The Pallor of Ancient Slaves

When we Americans think of slavery, we think of the heinous history of abuse perpetrated onto the peoples of West Africa during the 16th through 19th centuries

But in the ancient world, the majority of slaves were not African, but European.Few came from Africa at all. Why? Because slaves came from the regions Rome conquered and Rome never ventured further into Africa than Egypt and areas in today’s Algiers and Morocco.

As a result, most Roman slaves came from Greece, France, Spain, Germany, Turkey, Britain, Bulgaria, Romania, and even some of the outlying areas of Italy itself.

Why is the racial composition of ancient slaves useful to remember when talking to kids about history? Because, especially in the US, the default “picture” of slavery is of the people taken from West Africa.

Does it help to know it wasn’t always that way? That Rome never conquered (or even attempted to conquer) the powerful kingdom of Nubia, and that, therefore, there were relatively few ancient Nubian slaves?

The relevance to today’s understanding of slavery is important, I believe, because it addresses the specific (though often unconscious) American misperception—that all slaves were black and that this was true throughout history.

It’s like when I talked to my kids about the Holocaust. Being Jewish, I saw the panic in their eyes when they first learned about it—“Will they do this to us? Why do people hate us so? Are we vulnerable?”

I told them that attempted genocide was not a unique experience to the Jews but that sadly, it’s the story of mankind. From indigenous people to specific groups in Cambodia, Bosnia, Rwanda and, currently, Darfur, attempted genocide is not a Jewish problem but a human one.

Similarly, my hope would be that children studying history would learn that slavery was not only the victimization of a single people during a specific period of time, but a terrible reality throughout all of history. A reality that still continues today in pockets of the world. A reality that we are all obligated to help destroy once and for all.

For more info on modern slavery, go to: www.freetheslaves.net/

"Thanks for Fighting! Here's your...Fly?"

Imagine you are an ancient Egyptian or Nubian warrior, returning victorious from battle. People line the streets screaming with joy upon your return.

You take a knee in front of your Pharaoh. You are choked up because finally—finally—you will receive the golden Amulet of Honor you have been dreaming about since you were a boy.

Only the best warriors earn this amulet. Is it a roaring lion? A hissing cobra? A chomping crocodile? Nope. It’s something better.

With trembling hands you take your golden ceremonial...fly.

No lie.

The highest honor for an Egyptian or Nubian warrior was a fly. Why? Turns out the flies in Egypt and in the Sudan are relentless.

They dog you until you beg for mercy. And then when you do, they call all their friends and harass you until you either die or go insane, whichever comes first.

So while to us, earning a “Fly” seems a little weird—if not downright giggle-worthy—to the ancient Egyptians and Nubians, it was recognition of a warrior’s relentless pursuit and defeat of his enemy.

Go flyboys!

PS: Thanks to Rick Riordan for mentioning learning about the Fly during the tour we did together at the fabulous Michael C. Carlos Museum on his blog last week (http://tinyurl.com/2u27cvs). How cool would it be if a fly amulet shows up in one of his books later?