Servus est. He is a slave.
Slavery, however offensive we know it to be now, was big business in Ancient Rome. It is estimated that in Italy by the end of the first century BCE, there were 2-3 million slaves. Soldiers captured during Roman military expansionism, for example, were often enslaved, but so were local populations. Slavery was not based upon race: slaves could be acquired from any of the Roman provinces, and they were bought and sold at slave markets.
Their work could vary from manual or agricultural labour and mining to high-skilled jobs. Many Greek slaves taught the children of wealthy Romans. How a slave was treated was very much luck of the draw: some were well looked after and even gained their freedom in recognition of the dedication they had shown to their masters; the word lībertus means a freed man.
Others, however, were subjected to terrible exploitation and corporal punishment and were sometimes killed, but laws did change to allow slaves to act against cruel treatment.
Tombstones have revealed that certain slaves were held in great affection. The modest little memorial in the images below was to Gnome Pierinis, a slave girl (ANCILLA) who had the special role of hairdresser (ORNATRIX) to her mistress.
Slaves who were freed often stayed in Italy rather than returning to their homeland. They could marry and have their own businesses. The tombstone in the images below refers to Antiochus who was a LIBERTVS (libertus), a freed man and a PICTOR (painter).
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