32
TheIslamicateContext
India,
mobilizedtheWestGothicarmy,paid
theRomansoldiers
their
wages,
beatdrums
in both
early
Islamic timesand
the
AmericanCivilWar,dug
trenchesandhauled
supplies
inPeru,
caredforhorses
in
Muscovy,
or
generally
supplied
"corvfielabors
in
and
aboutthe
camps.
’’3
InancientAthens,
"slaves
helppre-
pare
thefood, actas
guides,
rescue woundedmen,serve
as
atendantstogenerals,carryimportantmessages,
butitisascar-
riersofbaggage,
shield-bearers,andcaretakersingeneral
ofthe
armor
of
hoplites
that
they
aremostfrequently
mentioned.
’’38
In the AmericanWar of
Independence,
"the
typical Negro
servedwith
the
infantry.
Oftenhewasanon-arms-bearing
in-
fantryman,
detailedfor
duty
asanorderly
or
assigned
tofunc-
tionsin
support
ofcombat
operations.
’’39
Slavestended
tobe
assigned
theless
pleasant
duties:
"Americansoldiersgenerally
disliked
assignment
to
the
wagon,commissary
orforage
services,
henceitwas
notunusualfor
Negroes
tofindthemselves
enrolled
inthese
departments.
’’4
Although
slavesin
supportpositions
usually stayed
behind
thelinesanddid notenterthebattle,
sometimes
thebattlecametothem.When
theirsidelost,
they
hadtodefend
themselves;
41
ifitwon,
they
might
"scourthebat-
tlefield
for
enemy
soldierstoexecute,"asin
Peru.
4
Even when slaves
participated
in the fighting
itself,
they
tendednotto
join
the
regulararmy
butfilledawidevariety
of
ancillary
functions.
Theyfrequentlyspied
and
piloted;
a
they
Philological
Association
97
(1966):
35-44,agrees.
M.Chantraine,"Kaiserliche
Sklavenimr6mischenFl6ttendienst,"
Chiron
(1971):
253-65;
J.
M.Libourel,
"GalleySlavesin
theSecondPunicWar,"
Classical
Philology
68
(1973):
116-19;
I.Bie2ufiska-Mowist,L’Esclavage
dansl’Egyptegrkco-romaine.
Premibre
pattie:
Priodeptolmaque
(Breslau,1974),pp.81-82.
Atlantic:AR,
p.
ix.
- India:Chanana,p.
41.WestGoths:Rothenh6fer,
p.
25.Rome:Barrow,p.
148.Early
Islam:MDh,4:43.U.S.:AR,
p.
77.Peru:
Bowser,
p.
309.
Muscovy:
Hellie,
Enserfment,pp.
290
n.
119,
368 n.167.Corve:Westermann,
p.
37;Pares,
p.
254.
38.
Sargent,p.
203.
39.AR,
p.
75.
40.AR,p.
77;also
Hay,p.
36;Goveia,
p.
219.
41.Greece:Garlan,
pp.
45-48;Sargent,p.207.
42.Bowser,
p.
9.
43.Rome:Barrow,p.
148.U.S.:AR,
pp.
94-97,142-44(Britishuse);CW,pp.
87-88.