Slaves and Metics

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Explain the importance of metics and slaves in ancient athenian society

Slavery was a necessary institution in Athenian society; it was simply a way of life. Slavery played a major role in ancient Greek civilization and slaves could be found everywhere. They were the property of their owners and could be bought and sold at any time in places like markets, where the two great sources of slave supply were the Asian Minor region (Lydia and Phrygia) and the Black Sea region, especially the northern shores, know as Scythia.

Aristotle described them as a "tool that happens to be alive" and a "possession that breathes". They were called "andropada", literally meaning "human feet"

They worked not only as domestic servants, but as factory workers, shopkeepers, mineworkers, farm workers and as ships crewmembers. There may have been as many, if not more, slaves as free people in ancient Greece.

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They were even employed in the Athenian government as clerks, attendants, minor officials or policemen.

Slaves were treated differently in ancient Greece depending upon what their purpose was. If one was a household servant, they had a fairly good situation. They were often treated almost as part of the family. They were even allowed to take part in the family rituals, like the sacrifice. They were always supervised by the woman of the house who was responsible for making sure that all the slaves were kept busy and didnt get out of line. This could be quite a task as most wealthy Greek households had as many as 10-0 slaves. Slaves were involved in the every day lives of the Athenian people. They would accompany married women in rich homes and slaves called pedagogues accompanied boys from rich homes. When a person invited someone for dinner, it was the slave that greeted them.

To the ancient Greeks life without slavery was unthinkable but the general attitude towards them in Athens was racial. They were considered "barbarians" as they were mostly people of foreign lands and a theory of "natural slavery" prevailed, that non Greeks were of naturally inferior race and were therefore created for enslavement and only satisfied with their existence in servitude. Despite this, slaves had a chance of gaining freedom, domestic slaves in daily contact with their masters may have had some intimacy with them and therefore stood a good chance of liberation and those slaves "living apart" might earn enough money to buy their own release. The intimacy that slaves had with their masters can be shown in the description by Xenephon as "fellow workers". During the constructions of the Erechtheum on the Acropolis at the end of the fifth century BC this was particularly apparent where from fragments of wage accounts it can be seen that all the workers were paid an identical amount regardless of status.

Once liberated, slaves became full human beings in Greek eyes. They were potentially no longer kinless and children born to them prior freedom were often retained in slavery whilst those born after were free. Aristophanes portrays slaves as having free speech towards their masters and Demosthenes states that Athenian slaves had greater rights of free speech than the free citizens of other states.

Slaves did much of the work that allowed Athens to prosper in a period of enlightenment as many of the achievements of Athens is owed to slavery which gave all Athenians time to fulfill cultural and political pursuits.

Metics were another distinct group who contributed to Athenian society. They were non Athenians who generally found Athens more appealing than their homeland. They were voluntary immigrants who contributed greatly to Athenian prosperity. Metics undertook much of the city industry where they ran industrial and commercial operations.

Even though they could not own property and were not citizens, they could hold jobs for property owners.

Metics or resident aliens with their involvement in various businesses were very important to the Athenian economy. Even though they were not and could not become citizens, they still had to serve in the military and pay a poll-tax. They, however, could not participate in the political life of Athens.

Metics usually were lower-class tradesmen or craftsmen. Although some metics families eventually gained wealth, the vast majority of the metics remained second-class inhabitants of Athens, even though they performed some of the polis most activities, such as military service and trade. They were often employed on more menial, but nevertheless vital, tasks - including trireme building, rowing and maintenance. Metics were usually Greeks from other city-states and could achieve a high level of social status. They were most commonly engaged in banking, commerce and the skilled crafts in the great Athenian port of Piraeus. One of the greatest honors for a metic was the "Athens Citizenship Award".

Athens use of outside talents from metics was important in its ability to thrive.

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