Eros and Chrysos (continued):
As a well known connoisseur of prime, male slave-flesh, Rome's slave-dealers - always eager for my patronage - frequently make me offers that are hard to resist.
One enterprising slaver, knowing that I had recently purchased a six slave team to serve as bearers for my new, smaller litter and in the hope of gaining my future patronage, has offered to sell me at a considerable saving an alternative team of litter-slaves. Normally, I would dismiss such an offer; after all, I am well satisfied with my current team and I have trained them to serve me in the manner which I demand.
However, this new team does intrigue if for no other reason than their obvious diversity. These six slaves were chosen from among Rome's subject peoples and reflect their racial origins beginning on the left with a rare, black Abyssinian slave, a tousled haired Greek, a Briton, a long haired Gaul, one from Hispania and finally another black slave from sub-Saharan Africa.
The symbolism of this isn't lost on me. As I look upon these slaves, I see the full weight of cruel Roman oppression rests heavily upon the shoulders of the rest of the world.
In my mind's eye, I can see my litter being carried aloft on the broad shoulders of the four, white slaves while the two blacks act as my personal body-slaves and body-guards. There is no doubting they would attract the envious stares of many and would serve as a reminder of my exalted position as a Senator of Rome and as a reflection of my refined, good taste.
I am sorely tempted by the slave-dealer's generous offer and it is hard to resist accepting. However, it does go against the Roman need for uniformity and the use of both black and whites slaves under these circumstances could be seen as either eccentric or even as bizarre. And really, do I need a second team of litter-slaves for my new litter? It is something I need to think about overnight.
Thanks to Pete Brown's Slaves blog for the picture and inspiration. The text is mine.
Indeed a very tempting even if somehow “bizarre” litter-bearers’ team, my dear Senator-fellow !
ReplyDeleteOf course a very rich and powerful Aristocrat like you , can afford to satisfy his most capricious whims and fancies by buying such fully bizarre team of litter-bearers, in which are represented most of the subjected Peoples to the Roman Empire from the gigantic Gauls and Britons to the rebellious Hispanics and Nubians, to the “refined” Greeks etc. It will be a strange and “fanciful” vision for most Romans to see your “multi-colored & multi-racial” team of transport-animals sweating under your litter in the streets of the City …. And surely you will get a lot of attention and probably even a few mocking comments from passers-by.
As you well know, the innate “sense of order” and of “aesthetic harmony” of Roman mentality, generally demands that –as it normally happens in Rome- litter-bearers are sold already in teams by slave-traders, after having been very carefully chosen so that those slave-teams are formed by young male ALL of the same age, very similar look, same height and physical constitution , same color of skin and even of hair, and most often same origin / race.
So your “multi-color” litter-bearer’s team will be most likely considered just a bizarre whim, although all its components, taken one by one, are very attractive and worthy of the “warmest” sexual and sadistic attention from their Master.
Probably I would preferably use them separately and for other “uses” …… but this is just my personal taste.
Senator Karelius
P.S. a short historical note that I already highlighted in the past: slavery in ancient Rome was obviously not based “on race and skin color”, However it is to notice that (differently from what many modern men believe) black African slaves were quite rare and just a very small minority.