Did Christianity Turn Roman Slavery Upside Down? Maybe.

by Liisa Eyerly

When a novel is set in ancient Rome, it is almost impossible to avoid the subject of slavery. In the Roman Empire, slavery was everywhere. Some historians estimate that as many as one-third of the population was enslaved. Unlike slavery in early America, Roman slavery was not based on race. Masters and slaves were often the same ethnicity, spoke the same language, and sometimes even came from the same region. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f5/Livia%2C_the_wife_of_Augustus%2C_superintending.jpg?

Most Romans saw slavery as a normal part of life. 

Philosophers like Aristotle even argued that some people were “natural slaves.” He believed certain people were meant to do physical labor and were better off being ruled by others. Whether someone became enslaved through war, debt, or punishment, very few people questioned the system itself. Slavery helped power the Roman economy, its armies, and its growing empire. Faustyna E., CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Then Christianity entered the picture.

The writers of the New Testament never directly called for the end of slavery. The Apostle Paul still told slaves and masters how to live within the system that already existed. But Christianity introduced a dangerous new idea: before God, slave and free were equal. Paul wrote in Galatians 3:28 that in Christ “there is neither slave nor free.” In churches across the empire, slaves worshiped beside masters, shared the Lord’s Supper together, and called each other brothers and sisters. 

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To most Romans, this sounded absurd. Roman society depended on status, rank, and legal divisions. Christianity quietly challenged those divisions by teaching that a person’s value came from God, not from wealth or social position. 

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That tension appears throughout my novels set in places like Ephesus. In cities loyal to Rome, Christian communities created an uncomfortable gray area where slaves, merchants, soldiers, and nobles gathered as equals. Roman authorities did not always understand this movement, but they recognized it could weaken the social order that held the empire together, and began persecuting the followers of this strange religion.

Christianity did not end Roman slavery overnight. That would take centuries. But it planted ideas about human worth and equality that slowly began to crack the foundations of the system.  


                                                                                              Fortunes of Death

In the bustling streets of ancient Ephesus, fortunes can change in an instant. When one of the city’s wealthiest citizens is found crushed beneath his own triumphant memorial, the powerful elite demand justice—but at what cost? Enigmatic investigator Sabina faces her most perilous case yet. As secrets unravel and enemies close in, she must navigate political intrigue, dark sorcery, and forbidden love to uncover the truth. In a city where everyone has something to hide, who can be trusted? And how far will Sabina go to solve a mystery that could cost her everything?

Liisa’s books have been called a cross between Agatha Christie and Francine Rivers. Her mystery novel, Obedient Unto Death, won the Eric Hoffer First Horizon Award for a debut novel and first place in the Spiritual Fiction category. The sequel, Fortunes of Death, continues the Secrets of Ephesus series, weaving fascinating Christian twists into the historical mystery genre of the first-century Roman Empire. Liisa’s travels to Turkey, Greece, and Italy have enriched her stories with vivid depictions of New Testament culture, history, and people.

Liisa’s journey into writing proves it’s never too late to follow your dreams and share your passion with the world.

Purchase her books at:
Crossriver Media 

• Fortunes of Death
• Obedient Unto Death
• My Amazon book page

Visit Liisa at:
Her website www.LiisaEyerly.com
Author Facebook page at Liisa Eyerly Author page