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The Roman Guide to Slave Management: A Treatise by Nobleman Marcus Sidonius Falx Paperback – January 5, 2016

by Jerry Toner (Author), Mary Beard (Foreword)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 92 ratings
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Having spent most of his life managing his servants―many of them prisoners from Rome’s military conquests―he decided to write a kind of owner’s manual for his friends and countrymen. The result, The Roman Guide to Slave Management, is a sly, subversive guide to the realities of servitude in ancient Rome. Cambridge scholar Jerry Toner uses Falx, his fictional but true-to-life creation, to describe where and how to Romans bought slaves, how they could tell an obedient worker from a troublemaker, and even how the ruling class reacted to the inevitable slave revolts. Toner also adds commentary throughout, analyzing the callous words and casual brutality of Falx and his compatriots and putting it all in context for the modern reader. Written with a deep knowledge of ancient culture―and the depths of its cruelty―this is the Roman Empire as you’ve never seen it before.
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  1. Print length
    240 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Harry N. Abrams
  4. Publication date
    January 5, 2016
  5. Dimensions
    5.05 x 0.8 x 7.7 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    9781468311723
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1468311723
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jerry Toner is Fellow and Director of Studies in Classics at Churchill College, Cambridge. He is the author of The Roman Guide to Slave Management.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 1468311727
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harry N. Abrams; 1st edition (January 5, 2016)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 240 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9781468311723
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1468311723
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 6.4 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.05 x 0.8 x 7.7 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 92 ratings

About the author

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Jerry Toner

Jerry Toner

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Dr Jerry Toner is Fellow and Director of Studies in Classics at Churchill College, Cambridge.

My research looks at Roman social and cultural history, with a focus on trying to look at history 'from below'. I have a number of favourite areas:

1. Popular Culture

My book, Popular Culture in Ancient Rome, analyses the life of the non-elite in Roman society and built on the work I started in my PhD, later published as Leisure and Ancient Rome. I am currently working on a number of projects looking at non-elite Roman social relations. I am also teaching a course in the Classics Faculty with Mary Beard entitled "Popular Culture in the Roman Empire".

2. The (mis-)use of Classics to create various imagery and stereotypes relating to subordinate groups

My book Homer's Turk: How Classics Shaped Ideas of the East shows how historians and travel writers have used classical sources to help create various images of Islam and the Orient.

3. Roman Disasters

My latest book, Roman Disasters, looks at the important role that disasters played in Roman life and culture, ranging from floods and fires to warfare and famine.

4. The Senses in Roman history

I started looking at this in a chapter of my popular culture book, "Common Scents, Common Senses", trying to see how different a sensory world the non-elite inhabited. I am now editing a book on the Cultural History of the Senses in Antiquity which looks at the senses from a wider perspective. I am also contributing a chapter on "Smell and Christianity" to a volume edited by Mark Bradley on Smell in Antiquity.

5. Mental Health

I think the Roman non-elite as a whole had a lot of mental health issues but faced and expressed them in a completely different way from the modern world. A chapter of my Popular Culture book looked at this, while a chapter of the Disasters book looks at the psychological effect of these traumatic events. I have also contributed a chapter based on this to William Harris' edited book on Mental Disorders in the Classical World.

After completing my PhD in Classics at Cambridge, I spent 10 years as a Fund Manager in the City of London before escaping back to academic life in 2006.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
92 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Reagan
5.0 out of 5 stars Short, Satirical, and Based on Truth
Reviewed in the United States on November 16, 2022
Verified Purchase
I liked the narrative spun by Falx and Jerry. Their quirky interchanges through the chapters and the insights and breakdowns provided were fascinating. I instantly wanted this to be made into a show where they got to explore each others' world.
3 people found this helpful
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Jam-i
4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
Reviewed in the United States on October 4, 2014
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I really enjoyed this book. The premise - a wealthy Roman slave owner recounting how he manages slaves makes for fascinating reading. A bit of philosophy, lots of history and sociology and not a small bit of humor. Each chapter is ended by a contemporary "historian" providing perspective and factual bases for the slave owner's commentary. It's a fascinating look at Roman society and the lessons of the slave owner have value from the perspective of managing people and teams today. Fresh and full of lessons about how we should treat people today....
11 people found this helpful
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Silk
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it!
Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2023
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I learned so much and it was really interesting to read, not at all dry or boring! I highly recommend!
One person found this helpful
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deborah
3.0 out of 5 stars You will learn about Roman slave management, but...
Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2015
Verified Purchase
You will certainly learn about Roman slave management by reading this book, but the "author", Marcus Sidonius Falx, is a literary invention by the real author, Jerry Toner, to convey the information. So this is not exactly an original source, although original sources are used to create the character and thoughts of the invented "Marcus Falx".

I was disappointed, because I mistook the book for a real, original, contemporary Roman source of the early A.D.'s. I agree with the reviewer who said it was "dry" - the information about Roman slavery is conveyed in detail, but true personality in the narration is severely lacking. The original sources used - among them Pliny the Younger, Tacitus, and many others familiar to historians of this period - are far more lively and enjoyable to read.
19 people found this helpful
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steamduck43
5.0 out of 5 stars Sheds light on the attitudes and motivations of slaveowners in all times and places.
Reviewed in the United States on November 22, 2015
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I found this book fascinating, but at the same time repellant, because it sheds light on the attitudes of slaveowners. The thinking of those in the American South was probably not much different from that of their ancient predecessors as described by Toner's fictional Roman, whose attitudes are derived from surviving writings of the time. The people of that time were probably more honest about what they thought and did, because there was no serious opposition to their way of life at the time, and because they did not have to pretend to subscribe to the standards of Christianity.

I would also recommend the book to anyone interested in life and society in ancient times.
10 people found this helpful
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Anthony Konrath
4.0 out of 5 stars Erudite and gossipy
Reviewed in the United States on September 18, 2014
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When an author really knows their subject well, and they already have the skill of writing, the result can be really individual. I don't think there has ever been a book on this subject that combines erudition and humor. It's a gossipy, funny read but based on a wide reading and grasp of the subject. The fact that Mary Beard has written the foreword is enough to recommend any book to me and I hope to others. I recommend this small volume to everyone with a warning that you are going to get waylaid into consulting the bibliography and purchasing more books. Caveat emptor!
15 people found this helpful
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Alex
5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting book to read for those interest in Roman life
Reviewed in the United States on August 13, 2020
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This book is an English translation of a book written in Latin during the Roman period. If you are interested in what slavery “maybe” like then this good is worth reading. The Roman author covers various aspects of having a plantation. For example there is a discussion on when to use slave labor and when to use free labor. There is much social commentary about like as a Roman aristocrat. The translator also provides interesting commentary at the end of each chapter. Despite it being a translation, the book is very easily read by non-academics.
6 people found this helpful
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David Yu
5.0 out of 5 stars Very educational
Reviewed in the United States on March 22, 2016
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I liked the book because it really gave a awesome glimpse at the reality of roman life. I highly recommend this book.
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Georg H.
5.0 out of 5 stars Extraordinary insights into Roman culture
Reviewed in Germany on August 17, 2023
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I cannot recommend this book highly enough for history enthusiasts, who enjoy reading authentic material on Roman culture.

The perspective of a Roman slave holder is most likely shocking for all modern audiences but it is highly fascinating to see how moral views can change and how self-aware the author is on his own questionable moral stance.
The book is not only written by one person but it contains parts of other authors as well, which are not credited in the source text. Here, the commentary comes in very hand, which provides important context of the genesis of the different chapters and of Roman culture in general

5/5
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Oliver Robinow
4.0 out of 5 stars An old into new remix
Reviewed in Canada on October 13, 2014
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Entertaining and credible 'Roman patrician' style.
the author makes good use of the sources available, and blends them into his discourse in a personal way. I much enjoyed the read!
One person found this helpful
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BernRa
3.0 out of 5 stars A different kind of read
Reviewed in Canada on November 24, 2014
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Not quite what I expected but interesting non the less. Unless you are a old Roman and know all the management secrets.
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Marc Said
4.0 out of 5 stars Warum war es normal, in römischen Imperium Sklaven zu halten?
Reviewed in Germany on October 26, 2014
Verified Purchase
Das Sklaventum soll ja ausgedient haben... Das Denken über Diener und Untergebene ist aber gleich geblieben. Unsere genetische Veranlagung hat sich eben doch nicht so schnell geändert.
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