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Slave Jobs Page
Below you shall find a list of available jobs which slaves were capable of performing in Ancient Rome. Most show both the singular and plural forms of the word with the singular what would most likely be shown in your tags. Among other things your chores as well as day to day roleplay would of necessity revolve around your chosen 'profession', so you really need to give some thought as to what you need to know or learn in order to r/p this as realistically as possible when making that choice. Again, as stated at the end of this page this list is hardly definitive or finite and if you wish to explore something not found here, get together with thor {Imperial} and we shall do our best to see about making it possible for you. Be sure and reload/refresh this page often to
check for updates and additions.
Actore, Actoris:
N M agent for their Master or Mistress' household
Agaso, Agasonis: N M driver, groom, stableboy; lackey, serving-man Adversitor, Adversitoris: N M one who goes to meet another; slave who went to meet/accompany master home Alipilus, Alipili: N M slave who plucked the hair from armpits of bathers aka a depiliatory slave Alipta, Aliptae, Aliptes, Aliptae: N M one who anoints and massages; manager of wrestlers/athletes, the aliptae were slaves who scrubbed and anointed their masters in the baths. The aliptae took advantage of the knowledge they necessarily acquired of the state of the muscles of the athletae, and their general strength or weakness of body, to advise them as to their exercises and mode of life. They were thus a kind of medical trainer. Sometimes they would superintend their master's exercises. Analecta, Analectae: N M slave who collected crumbs/scraps/gleanings after a meal Ancilla, Ancillae: N F slave girl; female slave; maid servant; handmaid; (used as a shameful derogatory of a man) Analecta, Analectae: m. a dining room slave, those that served the diners their food and drink Ancilla, Ancillae: f. maidservant, female slave Anteambulo, Anteambulones: were slaves who were accustomed to go before their masters, in order to make way for them through the crowd. They usually called out date locum domino meo; and if this were not sufficient to clear the way, they used their hands and elbows for that purpose. Aquarius, Aquaria, Aquarii, Aquariolus, Aquarioli: N M were slaves who carried water for bathing, &c. into the female apartments (perhaps for prostitutes). This also applied to slaves who had the care of the fountains and ponds in gardens. Artificers, Artifex, Artificis:
N C artist, actor; craftsman; master of an art; author, maker
Atriarius, Atriarii: N M house-servant, house-slave; porter, door-keeper Atriensis, Atriensis: N M steward; servant in charge of household administration, major-domo; house-slave; head slave Aureax, Aureacis, Auriga,
Aurigae: N M charioteer, driver; groom, ostler; helmsman
Balneaus: a slave who tended bathers in the Roman Baths Cacula, Caculae: N M soldier's servant/slave, batman, orderly; servant Capsarius, Capsari(i): N M slave who had the care of and carried his young master's bookcase/satchel; who minded clothes at bath; satchelmaker. Also those who took care of the clothes of persons while bathing in the public baths. Cellarius, Cellarii, Cellariarius,
Cellariarii: N M keeper of a larder/cellar; steward, butler,
cellarer, storekeeper. A Cellarius' work is primarily done in the
Chirurgus, Chirurgi: N M surgeon Cistellatrix, Cistellatricis: N F woman/slave in charge of the clothes chests or wardrobe; (or money-box) Coqua, Coquae Coquula,
Coquulae: N F cook (female);
Cosmeta, Cosmetae:
N M woman's valet; slave responsible for the adornment of his mistress
Cubicularius, Cubiculari(i): N M valet-de-chambre, bed-chamber servant; chamberlain, head of chamber servants Cunaria, Cunariae:
N F baby-sitter, nanny; attendant for infants
Dator, Datoris: N M patron; slave who hands the ball to the player in a game Dispensator, Dispensatoris, Dispensatores: N M steward; attendant; treasurer Diurnarius, Diurnarii: N M diary-keeper; slave who must copy the acta diurna (day-by-day records) Dulciarius,Dulciaria, Dulciarii: makers of candy, sweets, confectioners Famula, Famulae: a female slave, handmaid Fullo, Fullones: N M a slave used to clean clothes in a Fullonica or clothes cleaning establishment (see the Section on the main site subsection under Roman Life for Clothes) Lecticarius, Lecticari(i): N M litter-bearer Medens, Medentis:
N M physician, doctor
Nomenclator, Nomenclatoris:
N M one who address person by name; slave who anounced guests/or
the dishes being presented at a dinner
Obstetrix, Obstetricis: N F midwife Ornatrix, Ornitrice: N F a female slave who performs as a combo cosmetician/hairdresser/fashion consultant. Her duties would include hair care including the plucking out of gray hairs and dying or bleaching as well as washing, cutting and styling hair, the depilation of unwanted body hair, cosmetics application and help in the picking out of clothes and jewelry to wear as well as help in the removal of all of this and if wished the application of facials and face masques before her mistress went to bed. Ostiarius, Ostiaria, Ostiarii: N M porter, doorkeeper Paedagogus, Paedagogi: m. a slave who accompanied children to and from school Pediseca, Pedisecae, Pedissequa,
Pedissequae, Pedisequa, Pedisequae: N F female attendant waiting
woman, waitress, handmaiden
Penus, Penia, Peni: N C a slave who sees after the provisions, food; stock of a household; storeroom in temple of Vesta Pistor, Pistores: N M miller/baker Procurator, Procuratoris, Procuratores: N M manager, overseer; agent, deputy; the slaves who had the charge of the different stores, and who correspond to our housekeepers and butlers, also stewards and bailiffs Promus, Promi: N M butler; steward Salmentarus, Salmentara, Salmentarii: picklers, preservers with salt, brine, vinegars, spices Tonsor, Tonsorii:
N M a male slave who performs the duties of a barber. His duties
would include the cutting of the hair and beard, hair styling, sprinkling
the hair with paint and perfume, rubbing the cheeks with creams and covering
up skin irregularities with small, round pieces of sticking plaster (splentia
lunata). Romans didn't shave theirselves even the slaves patronized a tonsor
and both razors and scissors were made of iron, which made both the cutting
of hair and shaving off of the beard a rather interesting adventure.. at
the least an intense one.
Villica, Villicae:
N F wife of a farm overseer;
Volo, Volones, Volonis: N M was the term taken after the time when during the second Punic war after the battle of Cannae there was not a sufficient number of freedmen to complete the army, about 8000 young and able-bodied slaves offered to serve. Their proposal was accepted; they received armour at the public expense, and as they distinguished themselves they were honoured with the franchise and later used whenever slaves chose or were allowed to take up arms in defence of their masters, which they were the more willing to do, as they were generally rewarded with the franchise.
SPECIAL CLASSES OF SLAVES Literati: literary slaves, were used for various purposes by their masters, either as readers [anagnostae], copyists or amanuenses [librarii, amanuensis], &c. Complete lists of all the duties performed by slaves are given in the works of Pignorius, Popma, and Blair (if anyone has access to or can point the webslave to some of these works please give a hollar to the gladiatore email for Rome). Ad Manum Servus, A Manu Servus, Amanuensis: N C a slave, or freedman, whose office it was to write letters and other things under his master's direction. The amanuensis must not be confounded with another sort of slaves, also called ad manum servi, who were always kept ready to be employed in any business Anagnostes, Anagnostae: N M reader, one who reads aloud, slave trained to read aloud Librarius, Librari(i):
N M copyist, secretary;
Scriptores Librarii: were Librarii who were employed in copying books, called by Horace (Ars Poët. 354). These librarii were called in later times antiquarii. Isidore (l.c.) says that the librarii copied both old and new books, while the antiquarii copied only old books. Becker (Gallus, vol.i p164), however, thinks that, when the cursive character came into general use, the name of antiquarii was applied to the copyists who transcribed books in the old uncial character. The name of librarii was also given to those who bound books, and to those who had the care of libraries. Librarii A Studiis: were slaves who were employed by their masters when studying to make extracts from books, etc. To this class the notarii, or short-hand writers, belonged, who could write down rapidly whatever their masters dictated to them. [see Notarius below] Librarii Ab Epistolis:
whose principal duty was to write letters from their master's dictation.
To this class belonged the slaves called Ad Manum, A Manu, or amanuenses.
[see Amanuensis above]
Notarius, Notari(i): N M writer of shorthand, stenographer... short-hand writers, were generally slaves or freedmen, and are spoken of under NOTA. They were likewise called Actuarii. They were also employed by the emperors, and in course of time the title of Notarii was exclusively applied to the private secretaries of the emperors, who, of course, were no longer slaves, but persons of high rank. The short-hand writers were now called exceptores, as is remarked under NOTA. On the reorganisation of the empire by Constantine, the Notarii were constituted into a kind of imperial chancery, who, in addition to their regular duties, were frequently employed by the emperor on important public missions. The first of them in rank was called Primicerius Notariorum, and the second, Secundicerius Notariorum. Others were called tribuni et notarii, and another class domestici et notarii, who probably acted specially as private secretaries of the emperors. Others again who served under the Praefecti Praetorii, were called Notarii Praetoriani Actuarius, Actuari(i):
N M short-hand writer, clerk, account/book-keeper, secretary
Slaves were divided into many various classes: the first division was into public or private. The former belonged to the state and public bodies, and their condition was preferable to that of the common slaves. They were less liable to be sold, and under less control than ordinary slaves: they also possessed the privilege of the testamenti factio to the amount of one half of their property, which shows that they were regarded in a different light from other slaves. Scipio, therefore, on the taking of Nova Carthago, promised 2000 artizans, who had been taken prisoners and were consequently liable to be sold as common slaves, that they should become public slaves of the Roman people, with a hope of speedy manumission, if they assisted him in the war. Public slaves were employed to take care of the public buildings, and to attend upon magistrates and priests. Thus the Aediles and Quaestors had great numbers of public slaves at their command, as had also the Triumviri Nocturni, who employed them to extinguish fires by night. They were also employed as lictors, jailors, executioners, watermen, &c. (cf. Gessner, De Servis Romanorum publicis, Berlin, 1844). When there was a large number of slaves in one house, they were frequently divided into decuriae, but independent of this division they were arranged in certain classes, which held a higher or a lower rank according to the nature of their occasion. These classes are: Ordinarii, Vulgares, Mediastini, and Quales-Quales (Dig.47 tit.10 s15), but it is doubtful whether the Literati or literary slaves were included in any of these classes. Those called Vicarii are spoken of above. Ordinarii: seem to have been those slaves who had the superintendence of certain parts of the housekeeping. They were always chosen from those who had the confidence of their master, and they generally had certain slaves under them. To this class the actores, procuratores and dispensatores belong, who occur in the familia rustica as well as the familia urbana, but in the former are almost the same as the villici. They were stewards or bailiffs. To the same class also belong the slaves who had the charge of the different stores, and who correspond to our housekeepers and butlers: they are called cellarii, promi, condi, procuratores peni, &c. [see above for various descriptions] Vulgares: included the great body of slaves in a house who had to attend to any particular duty in the house, and to minister to the domestic wants of their master. As there were distinct slaves or a distinct slave for almost every department of household economy, as bakers (pistores), cooks (coqui), confectioners (dulciarii), picklers (salmentarii), &c. it is unnecessary to mention these more particularly. This class also included the porters (Ostiarii), the bed-chamber slaves [cubicularii], the litter-bearers (lecticarii) [see above for descriptions of the slave jobs here], and all personal attendants of any kind. Mediastini
Quales-Quales: are only mentioned in the Digest (l.c.), and appear to have been the lowest class of slaves, but in what respects they differed from the Mediastini is doubtful: Becker (Gallus, vol.i p125) imagines they may have been a kind of slaves, qualiquali conditione viventes, which however does not give us any idea of their duties or occasions. However when looking at the definition for the word... Qualis, Qualis, Quale:
ADJ POS what kind/sort/condition (of); what is (he/it) like; what/how excellent
a!
...several different suppositions may be broached. The first and most obvious is that these slaves were new to the household and perhaps to slavery itself, therefore their qualities or potential were not as yet determined, much like the training level for slaves in Rome. In fact, these slaves may indeed be in training for another level or type of slave position and just not have reached a satisfactory level of proficiency in order to have been given such a designation. They, like the Mediastini may at this stage be used more as the lowest denominator of the sort of slave job they are in training for.. such as dishwasher if wanted to work in the kitchen etc.
So, we hope this listing of jobs and positions has been helpful and enough of a choice for you to know what you may want to do in Rome. It is far from being a complete or definitive one and in fact, often slaves were able to be anything that the free citizen could as long as it wasn't some sort of high title or authority like a Senator etc. It all depended on their training and profession sometimes before being enslaved, as in the case of those who had been Scribes or Physicians etc. or what their new Owners felt they were capable of learning which was needed at that time in a slave. So, if you know of a profession you may wish to try, but don't see listed here let thor know in an email or in the room and he'll see about getting you situated if it's at all possible.
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