Slaves and Free Laborers in the Greco-Roman World

Some people who did the hard work in the ancient Mediterranean world worked for pay as free laborers. Many others worked for free as slaves. This essay explores the laws and customs of the ancient Greek and Roman worlds, and it opens a window into the daily lives of people at the bottom of the social pyramid.

Originally written as an introductory chapter for a multi-author book that never reached publication, this essay now stands alone as an introduction to part of the background of the New Testament.