Slavery

      Female slaves usually worked as servants, handmaidens to the owner's wife, or they performed household duties such as housekeeping.

      Female slaves were often the targets of their predatory owners. The women had no say in this and were usually unwilling participants in such activities. These women were forced to bear punishments from jealous wives as well as children from these unions. Children produced from masters and slaves remained slaves, and the owners could not acknowledge them as their own children.

      Female slaves could not gain manumission without male partners. This was due to the idea that manumission was not granted unless slaves had the means of supporting themselves. Due to the place of women in Rome, this meant that female slaves needed men in order to survive.