A Slave in Imperial Rome

Imperial Rome 70 CE

The cart clattering and rocking over the uneven cobblestones of the Via Venizia helped distract me from the anxiety over the purchase ahead, the purpose of our journey into the centre of Rome. I preferred to ride my horse when travelling into the capital rather than sit in the cart but my father insisted we would need the cart for the passengers on the return.

Everyone included Maya, our elderly house servant, someone I have known since my earliest days. She was like a second mother to me. Maya was, in reality, a slave in our household but her position and importance in the Villa was more as a member of the extended family. She was coming to the city to inspect the purchase. Her opinion as the healer in the house was important even though the purchase had nothing to do with her.

The female slave we were to purchase would be my possession.

****

Weeks earlier I had met Lucius, my childhood friend near the Forum. Rome was returning to a more peaceful time now that the civil strife at the end of Emperor Nero's reign had quelled. Emperor Vespasian was now firmly in control and my father was one of his most trusted advisers. He was also a very respected Senator. I had travelled in with him to watch some of the proceedings in the Senate. My father felt that at nineteen it was time for me to prepare for my future role in the civil or military administration.

Leaving the Senate while my father was still occupied with the business of the day, I went in search of food. In a nearby public house I spotted my friend Lucius sitting at a table. He and I had studied together, taught by scholars and engineers during our middle childhood. Roman history, Latin and mathematics were our core subjects. In addition, we studied Plato and Aristotle, the great Greek scholars of the past. For hours a day Lucius and I would also spar with wooden weapons. I had an edge in sword play but Lucius could hurl a javelin further than I could. I went over happily to greet him.

"My friend, how do you fare," I said to him while holding him in a tight hug as he stood up.

"Very well Marcus, you look well yourself. Come sit and lets tell each other of our lives."

Although young we discussed the political upheavals of the previous year, a time known as the 'Reign of the four Emperors', and what was in store for us. We both expected to serve either in the military or civil service as was expected of young men of our class.

After some time discussing the state of the Empire, I noticed a woman standing behind Lucius. She was staring stoically above our heads. Seeing the way she was dressed, I thought she was a servant of the public house, probably a slave but she didn't seem to leave our table. It was odd. I gestured towards her.

Lucius smiled and said casually, "Oh yes, this is Mathilde, my new slave."

I was surprised by this. Both our families owned many slaves but they were the property of the family and mainly worked in the fields. Some worked in the Villa as did Maya but I had never had much personal contact with the family's slaves except Maya of course. I did also know some of the stable hands, both slaves and citizens.

"What do you mean, your slave?" I asked.

"She belongs to me. Father wanted me to have my own woman."

"What for? Does she work in the fields?"

Lucius laughed and then reached for the woman's hand. He pulled her onto his lap and placed his hand on her right breast. "For fucking, my friend. And she carries things for me and massages my body after sparing. She sucks my cock when I'm too tired or too sore to fuck her."

"And your mother condones this?"

"Not really. She wants to find a wife for me but my dad says its too early for that. And he dislikes me going to the brothels. He convinced my mother that they are cesspools of disease and debauchery. He thought it safer for me to have my own slave for sex."

I nodded my head, still shocked by his revelation. I probably shouldn't have been surprised, after all, Rome was full of slaves and many were bed partners of their owners. I had also heard that the 9th Legion had overrun territories to the north and east of Germania. The fighting had been prolonged and brutal but the Legions were victorious in the end. In retribution for the violence inflicted on our soldiers by the barbarian tribes, the Legion enslaved large portions of the population, only sparing the most productive farmers and herdsmen and their families. Large numbers of slaves were brought into the city in the last few months. The 9th was now profiting handsomely from the sale of their human captives.

"Does she understand our speech?" I asked curious if she knew we were talking about her.

While massaging her breast nibbling around her ear Lucius replied, "She really knows little of our language but she is very intelligent. I think she understands more that you would guess."

I contemplated the woman carefully. She seemed a few years older than Lucius or I. Her hair was long and braided, a light brown in colour. Her eyes seemed a radiant blue, very unusual for our region but I understood was common in the wild Germanic tribes. She was wearing a simple tunic that covered her to below her knees which left her arms and neck bare. Her skin was a light golden brown with soft faint looking hair on her arms and legs.

As Lucius smiled at my inspection of his new possession he slowly lowered her tunic at the shoulder and exposed a breast. I marvelled at the pink aureole and the rigid nipple. A small smile appeared on her face as Lucius gestured for me to touch her breast. I shook my head but he was insistent. I was not unfamiliar with a woman's body - my father had taken me to a brothel in the last year to make me a man - but I hadn't been with many and this woman was far more attractive than any of the whores I had fucked. Her breast was firm and unblemished and my hand finally reached out to touch the perfect flesh of the slave. My manhood stirred greatly as I ran my fingers lightly over her nipple. She was gorgeous and I acknowledged to myself that I wanted to lie with her.

****

Our driver guided the cart to a very poor area of the Imperial city, one I knew to be a centre of the slave trade. The throng of people increased as we neared the central square of the slave market. People were crowed around a raised platform where a trader stood before a line of three young men. They looked wild and unkempt, their eyes flashing hatred at the crowd. They shifted uncomfortably with their hands tied at the wrists and their feet hobbled by a chain. I shuddered to think of their fate, probably to slave in the mines for a short period before death mercifully claimed them. They would have been better to appear more docile and less dangerous and thus bought to work in the fields or tending the horses. I sensed these men were warriors and too proud to show any servility.

I disliked the slave market intensely. The air was feted, the smell of humans packed into small cages with little sanitation filling the air. The cries and shouts of the hungry captives mixed with the laughter of the low born crowd watching the proceedings, who were only there for the spectacle of the degradation of these defeated people. And at times, the shrieks and screams of a slave being whipped, often the maximum of twenty six lashes our laws allowed, could be heard above the hubbub of the market place.

Strangely enough, there were many slaves in the crowd who were often there to purchase other slaves for their masters. I knew that many owners relied greatly on their most intelligent and trusted slaves. These slaves often gained their freedom as well as considerable wealth. While free though, they never completely attained the status of freeborn citizens.

Despite the slaves who attained considerable status in their households most slaves lived brutal and short lives, their children rarely reaching adulthood.

I particularly disdained the spectacle of the women being paraded before the noisy cheering crowd. If they were young and pretty they would often be stripped bare and their features extolled by the slavers. Only the wealthier buyers would be allowed to touch and inspect the women closely. The mob watching still received their entertainment when the women tried to hide their most private parts and the slavers would tie their hands while being inspected. At our Villa we treated our animals much better.

This was not to be the fate of the women we were to choose from. I knew this thankfully. We were to be part of a private group of very wealthy citizens who were invited to be buyers at a special auction of the most prized captives. These were both men and women but mostly females who were the most attractive and specifically, were still virgins. The Commanders of the legions separated off these women quickly and guarded them carefully, away from the common soldiers. Their worth in the slave market was very high, particularly if they could be confirmed as virgins.

After my meeting with Lucius I had told my parents of his new slave. And I told them I envied him, having his own woman. My mother was initially disapproving of Lucius and also my desire to have a woman of my own. She felt I was old enough to marry and to have children. My father was of the same opinion but for different reasons. He wanted to solidify his position in the Senate by a careful selection of a wife for myself. He thought only in terms of family alliances.

After much talk between them they realized that I had no interest in the matches they put in front of me for consideration of marriage. Several of the prospective brides were really only children or others were much older than me.

They also knew of the debauchery of the brothels that often led to disease and drinking strong spirits to great excess. Finally my father and then my mother accepted that a young man such as myself would be better focusing on his studies and combat skills then wasting his time in the brothels of Rome. And having his own bed mate would help him with that until a proper match was made with a respectable girl from a prominent family.

Mother did insist that we buy a virgin if at all possible. Father knew this would drive the price up considerably but agreed to his wife's terms. Maya would accompany us to verify the woman's sexual status.

We moved past the main auction square and into a building off the square. My father was greeted enthusiastically by the proprietor of the slave house. Having a senator in his place of business was a great honour to a slave trader. We were invited to sit with other men and some women who were there for the special auction. Even Maya, our household healer and slave was offered refreshments.

When all the buyers had arrived and were seated the proprietor gave a description of his slaves for sale. He described the region they had been captured or sold to the slavers and any skills, including language and literacy skills the slaves had. Most only knew a small amount of Latin, learned as part of their preparation for sale. Basic language skills were only taught to the most valuable slaves such as the young and virginal women being sold today.

First there were several young men who, when brought in, were much more restrained in their contempt for the viewers than the ones out in the market square. I sensed they knew they were not destined for the mines. Some of the buyers were clearly only here for the young men and a bubble of noise arose when their tunics were removed and the men stood naked before the mostly male buyers.

I felt a twinge of sympathy for these young men who seemed around my age as their oiled and gleaming bodies were closely inspected by the purchasers. I had no interest in the auctions for the male slaves that followed.

After the men were sold the women were brought out, this time, one at a time. There were three women the slave auctioneer assured the prospective buyers were virgins. Father knew several of the older male buyers, also ranking officials in the government and military. His face showed disdain for these men who were obviously looking for younger bed partners. I was proud of my father's loyalty and concern for my mother's feelings. I knew that many wealthy men had numerous bed partners besides their wives

The first girl looked very young but was purported by the proprietor to be nearly twenty years as were all the subsequent women. I felt good about this. I really didn't want a child. When the light brown haired woman had her tunic removed she shielded her breasts and her womanhood with her hands but the slaver snapped her across her rear with a short crop. She yelped and dropped her hands. She looked everywhere but at the buyers. I moved around the girl when the buyers were invited to look more closely. Her breasts were very firm and pointed out slightly to the sides. Her thighs and rear were very muscular looking but still womanly. From close I could see she was devoid of hair below her head except for a small patch of light brown around her mound and slit. I felt my manhood reacting to this woman, especially when upon a question from an elderly buyer, the auctioneer tapped between her legs and she opened them revealing her pink fleshy lips around her womanly parts. I was entranced by the display of her vagina and lips as she trembled at the touch of the buyers.

For this girl and the two other girls I felt even more sympathy than for the men. Their pride and modesty was stripped away from them just as their clothing was. Despite my arousal I felt a knot in my stomach to see fellow humans treated as though they were animals for sale. For a wealthy family such as mine, slaves and forced labour were as much a part of our life as was the Senate and the Military, but yet I found this process, the buying and selling of humans distasteful. I suddenly wanted to leave and forget the idea. That was until I saw the third girl.

While the first two virgins were tall, sturdy and blond in hair colouring, this third girl was much smaller and had dark hair. When stripped of her tunic her breasts were small but beautifully shaped. Her skin was pale which made her aureole and pink nipples stand out. Her arms and legs were thin and delicate looking, her stomach flat and her back and rear flowed gracefully into her thighs. My manhood surged at the sight of her beautifully sculptured buttocks.

She was strong, I perceived. Not from her body, which was delicate, but from the proud and determined look on her face. While she knew that she was being sold to the highest bidder she looked proudly out and seemed to project an air of nobility and grace despite the degradation of the slave auction around her. She was impressive. She was also beautiful, her features small but pretty. Her hair was clearly suffering from her captivity but still, the flowing black curls reaching down to mid back framed perfectly her delicate eyes and facial features.

Much to my surprise, the male buyers and one female buyer seemed to be more interested in the formidable blonde women for sale. I asked the slaver what he knew of the dark haired girl's background.

He answered, "Your Immanence, she is of a Hebrew tribe from Palestine. When the Eagle Legion, led by the son of Vespasian, defeated her rebellious tribe she was said to be the daughter of their leader who was killed in the siege of their fortress. Her father had protected her innocence until she was almost twenty and when captured, Flavius Maximus recognized her value as a virgin. And not only is she a virgin but she comes from a long line of Hebrew tribal rulers."

I would have dismissed this as sales talk from a slaver who was only interested in the size of his commission but looking at the girl standing naked and proud in front of me I sensed there was truth in what he was saying. I moved closer and tried to look into her eyes but she wouldn't meet mine. While the other men were feeling her breasts and between her legs I gently as possible took a hold of her chin and moved her face directly in front of me. She still avoided my eyes but I persisted in looking at her. I gave her jaw a little squeeze and this caused her to flash her beautiful brown eyes at me.

There was so many emotions in the girl's face: certainly pride, but also hatred of me and what was happening to her, fear at what might happen in the unknown future, fear maybe of being sold to an older man as his plaything; revulsion at being touched by them in her womanly places but also something different. I was feeling curiosity and admiration for this proud creature, captive before me and maybe it showed in my eyes as well. For a moment the fear and revulsion faded just slightly as some strange human connection between buyer and slave, man and woman, passed between the raven haired slip of a girl and myself. I knew at that second that despite my distaste for the sordid slave business I had to own this woman. I wanted to understand and know this being.

I stepped back to my father and said simply into his ear that I wanted her and only her. He nodded his head and then went over to the auctioneer. I followed him. Father said, "Please, if we may, I would like to verify the innocence of the dark haired girl."

The slaver replied, "I assure you, noble Senator, that she has not been penetrated by a man."

"Just so, but please allow my healer to verify this." Father gestured to Maya who was standing quietly in the back of the room.

"As you wish," With that he led the Hebrew girl to a small alcove along with Maya. I watched as Maya had the girl lie down on a mat and then Maya leaned over her, mostly blocking my view. Some words seemed to go between them in what language I knew not and Maya then moved her hands onto the girl. After a very short time Maya stood up and turning to my father, simply nodded her head.

After that the auction began. I was shocked at how much the first two blonde women were sold for. I had some vague idea what a slave destined for the fields, stable or mines was worth but I had no idea how much a beautiful virginal woman was worth. My heart sunk at the prices that were being paid. Surely my father would never bid this high.

When the dark haired girl was led to the raised platform Maya whispered in my ear that her name was Rebekah. She must have asked her name as she inspected her virginity. I held my breath as two men and a woman opened the bidding with very high offers. The price continued to rise and still my father did not speak. I resigned myself that we would leave without the dark haired beauty.

When the price reached a point that two of the bidders dropped out I thought it was over. Suddenly my father raised his hand and placed a bid far higher than the last. As I held my breath no other bids were made and the auctioneer said, "SOLD". My heart leapt for joy. I now owned Rebekah and I vowed to make my father proud of me because I was so grateful for the shocking amount of money she had cost the family.

The slave house owner offered to tie Rebekah's hands and leash her as we left but I shook my head. I took her hand in a firm grip and led her out of the building. Her hand felt so small and delicate in mine. At my touch she offered no resistance but her face showed disdain and apprehension. I tried to smile at her but the look she gave me was chilling. How could it be any different I knew. She was a proud descendant of the rulers of her tribe and now she was a slave to Roman nobility, her future uncertain.

On the return trip to our Villa on the edge of Rome I sat in the cart with my slave beside me. In reality I had no idea what I was going to do with her, at least in the days ahead. Of course I wanted her virginity but I also wanted her to accept me as her owner and master. But I didn't want her to be afraid of me either. If she would respect me then I would respect her in turn. She must do as I ask but I never wanted to hurt her or make her hate me. In time I hoped there would be a warmth between us that would go beyond master and slave.