New Study Reveals Slavery’s Central Role in Pompeii’s Ancient Economy
Title: Unveiling the Foundations of Pompeii’s Prosperity: The Indispensable Role of Enslaved Labor
Each year, millions of visitors wander the preserved ruins of Pompeii, captivated by its mosaics, frescoes, and frozen echoes of daily Roman life. Long portrayed as a city that epitomized the cultural and economic zenith of the Roman Empire, Pompeii stands today not just as a testament to ancient Roman opulence but also, as recent scholarship reveals, a reminder of the human cost behind such prosperity. A groundbreaking study by historian Seth Bernard has cast new light on the economic engines of Pompeii, showing that enslaved labor was central—both quantitatively and qualitatively—to the city’s rise and wealth.
Reframing Roman Prosperity with Modern Tools
Historically, the wealth of the Roman Empire has been attributed to factors like military conquest, trade expansion, and the “Pax Romana,” an extended period of relative peace which supposedly facilitated the flourishing of commerce and infrastructure. However, more recent voices in the field of ancient economic history have introduced nuanced frameworks to reevaluate these assumptions. Bernard’s article in the journal Past & Present utilizes contemporary economic modeling to measure labor force impacts and wealth distribution in Pompeii—placing enslaved individuals at the center of its economic narrative.
Applying methodologies like labor-output analysis and GDP approximations, Bernard demonstrates that enslaved people likely contributed to over half of the local economy. This would make slave ownership and exploitation the most significant income stream in Pompeii, more impactful even than commerce or artisanal work. Notably, a whopping 20–30% of the population in Roman urban centers like Pompeii were enslaved individuals, forming the backbone of economic productivity.
Who Were the Enslaved in Pompeii?
From spinning pottery and laundering garments to farming villas and working in brothels, the presence of enslaved labor touched nearly every sector of Pompeiian life. Archaeological findings since 2020 have corroborated these roles. Discoveries include modest sleeping quarters believed to house enslaved workers and structures like the “prison bakery,” where enslaved individuals and animals were enclosed together for long stretches of physical labor.
Estimates place Pompeii’s population before the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE at approximately 15,000–30,000. If 20–30% of these were enslaved, the city had between 3,000 and 9,000 enslaved individuals—each contributing immeasurably to the city’s economy yet largely forgotten in the official historical record.
Reconstructing Erased Histories
The importance of this study lies not only in empirical data but also in its ethical and cultural implications. As Bernard argues, recognizing enslaved individuals in economic analyses is crucial to shifting the dominant narrative that has long centered emperors, generals, and elite policymakers. This reframing helps us better understand how the Roman economy functioned from the ground up and gives credit to the silenced labor force who quite literally built its foundations.
The broader academic community has echoed this sentiment. Scholars such as Dan-El Padilla Peralta, Sarah Levin-Richardson, and Miko Flohr continue to emphasize that Rome’s stability and growth was neither accidental nor purely elite-driven. It was, instead, an exploitative system grounded in mass forced labor, distributing wealth upwards while denying rights, recognition, or freedom to the vast majority who upheld it.
Changing Public Understanding Through Outreach
This paradigm shift has not remained confined to academia. Recent exhibitions and catalog publications—like “L’altra Pompei – Vite comuni all’ombra del Vesuvio” (The Other Pompeii: Ordinary Lives in the Shadow of Vesuvius)—offer visitors a closer look at the daily lives of non-elite residents: artisans, enslaved individuals, and freedpersons.
These efforts aim to present a more inclusive historical narrative and ensure that public engagement with sites like Pompeii reflects not just its artistic and architectural marvels but the painful human costs underlying them.
Conclusion: Rewriting the Roman Economic Story
For centuries, the story of Roman greatness has been told through the lens of triumph and grandeur. However, as economic historians like Seth Bernard show, this version omits essential contributors—enslaved individuals whose labor powered cities like Pompeii. Understanding the mechanics of their economic contribution not only deepens our historical comprehension but also serves as a significant step toward justice—acknowledging those who, in silence and suffering, erected an empire.
In viewing Pompeii and other ancient cities through this corrected lens, we not only preserve the memory of the oppressed but also encourage a more equitable approach to how we understand—and honor—the past.