Comparing Seneca And Pliny

The picture of Roman slavery that Seneca and Pliny articulate is one that is vastly different from the norm we associate with the typical slave-master relationship. In their accounts, Seneca and Pliny seem to be under the impression that they provide more services for their slaves than the slaves do in return. The two seem to speak as if slaves are near visitors in their households who just so happen to perform daily tasks, which are of no large importance. Seneca and Pliny speak as though their character is of high regard in comparison to the typical Roman. Seneca depicts the average master as a devious person who tortures his slaves, day in and out. He speaks of the cruelty under which slaves are accustomed to and the ridiculous jobs they perform during their daily duties; one such job, done by a boy, involves dressing up as a woman and serving as the wine-attendant in which he is ridiculed. Such accounts are plentiful in the works by Seneca and Pliny; however, they seem to focus on how they feel slaves should be treated by their masters. …show more content…
He claims that in order to receive respect and love from slaves, one must be kind and gentle with them and make them feel as if they are simply family members. He goes on to state that the typical slave used to be treated in a much better manner in the “old days” and, as a result, was willing to defend their master out of sheer love and respect toward him. Seneca states that masters should treat slaves with the same amount of kindness they would show any other citizen. To drive this point home, he depicts everyone as a slave to someone, whether it be to a king or wife etc. He claims one should be treated based on character and not