From Property to Person: Rome’s Shifting Social Order by Liisa Eyerly

In my previous two blogs, I explored the all-important status ladder of ancient Rome. I use the term ladder because people could move up and down in rank, standing, and station. This included slaves who were legally considered property, not persons, with no legal rights. A slave could be punished, sold, abused, or killed at the whim of their owner. Physical labor on farms, in mines, in brothels, or on galley ships. included neglect, abuse, and often a short lifespan. Charles William Bartlett, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons  

Enslavement was harsh, but in ancient Rome, it was not always permanent. In my mystery novel Obedient Unto Death, I introduce this complex, layered reality through Sabina's childhood nurse, who, despite their emotional bond and trust, remained enslaved. And Sabina's father's freedman and spy-master, who was freed in a legal process called manumission and was trusted with the family's most dangerous secrets. 

Roman ships- its rise and fall; a text-book for high schools and colleges (1900) (14598250937).jpg via Wikimedia Commons

People enslaved in cities—especially those working in businesses, possessing education or marketable skills, or serving within a household—had a greater chance of gaining freedom than those relegated to hard physical labor.

Freedom was viewed as an incentive for loyal and hardworking slaves, and owners saw freed slaves as investments, future clients, and business partners. A Roman woman dressed and groomed by her slaves via Wikimedia Commons

Freedom was often granted as a reward for dedicated service, when an owner died, or occasionally when a bond formed, such as between Senator Marcus Tullius Cicero and Tiro, his personal secretary and archivist. Manumission elevated the freed slave to Roman citizen status, allowing them to outrank a freeborn person from Roman provinces within Spain, Greece, or Asia Minor.

*They could legally marry *Own property and do business *Were protected under Roman law
Marcus Tullius Cicero.jpg via Wikimedia Commons

Freedmen were considered lower-status than freeborn citizens, but they maintained obligations to their former owners in a client/patron relationship. Freedmen and freedwomen often continued in the same roles they had held in slavery, working in the same homes, businesses, or farms and providing the same services. The key difference was that they were now responsible for their own food, clothing, and shelter. Rather than being owned, they were paid—sometimes by their former masters—to carry out familiar work. A tutor might go on teaching, gardeners continued tending estates, and a business manager might remain in place or even enter into a partnership with a former owner. Papyrus manumission document. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c9/Manumission_-_A.D._355.JPG

After Tiro’s manumission, he continued working for Cicero, inventing a form of shorthand known as Tironian notes. He recorded and maintained Cicero's many writings and was responsible for the preservation and publication of Cicero’s letters after Cicero's execution. Manumission was a powerful instrument for social mobility. Freedmen, Freedwomen, and their children made up a large portion of Roman society, with some estimates as high as 20%.

Lekythos, ca. 550–530 B.CE. Amasis painter attr. Weaving, upright loom. Unrolled.The Met.jpg via Wikimedia commons

At the same time, freedom was held out as a reward for loyal service; it also created an incentive structure that discouraged rebellion. Freedom was used as a tool to protect those in power from slave revolts—an ever-present fear among the Roman elite. Spartacus led one of the most famous uprisings, though many others occurred throughout Roman history. By offering the possibility of manumission, slaveholders fostered the belief that enslavement was not necessarily permanent, sustaining hope for a different future while reinforcing control.

As Roman citizens, they could partake of the benefits of one of the world's most powerful, rich, and prosperous empires. 

Step into the shadowy streets of 96 AD Ephesus, where danger lurks around every corner, and the line between friend and foe is razor-thin. Fortunes of Death, plunges you into a world where faith is tested, alliances are shattered, and one woman's courage could be the difference between life and death.

Sabina, a fierce young Christian widow, is thrust into a deadly game when a wealthy citizen is murdered. With her friend’s life hanging in the balance, Sabina must unravel a web of lies, deceit, and hidden motives. Every clue she uncovers brings her closer to the truth—and closer to becoming the next victim.

This isn't just a murder mystery. It's a gripping tale of faith, resilience, and the power of one woman standing against the darkness 

Mystery, murder, and mayhem aren’t your typical Christian themes—but why should secular authors have all the fun solving crimes in ancient Rome? My love of history, scripture, and whodunits led me to blend faith with intrigue, bringing the world of the early Christians to life. Writing from my home in the woods of northern Wisconsin, I also draw inspiration from my travels to Turkey, Greece, and Italy, where I’ve walked the same streets my characters once did. Through historical mysteries, I explore a time when faith was a matter of life and death—literally.

Visit me at my website, on my Author Facebook page,

or purchase my books at:
Fortunes of Death
Obedient Unto Death My Amazon book page

If You Eat With Your Fingers, You Might Be a Roman

By Liisa Eyerly

In my first-century murder mystery “Obedient unto Death,” there is a scene at a formal Roman dinner party. I have watched movies portraying Roman dinners, but watching and writing about them are two entirely different skills. What did the ancient Romans living around the Mediterranean eat and drink at dinner parties? Did they drink from goblets, mugs, or glasses? What were serving dishes made from? Wood? Ceramic? Jewel-encrusted gold and silver? Glass? (The answer is—all of the above.)

                                                The British Museum London: Roman glass from the eastern provinces.

Did they actually recline while eating? Or was that just in the movies? If so, how does a person eat while reclining? And, for that matter, who reclined on the pillows and cushioned couches while eating? Not the slaves serving the dinner and removing the guests’ shoes, that’s for sure. Not the working poor who barely made it home before dark to sit on the floor or on a wooden stool to eat a dinner of cold porridge.

By Unknown artist - Theodore H. Feder (1978) Great Treasures of Pompeii and Herculaneum, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16084918

At most social gatherings, dinner parties, and private banquets, the wealthy, the aristocracy, and the powerful did indeed dine while lying propped on their left arm and using their right hand to select food placed on low tables in front of them.

Three couches were set up in a C formation in a triclinium (dining room). The optimal number of dinner guests was nine, with three on each couch. This intimate setup was designed to promote enlightening and witty conversation.

                                         Fig74 wall painting from Pompeii Roman banquet knecht.png WikiMedia.org

The most prestigious guests or family members were seated on the center couch, while the least esteemed were placed on the right side, a clear indication of their lower status. (Does this bring back nightmares of middle school lunchrooms?)

Reproduction of a triclinium By User:Mattes - https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6422364

Meanwhile, the slaves or household servants could access all the guests from the center of the C formation, delivering new courses, constantly refilling wine glasses, and clearing plates and extremely soiled napkins. Knives for cutting and spoons for soup were used sparingly, which meant fingers were the standard utensils. Forks as common eating instruments were several hundred years in the future. Do you think licking greasy fingers was socially acceptable?

Available at https://crossrivermedia.com/product/obedient-unto-death/  and https://amzn.com/dp/1936501627/

Liisa Eyerly’s Secrets of Ephesus series adds a Christian twist to first-century Roman Empire mysteries. Her debut novel, Obedient Unto Death (2022), won the Eric Hoffer First Horizon Award and first place in Spiritual Fiction. The second book, Fortunes of Death, releases on October 15th, 2024. A lifelong mystery lover, Liisa was inspired by the Apostle Paul’s depiction of early Christians. After careers in teaching and librarianship, she began writing full-time at fifty. Liisa lives in northern Wisconsin with her husband and enjoys pickleball, kayaking, Bible study, and visiting Ancient Roman sites. 

Facebook page:  https://bit.ly/3X4tT6f 

Website: liisaeyerly.com