How did slaves affect the daily Roman economy?
The economy of the early Roma Republic was largely based on smallholding and paid labor. However, foreign wars and conquests made slaves increasingly cheap and plentiful, and by the late Republic, the economy was largely dependent on slave labor for both skilled and unskilled work (Crystalinks, 2017). Many of the Romans population were slaves and others. Slaves are estimated to have constituted around 20% of the Roman Empire's population at this time and 40% in the city of Rome (Crystalinks, 2017).
Slaves were captured as the result of Roman wars; such that wherever there was were Romans victories, there would be new slaves. Slavery in the ancient world and in Rome was vital to the economy. Though slavery was present in households throughout the city, it was on the farms and plantations where it had its greatest effect.
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Usually, it is more preferable for a Roman slave to work as house servant unlike a life working in the mine. Based on this, slaves were engaged in enormous variety of activities that affected the Roman economy such as shepherds, estate managers, craftsmen, construction workers, miners, teachers, potters, and entertainers. Economically, slave labour was sustainable as slave wages were lower than those of free ones’ wages (Scheidel, W., 2010). Also there was no potential of higher turnover rate in slave labour unlike when free labours or free men were used. This increased production in the economy of Rome .Cheap slave labour replaced work of the average citizen and the rolls of the unemployed masses