Slavery in the Byzantine Empire

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Slavery was common in the early Roman Empire and Classical Greece. It was legal in the Byzantine Empire but it was transformed significantly from the 4th century onward as slavery came to play a diminished role in the economy. Laws gradually diminished the power of slaveholders and improved the rights of slaves by restricting a master’s right to abuse, prostitute, expose, and murder slaves.^[1] Slavery became rare after the first half of 7th century.^[2] From 11th century, semi-feudal relations largely replaced slavery.^[3] Under the influence of Christianity, views of slavery shifted: by the 10th century slaves were viewed as potential citizens (the slave as a subject), rather than property or chattel (the slave as an object).^[4] Slavery was also seen as "an evil contrary to nature, created by man's selfishness", although it remained legal.^[5]