Writing, Enslavement, and Power in the Roman Mediterranean, 100 BCE–300 CE

Authors

Jeremiah Coogan, The Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara UniversityFollow
Candida R. Moss
Joseph A. Howley

Role

Jeremiah Coogan (Editor)

Candida R. Moss (Editor)

Joseph A. Howley (Editor)

Files

Description

This volume interrogates the intersections between writing and enslavement around the Roman Mediterranean. Drawing upon methods developed in studies of book history and Atlantic slavery, the essays demonstrate the myriad ways that the material and intellectual contributions of literary workers were vital to the composition, editing, copying, circulation, reading, and preservation of Roman texts. The volume exposes the way that power dynamics erase and denigrate enslaved contributions; the manner in which language barriers, travel, gender difference, and disability created dependence on enslaved workers; the prominent role of enslaved workers in practical work like bookkeeping, basic education, and divination; the unseen labor of enslaved collators, note-keepers, editors, and curators; and the influence and representation of enslaved workers and work in literature, letters, and rhetoric.

ISBN

9780197769966

Publication Date

7-23-2025

Publisher

Oxford University Press

Keywords

enslavement, Roman history, ancient Mediterranean, early Christianity, book history, literacy

Recommended Citation

Coogan, Jeremiah; Moss, Candida R.; and Howley, Joseph A., "Writing, Enslavement, and Power in the Roman Mediterranean, 100 BCE–300 CE" (2025). Faculty Book Gallery. 662.
https://scholarcommons.scu.edu/faculty_books/662