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