Work Text
salvēte, lēctores!I am continually being asked for advice on handling slaves, or to explain some piece of etiquette to do with slaves. I will include as much information as possible here, and shall likely expand on it in future.Let us start at the very beginning, with buying a slave. vernae are registered at the age of six - the word used to refer specifically to slaves born in the house in which they served, but has now come to apply to any slave born in servitude, as opposed to those slaves who came to servitude later. vernae do not generally come onto the market much before the age of eight. It is most common these days to find that those vernae being sold for the first time are between the ages of ten or eleven and about sixteen; when they are old enough to be useful and young enough to be trained to the new owner’s specifications.Buying a slave - why you should make them strip and what to look for
Slaves are most commonly sold already nude; if they are not naked, you should insist on seeing them stripped. You can then inspect for any scars (indicating injuries, whether old or more recently healed; it is not always easy to assess from a written record how injuries may affect a slave’s performance) as well as get a more general impression of the slave’s overall health. You can also see whether the pretty boy that has taken your fancy is intact - castration is illegal, but that does not mean that it does not happen. All castrated slaves become free on entering Rome (and some of the other large cities in the West of the Empire; the situation is more fraught in the East). If you find a castrated male for sale, you are obligated to report it to SIPAS (which you may do anonymously, should you choose to).
Unless you have immediate access to the slave’s dental records, you should also examine the teeth.The occasions are rare where you will not be expected to haggle, but will be expected to cough up the asking price without quibbling. In most cases, the initial asking price is higher than the slave’s actual value and the dealer will take you for a fool if you simply pay it without negotiating. As a rule, you should expect to pay about 800 ses for an eight-year-old, and 10,000 for a skilled secretary or puer dēlicātus, with a house slave at about three or four thousand. Untrained nexi and rei sell for a thousand, maybe two thousand - and more if they have skills you can make use of, despite being untrained as slaves.It is possible for you to add your own fingerprints to the database for ease of buying and selling, although it is not necessary. Both the buyer and seller (naturally, either may be represented by an authorised intermediary) must complete the sale form, and the slave being sold must add his fingerprint at the time of sale. You may wish to note that any slaves recently imported will have their feet chalked white; this is a tradition from millennia ago, although the precise reason for doing so has been lost to the mists of time.You should check the slave’s records before purchasing them, of course. Any ne prostituatur agreement will be listed there, and remember that such an agreement is binding for the entire duration of a slave’s servitude. Also listed will be a full description of the slave, including any piercings, brands, scars or tattoos, which you should match to the stripped slave on inspection. Any medications and health conditions will be listed, too, so that you may better consider whether the slave is truly value for money. (I have not yet seen a slave for sale whose medications and healthcare costs more than she does, but it may yet happen - and you do not want it to happen to you. caveat emptor, as the saying goes.)Furniture, and the etiquette of kneeling
It you have spent any time at all in the Empire, you will be aware of various rules of etiquette which are adhered to in a greater or lesser degree depending on where in the Empire you are, the occasion and the social ranks of the free people in attendance.Most notably, slaves will not be permitted to sit in the presence of the free, unless on a very informal occasion when they may be allowed to sit on a stool. The exceptions will be slaves whose employment requires them to use a computer or desk, although even these will be expected to stand if they are addressed directly, or if they otherwise come to the attention of the free - a slave should never come to the direct attention of anyone save their master, when in the natural course of their work. They should certainly not be allowed to presume to place themselves on a level with free persons of any rank; even a member of the proletariat is infinitely above a slave.Slaves should stand neatly out of the way (especially in domestic settings or when citizens are conversing out in the Forum or other public space). Kneeling is more than acceptable, especially if the slave is a personal attendant or has some reason for wishing to demonstrate their subservience. All slaves should be taught how to prostrate themselves, according to their allotted role. This position is rarely required, but when it is, it is far too late to train a slave in how to adopt it neatly.They should address their master quietly and unobtrusively, waiting for a break in the conversation if he is with another citizen. They should never interrupt or do anything to draw attention to themselves. Drawing the attention of a citizen who is not their master, for any reason other than to pass on a message, should be something to dread.Verbal and non-verbal commands
Most instructions will be given verbally, especially if the instruction is a sequence - “Do this, and when you have done so, do that, then return here.” Very simple commands may be issued wordlessly - a simple snap of the fingers to alert the slave and instruct him to give you the tabula he is holding, for instance. Holding out your cup at dinner should be all the instruction a slave requires so that you do not need to interrupt your conversation just to order the slave to pour you more wine.Instructions should be clear. Especially when dealing with a new or nervous slave, one who does not yet know your tastes, you should eliminate all need for him to make a choice. “Fetch me a sandwich and a drink” may sound a simple enough instruction to you, but if your new slave has been rescued from an abusive household (which does happen!), it is likely to send him into a panic - what sort of sandwich? What sort of drink? Do you like coffee? How should he make it - weak or strong, with sugar or not? A slave you have owned for ten years will do better with this instruction. For your new acquisition, it will be better all round if you can say, “Fetch me a cheese sandwich and a cup of coffee - strong, with a little milk and no sugar.” Clear precise instructions will save you time in the long run - and probably help you keep your temper into the bargain, saving your slave much grief.Why you might consider a collar
I shall just give you a brief reminder that there is no law requiring you to collar your slaves; whether you do, or not, is a matter of personal choice.
While there are many designs of collar, there are only two real reasons for making your slave wear one: to indicate that he is a slave, or to indicate that he has a medical issue of some description, and that he is a slave. Medicollars look very similar to ordinary collars but bear a stylised depiction of Aesculapius’ staff, with a tag engraved with a brief description of the medical condition or the slave’s registration number and telephone number to call for basic details of the condition and its medication.Most airlines operating within the Empire require slaves to be collared, for ease of identification in case of an accident - as a slave cannot hold identity documents (not having an identity as a legal person), and the master will usually hold his slaves’ travel permits, it makes identifying slave and free much quicker and allows the relevant parties to be notified sooner.Collars come in several designs, the most common of which are leather bands, or chains. Leather ones may be locked on, or not, the chain variety is practically always fastened with a padlock - there exist slimline locks which appear to be merely single links of chain when locked, allowing the locked collar to appear as a single unbroken ring of chain links. Some slimline links take the form of a heart which allow for a tag to be hung from them, detailing the slave’s registration number, the master’s name, and a contact method (usually a phone number). Whatever type you choose, there are numerous colour options to choose from, and almost as many styles. There are also more unusual styles, for those who wish their collars to look more like jewellery, a trend I personally do not understand; if you are going to collar your slave, surely you wish it to be obvious?I do not require all my slaves to wear collars. My secretary does, because I choose to take him with me on business trips and I have no wish to collar him simply for a flight out and a flight back, so he wears one permanently.When slaves run away
If one of your slaves absconds, you will need to sit down and consider your overall treatment of your slaves. Has this particular slave been troublesome in the past? Was there any warning he might choose to seek a new master - and that is what running away is. The days are long past when a slave could run away to seek his freedom; the slave database has made sure of that.You will need to be very certain of why the slave ran and what you should change so that nobody else will wish to abscond, for SIPAS looks into these cases, to check whether it is merely a disaffected slave or if there is something deeper going on.If you find yourself on the other side of the coin and a runaway seeks sanctuary at your household shrine, you have three working days to do something about it. Find out why he ran away, and what he wants to happen. Contact the Slave Management Bureau to arrange for sale, preferably to an owner in a different area, and contact SIPAS to look into the situation the slave ran from. Slaves who run are not rewarded for doing so, but it is a legal action that they are permitted to take, one of very few open to them. It should not be encouraged, of course, simply dealt with when it occurs - and slaves run away far less often than you might expect, especially since the establishment of the database.Discipline and punishment
I have written about this elsewhere, but broadly speaking, slaves should be trained by use of positive methods (the use of pet names where applicable, treats, extra pecūlium on occasion) and the withdrawing of these things should be your first line of punishment. If your slave is used to hearing you address him fondly, a firm disapproving note in your voice should give him pause.
Did you purchase the correct slave for the purpose you are using him?
Is he properly trained and incentivised - are you using the correct rewards and punishments for this slave?
Is he being supervised properly? (You will be amazed how much damage bad supervision can do to the smooth running of a household.)
Is the slave informed correctly?
If the answer is yes to all of these points, the slave should be punished - in proportion to the crime committed. If not, correct what went wrong. The slave should be punished but not so harshly, and what went wrong must be put right or the slave will grow demoralised and hopeless of ever winning favour with you, because he will fail over and over again.
Reward publicly, chastise in private. When I give out the regular dole of pecūlium it is in front of the household. I choose to punish those who need it in front of those who witnessed the error, but nobody else, although where the punishment is physical, the chastised slaves are given a period of reflection, during which the results of the punishment (the welts from a caning, for example, or the red bottom from a paddling) are to be displayed.
If your first recourse is to reach for a paddle or command a slave to strip for a spanking, you have missed the myriad benefits that come from rewarding good behaviour. If the only way a slave will ever get your attention is to act badly, that is what she will do. Notice their work, when applicable - I conduct a full inspection of the house every month and require a detailed report from my household steward. This is not a military inspection, with everything painted and polished, but an inspection of how things are working. The slaves should only stop what they are doing as I enter a room, and are expected to reply truthfully to any questions I may have. Lying should always be punished when you catch it, of course.
Punishments should be consistent but, where possible, tailored to the individual slave - one may find a paddling erotic while another may hate it (though even the one that likes it will dislike a correctly administered punishment paddling). Rewards are more easily tailored, though very few slaves will turn down a sweet treat.
Hobbies, and why you should encourage them
Even in the best-regulated households, slaves cannot serve 24 hours a day and must have some time to themselves - perhaps especially in the best-regulated households. Even if that time is as little as an hour a day, once meals and sleep have been factored in, slaves should be allowed some time to relax. If you own more than one slave, you should find space for a communal area for them. It may be furnished with items no longer suitable for the public areas of the house - a battered couch and stained table will be of use to them. If you permit them to have reading material, somewhere to store it would be welcome. My own slaves’ break room has a TV as well, though limited to programs suitable for slaves. The household takes in Ave! serve every month and the back issues constitute a small library, along with other suitable reading material.
If your slave has a hobby, there is no need to discourage it if it is suitable for a slave to pursue; some nexi and rei may have to be guided into appropriate hobbies. Knitting and other crafts are nearly always permissible, and the products may be sold so that the slave can add to her pecūlium. If the income is greater than the expenditure, then she may be required to buy her own materials, if not, you could consider setting up a hobbies fund that all the household has access to.
Selling and freeing slaves
As a considerate owner, you will end your relationship with your slaves in one of three ways: They die (of old age rather than mistreatment, naturally), you free them, or you choose to sell them for whatever reason. We shall take the last case first.
As a private seller, you may choose to sell your slaves privately or to or through a dealer. In the latter case, be aware that dealers will expect a cut of the profits as a commission for handling your sale for you, and to cover expenditure on food while the slave was in their keeping.
I do not recommend using a dealer for any but the most hardened or lazy slaves, those who are absolutely incorrigible. Let us not speculate on why you may have ended up with such a creature.
I would recommend private sales, both for selling and for buying. If you wish to advertise, there are websites where you may place your ad, and papers such as Acta Diurna and the Tribune would be my recommendation. Anyone may sell a slave, of course, but (as with buying) be aware that the slave must add their fingerprint at the time of sale, or the sale will be refused.
When it comes to freeing a slave, it will require witnesses. You may choose to take a trip to the law-court, but that is not necessary if the witnesses are full citizens. If the slave in question is a reus, you must free him on the last day of his service, by law, unless that day falls on a festival or diēs āter, in which case you are permitted to do so on the first day afterwards that the courts are open.
If you choose to go to court, you may take your friend or client to act as a witness, although the court clerk is allowed to witness the freeing of a slave.
If freedom is the result of a slave purchasing himself, he may be listed as the buyer - this is, incidentally, the only time a slave may buy a slave without being entered into the system as having his master’s authority to do so. Your fingerprint or signature will be required as the seller, and his as both the purchaser and the slave being sold. In this case, another box will pop up for a witness to sign or place their fingerprint, and the funds will transfer from the Pecūlium Fund to your account.
You must then deny owning the slave, the witness will agree and sign, and your slave is now your client.
If the freeing of the slave is for any reason other than his purchasing his freedom, you will find the relevant forms listed under his name in your account. They are quite simple to fill out, requiring your information, the slave’s fingerprint and the fingerprint or signature of a witness.
However the slave is freed, the completed forms (and any Slave Travel Permits you hold for your ex-slave) must be forwarded to the Bureau of Slave Management, although the database updates automatically to register that the slave is now a freedman and your client. He still owes you certain duties, and you still have obligations towards him, but your relationship now is fundamentally changed, as he is now, in all legal senses, a person and not an object.
Recommended books
Master and Patron: A Citizen’s Duty in Today’s Society by T. Vebidius Astyanax, Tamesis Press, 2 ses
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Slave Ownership by M. Junius Polybius and Gn. Castus Longinus (eds), Iron Hand Press, 2 ses
Principles of Effective Household Management by D. Victorinus Crescens and Tullia Petra (with Gratus, D Victorino Crescens servus)
Seven Habits of Highly Effective Slave Owners by Stephenos Coveius Pollio, Rosetta Books, 2 ses
Rewards and Discipline: Effective Methods for Training Slaves by Ti. Flavius Iucundus, Catenis Books, 3 ses
How Slaves Think: The Psychology of Human Property by Rufilla Salvia, Athene Press, 3 ses
Rome’s Modern Slave Culture: A History of the Servile Class by A. Ovidius Philippus, TransTiber Press, 2 ses
So You’re Thinking of Buying a Slave: An Introduction to Slave Ownership by Dr. Varius Metellus, Iron Hand Press, 1 ses
Obedience Training for New Slaves: Guiding reluctant slaves into service by L. Caprenuis Martinus and Fl. Caeparius Crassus, Danae Press, 2 ses