOxford,forsomeilluminatingquestionsandpoints.

1. Cyprian,Ep.77,3(trans.Wallis,1868,withcorrections);cf.alsoCyprian’sprevious
   lettertothem,76,2.

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