SLAVE EDUCATION IN ANCIENT ROME: THE REPRODUCTION OF IDEOLOGY

Year 2025, Issue: 51, 213 - 238, 01.12.2025

Tolga Uzun

https://doi.org/10.36891/anatolia.1750847

Abstract

In Ancient Rome, the education of slaves functioned as a multifaceted institution that extended beyond the mere acquisition of individual skills to play a crucial role in maintaining social order, stabilizing economic production relations, and reconstructing dominant ideological frameworks. The availability and scope of educational opportunities for slaves varied significantly depending on their assigned roles, their masters’ social status, and prevailing pedagogical practices within Roman society. Slaves serving in domestic settings, bureaucratic positions, or aristocratic households often received training in grammar, rhetoric, literature, and accounting. This specialized knowledge enabled them to occupy skilled roles such as pedagogues, clerks, or secretaries. Conversely, slaves employed in physically demanding sectors such as agriculture, mining, or construction typically underwent experiential learning processes rather than formal education.

Keywords

Slavery , Education , Ideology , Servus , Manumissio

ANTİK ROMA’DA KÖLELERİN EĞİTİMİ: İDEOLOJİNİN YENİDEN ÜRETİMİ

Abstract

Antik Roma’da kölelerin eğitimi, bireysel beceri kazandırmanın ötesinde toplumsal düzenin sürdürülmesinde, ekonomik üretim ilişkilerinin istikrarında ve egemen ideolojinin yeniden inşasında etkili bir araç olarak kullanılmıştır. Eğitim olanakları kölelerin görev yaptığı alanlara, efendilerinin toplumsal konumuna ve Roma’daki genel pedagojik anlayışa bağlı olarak farklılık göstermiştir. Ev içi hizmetlerde, bürokratik pozisyonlarda ya da aristokrat çevrelerde görev yapan kölelerin gramer, retorik, edebiyat ve muhasebe gibi alanlarda eğitim aldıkları, bu donanım sayesinde pedagog, kâtip veya sekreter gibi çeşitli iş kollarında istihdam edildikleri bilinmektedir. Tarım, maden ve inşaat gibi fiziksel emek gerektiren işlerde çalışan köleler ise deneyim temelli öğrenim süreçlerine tabi tutulmuştur. Eğitim, köleleri verimli kılmanın ötesinde, toplumsal konumlarını içselleştirmelerini sağlayan ve hiyerarşik yapıyı doğallaştıran bir denetim mekanizması olarak işlev görmüştür. Bu bağlamda manumissio, yani köle azadı, bireysel hak temelli bir kazanım olmanın yanı sıra sadakat ve verimliliğe dayalı bir ödüllendirme biçimi olarak da uygulanmıştır. Eğitimli kölelerin özgürleştirilerek sınırlı toplumsal hareketlilik elde etmesi, Roma yurttaşlık ideolojisinin ve toplumsal hiyerarşinin yeniden üretilmesine katkıda bulunmuştur. Bu çalışma, köle eğitimi ile manumissio arasındaki ilişkiyi odağa alarak eğitimin Roma toplumundaki yapısal ve ideolojik işlevlerini tartışmaktadır.

Keywords

Kölelik , Eğitim , İdeloji , Servus , Manumissio

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