Slavery and Social Hierarchy in Rome

Rome’s social hierarchy and slavery were the backbone of its economy and daily life, shaping who held power and who did not. Active learning helps students move beyond abstract facts by engaging directly with the lived realities of these systems, making them tangible and memorable through discussion, role-play, and mapping.

• Year 7
• HASS
• 3 activities
• 20 min–40 min

Learning Objectives

1. Analyze the economic contribution of enslaved labor to the expansion and maintenance of the Roman Empire.
2. Compare and contrast the daily lives, treatment, and potential freedoms of various groups of enslaved people in Roman society, such as household slaves, agricultural laborers, and gladiators.
3. Critique the ethical justifications and societal acceptance of slavery within the context of Roman civilization.
4. Explain the social stratification of Roman society, identifying the positions of citizens, freedmen, and slaves within the hierarchy.

Inquiry Circle

⏱ 40 min·Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: Mapping the Spread

Groups are given a map of Roman roads and trade routes. They must 'trace' the journey of an early missionary and identify three reasons why the Roman Empire's infrastructure actually made it easier for a 'rebel' religion to spread.

Prepare & details

Analyze the economic impact of slavery on the Roman Empire.

Facilitation Tip: During Collaborative Investigation: Mapping the Spread, assign each group a region and primary sources to present their findings to the class, ensuring all voices contribute to the final map.

Setup: Groups at tables with access to source materials

Materials: Source material collection, Inquiry cycle worksheet, Question generation protocol, Findings presentation template

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Role Play

⏱ 35 min·Small Groups

Role Play: The Roman Governor's Dilemma

One student is a Roman Governor, others are 'accused' Christians. The Governor must decide whether to punish them for not worshipping the Emperor, while the Christians explain why they can't. This helps students understand the clash between religious belief and political loyalty.

Prepare & details

Compare the experiences of different types of slaves within Roman society.

Facilitation Tip: In Role Play: The Roman Governor's Dilemma, provide governors with a script that includes both historical context and personal bias to deepen their dilemma.

Setup: Open space or rearranged desks for scenario staging

Materials: Character cards with backstory and goals, Scenario briefing sheet

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Think-Pair-Share

⏱ 20 min·Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Why was it appealing?

Students read about the core beliefs of early Christianity (equality, helping the poor). They discuss with a partner: 'Why would these ideas be especially attractive to enslaved people or the poor in Rome?'.

Prepare & details

Critique the moral implications of widespread slavery in a 'civilised' society.

Facilitation Tip: For Think-Pair-Share: Why was it appealing?, circulate as students discuss and jot down key phrases students use to justify their reasoning before sharing out.

Setup: Standard classroom seating; students turn to a neighbor

Materials: Discussion prompt (projected or printed), Optional: recording sheet for pairs

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Teaching This Topic

Teaching slavery and social hierarchy in Rome works best when you make it personal. Students need to confront the human cost of these systems, so avoid sanitizing the language or minimizing the brutality of enslavement. Use primary sources like letters, laws, and inscriptions to ground discussions in evidence. Research shows that when students role-play historical figures, they better grasp the constraints and choices people faced, especially when those choices involved moral conflict.

What to Expect

Students will explain how slavery and social roles reinforced each other in Roman society, using evidence from activities to support their reasoning. They will also connect these structures to the political resistance Christians faced, showing how loyalty to the state conflicted with new religious identities.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During Collaborative Investigation: Mapping the Spread, watch for students attributing Roman persecution of Christians solely to religious differences.

What to Teach Instead

Use the map they create to point out regions where Christians were concentrated and ask them to consider why Roman officials might view refusal to worship the emperor as an act of disloyalty rather than just a religious choice.

Common Misconception

During Think-Pair-Share: Why was it appealing?, watch for students assuming Christianity spread quickly because people suddenly preferred it over Roman gods.

What to Teach Instead

Have students examine the timeline on the Growth Chart from the overview, then ask them to explain why gradual growth over centuries suggests more complex reasons for conversion.

Assessment Ideas

Exit Ticket

After the Collaborative Investigation: Mapping the Spread, ask students to write two sentences explaining one way slavery supported the Roman economy and one difference between a patrician and a plebeian using evidence from their map.

Discussion Prompt

During Role Play: The Roman Governor's Dilemma, listen for students to connect their governor’s decision to broader themes of loyalty, fear, and social order, asking follow-up questions to clarify their reasoning.

Quick Check

During Think-Pair-Share: Why was it appealing?, provide a short list of Roman social roles and ask students to categorize each as Patrician, Plebeian, or Enslaved, then justify one choice aloud.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge: After Collaborative Investigation, ask students to write a short speech as a Christian in a Roman city, explaining why they refuse to worship the emperor despite the risks.
• Scaffolding: During Think-Pair-Share, provide sentence starters like 'Christianity appealed to me because...' or 'I think Romans saw Christians as a threat because...' to support struggling students.
• Deeper: During Role Play, have students research and incorporate a historical event where a governor’s decision about Christians is documented, such as Pliny the Younger’s letters to Trajan.

Key Vocabulary

Slavery	A system where individuals are owned by others as property, forced to work without pay, and have no personal freedom or rights.
Social Hierarchy	A system of ranking people in a society based on factors like wealth, status, occupation, and citizenship, creating distinct social classes.
Patrician	A member of the wealthy, landowning aristocratic class in ancient Rome, holding significant political and social power.
Plebeian	A common citizen of ancient Rome, belonging to the general body of free Roman people, distinct from the patrician class.
Freedman	A former slave who has been granted liberty, often retaining some social ties or obligations to their former owner.