Lex you are the man! And thanks for the comment and support! As for the live on air sign it’s my new office in the new house so I finally managed to grab a few nails and get it done ✅ 😅 Looking forward to your new podcast episodes.
The amount of people today accusing me of being a far right grifter under this video is making me laugh my head off. Hey thanks for the engagement I guess, I'll take it! The other day I was accused of being a woke commie, today it's the far left that spreads toxic hate against me and is really offended by my opinions on this video. These haters will end up covering my down payment for the house with their hate watching and comment spamming. But seriously massive thanks to all those of you who actually love the show and write decent and nice comments, thank you noble ones! They will never shut us down! Keep telling it how it is and monetize every single view from these hate mongers! Please share my video just to piss them off lol
@@vulkanofnocturne it's the same psychology cults use to control their flock, they teach you to just attack the character of anyone who doesn't agree with your worldview. Prevents you from actually listening to them, because if you listen to other points of view, you might end up having naughty opinions.
I appreciate and yes no worries I have a thick skin. I swear I’m gonna pay off my house with all the engagement I’m getting from the hate watchers. They will buy me a damn mansion with their angry tears my friend.
@@metatronyt Also the people you mentioned that are against you are not stew pid. They just choose to be evil and created this false tribalism on us vs them and they choose to be zealots. Don't underestimate your enemy.
Join this channel to get access to more old school Metatron videos the algorithm wouldn't prioritize! th-cam.com/channels/IjGKyrdT4Gja0VLO40RlOw.htmljoin Also if you like what I do and wish to support my work to help me make sure that I can continue to tell it how it is please consider checking out my Patreon! Unboxings are Patreon exclusives! www.patreon.com/themetatron Link to the original video th-cam.com/video/DyoVVSggPjY/w-d-xo.html
@@jimjambananaslam3596And yet, that's generally the department in charge of finding and recruiting the most cost-efficient humans and removing the ones who damage the company.
@@jimjambananaslam3596 You say that, but calling people resources is common terminology in software development. Eg. "We'll have this resource coming from proj X that'll help us for 2 months"
I have watch less than 10 videos of your channel and I must say that I have the upmost respect for your ecuanimity, pursuit of truth and bravery. Thank you.
You're going to get into a nuanced area that most of these people around here are not mature enough to have a conversation about. Like the subject of slavery in the Bible it's nothing like what people's idea of slavery is due to the transatlantic slave trade. It's nothing like it. But most people can't have that conversation cuz they get too emotional about it and they're also ignorant about it
@@jonathansoko1085 slavery in the bible is 100% like slavery in the americas. this is obvious in all studies of slavery in the near east. the 'laws' and 'regulations' for the 'good treatment' of slaves, as often portrayed, mean nothing. slaves had no enforcable rights - by definition. and these 'laws' were full of loopholes anyway - and their main fuction was to protect the economic interests of slaveowners. the only meaningful difference is the lack of racialization as a foundational point. all else is the same. long-distance forced transportation, sexual brutality and so on.
I mean, most in the US get paid for their work, are allowed to quit their job, travel as they are able to, and have an actual chance to choose your life. Not saying there are not issues and problems, but slavery was worse by far.
@@occasional_doomerI don't see how that changes the point that the term "human resources" treats people as objects just as the term "articulate tools" does. The meat puppets are in the same intellectual category as a pile of pallets. Fridman used this articulate tools thing as an example of a crazy thing that the Romans did as if we don't play the exact same language games today. Dehumanizing language is not something that died when we became 'modern.'
@Stefano-o5f but you can get a better job and make smarter financial decisions. I'm not saying it's easy, I'm far from financially comfortable myself, but there are a lot more options for most of us than there were for most people of the past. Many of them were prevented by law to do anything other than what they were born into.
Another great video, I've really been enjoying this series. On the topic of feudalism, I did a research piece some years back on the economic transformation of northern Italy during the late antique/early mediaeval period. It was very interesting to discover that the feudal manorial system which became prevalent there in the mediaeval period was almost entirely disconnected to the previous system of villae rusticae/latifundia. Over the last couple of centuries of the empire in the west, the Roman economic system effectively developed independently into something closely resembling the manorial system, with largely autarkic farms which were run by coloni, who were essentially serfs who were legally tied to the land. However, with the coming of the Lombards in AD569, this system was entirely obliterated, in large part because the Lombard elite were urban-based and had no particular interest in farming. Thus peasant farmers were allowed to become quasi-independent running small landholdings. It is not until the relative peace brought by the fall of the Exarchate of Ravenna from AD740 onward that local aristocracy again begins to take an interest in the countryside and not until the conquest of Northern Italy by Charlemagne in AD774 that Frankish elites imposed their own feudal manorial system onto the region.
I love your videos. This one illustrates how much more complex the historical situation was than what we’ve been taught. It shows that the haters don’t look at more than one aspect but are simplistic in their thinking and thus their opinions. One thing I’ve learned in my humble life is that everything is more complicated than people outside the situation thinks. Often it’s more complicated than those involved realize.
I think most TH-camrs over-censor themselves nowadays. I have seen quite a few swear and use other worst that would otherwise be censored without them being demonitized. The alghoritm even recommend them still.
There was a stipulation for the case of a father selling their son three times to slavery, they'd lost custody as patria, their authority as head of the family over the son
14:59 The Ottomans used galley slaves taken from England (Cornish coast for example). Notably these slaves were used in the conquest of Constantinople (1453) and actions in the Adriatic/Mediterranean seas. These slaves were permanently chained to the positions and were hosed down maybe once a week to flush away the human waste etc. In a battle they were usually unchained so that they could change rowing positions if necessary. I'm guessing that 99% of people (esp Americans) who are concerned about historic slavery don't realise that.
Everyone used galley slaves, both sides of the Mediterranean. They were swapped and bought free as well, back and forth, as again POWs were often enslaved.
@@TulilaSalome Venetians actually also used their own citizen volunteers, don't know why but for whatever reason they were more willing to risk their necks.
Quit minimizing my nation. I doubt most of Europe would rise to stop the spread of migration. You’re proud of being the cucks you’re born to be. The weak need conquered. I’m sick of standing up for “my people”. The EU and NATO have done nothing but kick hundreds of cans down the road until it builds into a massive war and now you’re being poisoned and replaced with your own tax money. Fool.
Americans are concerned about historic slavery because it led to our civil war and affected much of our society especially in the south. Also slavery ended in 1865, but segregationist and other racist laws continued into the late 1960s influenced by slavery and the racism it ingrained in to American society. All of this is much more recent and relevant to modern americans than whatever was happening in 1453 in the mediterranean.
@@danielponcianodiaz176 For sure....but that doesn't mean that Americans should be ignorant about the history of slavery and its impact on peoples across the known world.
05:55 ... There is a sign outside an apartment "complex" that had been uncovered in Pompeii that read something to the effect of. "Apartment for rent. See [insert the name], the slave of [the owner of the building] for details and prices". So, there were slaves who were basically the desk clerks, not chained, not beaten into submission, who worked for the owner who had the duty of running the apartment's day-to-day business. Merchants and landowners paid a LOT of money for a slave. To mistreat a slave to the point of killing them or crippling them was harming your bottom line. Severe beating of the slave was reserved for the most dire of offenses. Even in US history, there were black slaves of great plantations who were given money and rode the wagon and horse team into town to buy necessary items for the plantation operations and great house provisions. They were not chained, but being in the deep south, couldn't turn their wagon north and simply drive away to freedom. They had responsibilities to their "master", were given the money to buy the goods needed and sent to town to buy the items and return. If you want to look up slave laws as were established in the early 1800s, if you were a slave owner and mistreated your slaves for improper reasons you could have your slave confiscated without compensation. Please remember that the vision of slavery in the US has been proven to NOT be the slavery depicted in the week-long TV series and book "Roots" by Alex Haley. That was a propaganda book/tv show made to create the view that ALL slaves were treated the same as Kunta Kinte. I am NOT by any means saying slavery wasn't bad, I'm saying it is proven that slavery in the US was not as depicted in "Roots" back in 1976.
There is a video out here in yt oceania, I cant remember by who, but he made the precise comparison of yesterdays you know what to todays robots and machines.
We've just found a way to make it "moral", but by default, those who use to be able to somewhat provide for their existence by either choice or force, will now no longer be able to exist.
Facts and logic are often unpopular. That's why it's important to speak them! (even if it takes a ****ton of disclaimers...) Thank you for your continued work.
@@thadtuiol1717 Having French waiters at fancy restaurants is a pretty classic trope due. There's a reason all the terms associated with sophisticated dining (gourmet, haute cuisine, hors d'oeuvres, etc.) are borrowed from French.
Another great video about one of my favorite topics (ancient Rome, not owning humans 😂) from one of my favorite TH-camrs. Been digging the more frequent uploads brother. Dont burn yourself out and keep up the good work.
I love love love your comments and clarifications, disagreements and agreements with the history interviews you're reacting to. I think you're doing a great service here. I like history, but most of my skewed understanding comes from historical novels, which are of course by their nature inaccurate, but they nevertheless keep my interest alive and engaged. I don't have the patience to read scholarly history books, so these videos by historians and reactions by other historians such as yourself I find valuable.
Don't listen to what the terminally-online clowns call you. You do great work and your videos are always well researched and entertaing. Keep up the good work, brother. Much love from Scotland 🏴
Even in the American South, the slaves of rich households might learn valuable skills. For instance, Thomas Jefferson had a slave who learned the art of French cookery. He had slaves who learned to make nails for construction in a nail shop. Other slaves made the bricks used to construct buildings still standing here in Virginia. Could you use those skills to make extra money and buy your freedom-- sometimes. Was it a great life? NO! I seem to remember Thomas Jefferson's cook commited suicide.
The problem with that is the sheer amount of laws like the fugitive slave act would make freedom for enslaved people nearly impossible. Also, the skills they learned could not really be used for anything other than their masters because they would probably not get their freedom.
@@jsmoothd654 Your argument is bad their skills can be used in some jobs or they would literally be unproductive and shot in the head for being a useless asset understood their lil dumbo? Don’t worry I’m your superior in every way
@@jsmoothd654 Yeah, that is the problem with OP's comment, he ignores the fact that the south was DELIBERATELY trying to make freedom impossible for the slaves. They wanted their slaves to be slaves for life, which naturally pissed EVERYONE OFF and put the South on a ticking clock when they tried their little secession.
I'm thinking? Let's say,,, back in the day after a battle .... you have possible two choices ... being a slave or being dead ... as a slave you may have an option of possible Escape .... being dead there is no living option
I think it's important to note that by the time Augustus becomes the sole ruler of the Roman state the state had essentially been at civil war for decades in one shape or another. The resources of everyone after maybe a 100 years of war and fighting must have been spent and they just sort of accepted that which had happened rather than bother trying to change it all.
I would share HG Wells conclusion that Rome making most of its subjects slaves removed Rome’s ability to raise troops internally, which was to suppress internal revolts. Peasants could act in their own defense, slaves could and would not. Arguably, societies organized to prevent internal revolt are contemptible in external wars, such as Iraq under Saddam Hussein.
Every single human being alive is the descendant of a slave owner or a slave, at some point in their family line, they were one or the other. Most likely there have been several of each that make up who we are. Hell, how much of the world is related to Cinngis? He was both slave and master, therefore every one of his descendants have the blood of both running through their veins.
Even in religion, we are either a servant to a good lord, or slave to a wicked one. You can't rule without first knowing how to serve. I think in some bizarre way, slavery was a temperance on mankind to keep it from the heights of arrogance we see it often reach. Now it's not equally dealt, but understand there is far more to it that's unjust.
One aspect that people don't mention are imperial slaves. There are a couple of series of books set in Rome who's writers have done their homework first [as in listing the names of the archaeologists/historians etc they spoke to before writing about a specific thing in their books] and one features an imperial slave as a recurring character. Thing is, he is a slave technically but he is also in a position of power [think high up in the CIA/NSA type position of power - using US departments for comparison] and he owns his own luxurious house in Rome, has his own nice holiday house or two, has HIS OWN SLAVES running said properties and really is a slave in name only. The writer actually gives the names of people in records which this character is based on [as a mixture of others] and while the main character is anti slavery he points out that the imperial slave is far wealthier than many Roman citizens, will have a nice tidy retirement which will come with his freedom in due time, but the main also - this part being rather ironic - ends up with his own slaves which he sort of simply collects [he feels sorry for them when their previous master dies or goes to prison and ends up with them moving in to his household] and he also lists the costs of having a slave. Sure you have someone to do your office work for you but you also have to house, feed and clothe them, they might also teach your children but they aren't necessarily cheaper than sending the kids to the local [private] ''school'', he has a cook who can't cook but he still has to house, clothe and feed said cook but he can't sell him because no one else would want them and slaves nobody wants don't come to a good end. It's the other side of slavery [and I am NOT supporting slavery at all, it existed in Egyptian pharaonic times, it existed in ancient China, Korea, India and Japan - especially the part about selling a child into slavery, often prostitution if they were a daughter - because you were so poor you needed the money - and probably in every other culture, Saxons and Scandinavians - NOT Vikings as ''viking'' was a profession rather than a specific group of people as several TH-camrs make a point of stating - practiced slavery to an extent that William I [aka William the Bastard or William the Conqueror BANNED slavery in England in the 11thC, possibly more for monetary reasons than because he objected to slavery itself but he still banned it] and it still goes on today. Unfortunately it will likely always be with us [anyone remember Orion Slave Girls in ST:TOS, writers saw it existing IN THE FUTURE] as there seems to be something in human DNA that likes owning other people] that doesn't get mentioned. It WAS BAD but it wasn't always as bad as many make out for every slave, and many actually made good lives for themselves despite technically being slaves. Heck, Desmond Bagley talks about modern slavery in the book ''Flyaway'' which is mainly set in central Africa where technical slaves were more like share croppers than anything else, that was set in the 1970s and he was another writer who did his research before covering something in a book. Great video as always, look forward to them coming out and always watch them, educational which makes a change for much on TH-cam.
Sorry Metatron (for my English firstly) but that the professor didn't make mention of Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa I could have expected (it can happen to anyone to forget something important), but I don't understand why (you) didn't mention him. Any Rome history lover know about Octavian's military deficiencies, but we also know that, as a great political leader, he knew how to choose his men and I don't think there is any doubt (if there is I'm not aware of it) that the credit for Octavian's political success is due to Agrippa's military ability. 🍺
In Dalmatia there were slaves who were "animal" doctors. Based on the trade, between the land owners. These doctors were basically veterinary doctors looking after horses mostly. Yet these skilled slaves stayed enslaved. Sometimes it's easier to remain a slave then remain free and be subject to military service, taxes, and other obligations.
Thank you for not pausing for the small asides or comments. I think it let's the video and commentary flow a little more smoothly and opens up more room for longer commentary or thoughts.
"They had slavery, but at least they werent racist!"😂 Reminds me of when people were calling Jeffrey Dahmer racist cause he ate mainly black people and he made a point to get his lawyer or whatever to put out a message that he wasnt racist, but that he was eating what was available. 😂 he was a cannibal serial killer but AT LEAST he wasn't racist.
Wow, I just discovered this fantastic channel. I'm an historian too and I teach classic history (more precisely, history of Spain from Rome to Felipe II). Complimenti (I guess you're italian)
I'm not for slavery but I'm not for complainers, History is a hard pill to swallow sometimes If we learn to get over our egos we can Hear and Maybe understand what metatron is trying to teach us ! 😊
I love the fact that even when you disagree with someone, you are respectful, and that you don’t then start to reject everything they say. I wish your example was the way people interacted generally. The world would be better for it.
Mr Aldrete has his courses on the Great Courses btw, I love that man's lectures. except I agree, he is human and it is so fkin good to peer review him :) THANKS METATRON !!!!
In some societies, some people were better off putting themselves into slavery in a rich man’s house than being a free man and having to beg on the streets. We cant just discount the centuries of social evolution it took for us to be where we are now.
you mean social evolution by the europeans, the rest of the world and 5 cradles of civilization seemed to get shit done and is where all our favorite things come from along with the building blocks of life.
@@krono5el I dont know….the Greeks and Romans have always been European. My worldview says that mankind left the tower of Babel with the same knowledge base and then adapted it to their new surroundings. The world was more interconnected than science wants to admit.
@@Privateer_24 well the oldest crops, are rice, wheat, and maize, which all are about 8,000 years old. so civilization was far more reaching than one tiny spot.
@@krono5el right. yes. the rest of the world. places like Africa that sold their own people to the Eurpoeans. or China with it's historically very brutal regimes. or the Middle east and all the problems they've cause over the years. let's not pretend the rest of the world was some kind of utopia that got ruined by white people. the world sucks, has always sucked but, on the whole does seem to be getting a little better every century or two.
Regarding commentary @16:27, I think this also makes those few notable figures in history who seemingly out of nowhere developed a strident and vocal hatred for slavery fascinating to study.
Praetorians were not as politically potent in Julius Caesar's time as in Augustus' time. So no, Caesar could not have used them to seize power, nor to keep it. Wiki:"During the Roman Republic, the Praetorian Guards were escorts for high-ranking political officials (senators and procurators) and were bodyguards for the senior officers of the Roman legions. In 27 BC, after Rome's transition from republic to empire, the first emperor of Rome, Augustus, designated the Praetorians as his personal security escort. For three centuries, the guards of the Roman emperor were also known for their palace intrigues, ..."
24:22 Mozarella cheeses rolfmao. 25:28 You sound good. 27:55 'The slave are revoltimg ' 'Finally something we can agree on'. 33:47 Genius. Overpay them. Fabuĺous video. Many thanks from Gabriel of Norway. Must watch again tomorrow.
Julius was named Dictator perpetuus (not quite "for life", but close enough) but only at the very end. So it was not the solution to how to institutionalize his power that Caesar envisioned from the beginning. 36:00 No, Anthony doesn't get the money and the troops. Octavian got the money and eventually the troops.
Went to the monument to Euno in Enna and Castello Lombardia, beautiful location, and very intriguing history. Had no idea it was there, was living near Catania and me and my friend just got in the car and went exploring.
I appreciate the metatron taking the time to do this because Lex actually watches TH-cam and the content creators that follow his work. I learned that watching his Israel vs Palestine debate he said so explicitly.
I never like how people view slavery through a modern lense. Slavery was a logical in a pre-industrial world where hard labor was in extreme demand and not something anyone really wanted to do if they could avoid it. This does not mean anyone is particularly pro-slavery or anti-slavery, they simply put the needs of their own people before the needs of other peoples. Being anti-slavery is a luxury position that only made sense after the industrial revolution.
When I took Latin in Highschool we got assigned “Slave names” for first year, and the teacher just counted down the rows and I ended up being Sextus. I feel for Sextus Pompey.
Ad hominem (against the man) attacks are usually a sign of desperation, not stupidity. When you can't defeat a factual argument cast dispersions on the person making it. "He supports the idea of slavery" is a fine example of this, people might stop listening to your opponent's argument because "they support slavery". Or they might shift from reinforcing their point in the argument to defending themselves from the accusation made against them. Derail their chain of thought, put them on the defensive.
I've been reading the Icelandic sagas, and something that struck me there was that slaves were often viewed more favorably than poor freemen. Slaves had steady work, clothing in decent repair, food, shelter, etc. Meanwhile, the poor, itinerant workers were viewed suspiciously as they couldn't be counted on the way "members of thr household" could. It shows that there can be valid reasons to sell oneself or one's family because it guaranteed that, so long as you performed your duties, you had a relative level of security and wellfare. I think it's important we don't view all of human history by merely the most extreme examples ("factory" style slavery in North/South America, human sacrifice en masse by Aztecs, etc).
Josiah Henson, aka the man on whom the character Uncle Tom was based off of, is an interesting historical individual that’s worth looking into. Namely that he was almost nothing like the character from the book. For starters he spoke fluent English and by all accounts was a highly intelligent man, which was what would see him managing not only the finances of his owners cotton business, but he also functioned as the de facto manager for all of the plantations and their staff that his owner held. He even oversaw contract deals and would actually berate his owner whenever he went around behind his back and agreed to some arrangement without conferring with him first. Also it should be understood that his owner had a seriously bad gambling addiction, so the fact that the buisiness was still able to turn a good profit while also being able to settle the massive gambling debts his owner wracked up, says something about the industriousness that Elias Henson possessed and would go on to display.
I know my comment will get lots of negative feedback but, as of right this minute, I am still free to state my opinion. I have lived a long, long time in this my country, the United States of America and have seen a lot, read a lot and studied a lot in my nearly 76 years. For perspective, Dr. Thomas Sowell is the best history teacher of all of the many historians I have listened to. I didn't care for the way this guy seemed to try to infer that slavery in Roman days wasn't as evil as it was in America. That's the way he came across to me in subtle ways as he drew parallels between ancient Roman slavery and slavery in America. It bothers me that many have not learned even a modicum about empires, countries and societies in historical records to the point that they cannot think about the types of slavery that existed throughout history. Many can only think about the slave trade and slavery in America and those people both black and white cannot put it in the past and move on. The division in the U.S.A. revived and invigorated by B.O. beginning in 2008 has only harmed my country to the point now of destruction. Zero productivity has come from the hatred of past wrongs and ignoring all of the efforts of good people to help those whose families were once enslaved - Affirmative Action, Welfare of all kinds, and much. more. Thank you, Metatron, and I find you to be well balanced in your take on history.
I assume you already know this but overpaying praetorian guard wouldn't have worked because it didn't exist yet in Caesar's time! That would have very possibly saved him from his fate, and it was no doubt a big part of Augustus' thinking when he decided to form it.
Caesar had bodyguards for a while, but he dismissed them a few weeks/months (I am not sure) before his death, so he ended his days how he did. I imagine Caesar must have believed nobody would dare to touch him like nobody dared to touch Sulla, even after Sulla retired he had the nerve to walk around Rome without bodyguards😅
About Augustus and his name, it's funny that in Spanish "augusto" is not only his name (which is write in capital, Augusto) but also an adjective that means someone worthy of veneration because his/her majesty; sometimes it means the title of someone who appears to be more than a human. I mean it's like the second meaning the proffesor says.
@@TejanoTigre I know, I mean I think it's somewhat wonderful that one of the original meanings is still the same in Spanish. Also Augusto is a common Name.
Another really sobering thing to mention is that it's more than likely some families were forced to sell their children into slavery, so as to give them a better life. I can only imagine there would have been times where some couldn't even feed themselves and the alternative was death.
Please do a video on Seisachtheia sir, there is obviously quite a bit to unpack there with the history of debt and whatnot. iirc it was precipitated by Greeks being the first in history to use debt for personal/non-business purposes
Roman slavery is strange, because they do not have racial component? 99% of slavery, did not have racial component. As far as I can see, only USA had the "no white slaves". But white had no clear definition until after 1900's.
Except America did have "white" slaves. A large portion of the slaves were white. We are just ignored because it doesn't fit the racism narrative that they use to claim that active slavery in Africa isn't as bad as American slavery and whites are evil.
Slavery is based on economics, cheap readily available, the reason the TST was industrialised was the Africans organising huge numbers of indentured or captured people ready to be transported. This was always the case, the Mansa etc took this age old business to another level. The Vikings, the Saxons etc all conquered and took slaves, the Africans had nothing to do with a racial aspect, modern 'scholars' see only race.
You should also add that those who willingly entered slavery often would do it to gain the skill trade that they needed to provide a better life for their family. The Assyrian Empire was mostly consisted of these slaves within their cities. Rome had them and they were also found in Ancient Hellenic city states. Racist slavery is a by product of ending slavery. It is a unique aspect to slavery in North America. Due to the large cultural and religious phenomenon of Slavery being wrong and the push to end slavery. Thomas Sowell talks about this. However the term Lex uses as "othering" should NOT be used. Very rarely in history was slavery about those who were enslaved being about they are different than us. It was not until Islam and the expansion into African and Europe did slavery happen due to the enslaved being "other" than us. But lets not expect too much from a Lex Freidman podcast on accuracy. Also to point out since the reference in here is Rome fell hints as being in the 5th century, Rome Thrived for 1k years after the Italy and the western region fell.
@@MarceloHenriqueSoaresdaSilva haha You clearly do not know what you are talking about. They were 100% Enslaved. As mentioned in the video they would gain skills, that were highly valued and would be given the option to purchase their freedom over time. Many people did this thought the world.
The interesting thing about the slavery discussion in the U.S. is there were black slave owners. One of the biggest slave owners in our history was John Carruthers Stanly (1774 - 1825). His story is very interesting. You don't learn this stuff in school.
I presume the revolt with Spartacus and the gladiators, is like professional wrestlers getting into a fist fight with a bunch of military personnel in a bar. Yeah the professional wrestlers are likely much more muscular and have high stats and can fight them off really well for a while, but the military has A LOT more people to work with compared to the total number of Professional Wrestlers in the business.
just going to throw this out there: american slavery seems particularly worse than slavery seen in other places. i think something unique happened because of where western culture was moving and the state of the world at the time: 1) slaves were coincidentally predominantly from africa by the 1600s. this is predominantly because of muslim slave trade established previously, and then perpetuated by europe. 2) philosophy, religion and science were all moving towards the idea that slavery is bad, that all humans are humans, and that logical thinking is better than esoteric / occult / spiritual / emotional thinking 3) the ideas of liberalism were strongly in conflict against classical and progressive attemps to force people back into rule by the privileged (here both fuedalist and communist style privileged opposed liberalism) so what seems to have happened, based on writings of the time: there was a need to uniquely/more extremely demonize slaves and establish a social and economic moral high ground. this played out as south ideology maintaining and amplifying old deeply racist ideads and attaching them to the concept of a slave, and also of anti-capitolist anti-democratic political and economic principles. with that combination of ideas privileged aristocratic elites in the south were able to add a normally-unseen disgusting racial component to slavery that started out as mostly-class-based in the US; they countered more rational liberal ideas about personal freedom by claiming africans are subhuman, and they countered economic and political arguments by claiming democratic and free market ideas destroy the natural balance spoken of by marx (with ruling elites guiding the stupid masses). and if you haven't noticed, yes i'm pointing out a proto-marxist set of anti-liberal anti-scientific anti-religious arguments as a main driver to the american conversion of what would have been normal class-based slavery into even more disgusting largely race-based slavery. not only can that association be established in writings of the time, it also holds true that every marxist-like system of belief does exactly the same thing... every time; and not only is it easily supported and observed in history and on the world stage, it is literally the same thing going on in the USA today where if you dont vote for biden you aint black, and where democrats claim the only way we can survive is to import a bunch of black and brown people to do the work that americans wont do (these are both horribly racist elitist-ruling-class arguments that harken straight back to lords and serfs, socialist government ownership of means of production, and american south slavery).
I dont think he was singling out the slaves specifically. They were one of many large groups of people in Rome that, due to various individual incentives and desires, all contributed in ways to allow enough errosion of social norms that led to the Ceasars.
33:17 He like rebels learned the hard way the people who get you to power are not the ones that keep power. Seems a universal mistake a lot would be conquerors make
Love the new Live on Air sign 😂 Keep up the great work!
You should bring back dan carlin
@@mugiwara7347 Definitely! Though they might've exhausted too many topics of conversation to warrant a brand new episode :/
Ooooooo I hope this bodes for the two of you to do a podcast
Lex you are the man! And thanks for the comment and support! As for the live on air sign it’s my new office in the new house so I finally managed to grab a few nails and get it done ✅ 😅 Looking forward to your new podcast episodes.
@@metatronyt Get on the podcast bro!
The amount of people today accusing me of being a far right grifter under this video is making me laugh my head off. Hey thanks for the engagement I guess, I'll take it!
The other day I was accused of being a woke commie, today it's the far left that spreads toxic hate against me and is really offended by my opinions on this video.
These haters will end up covering my down payment for the house with their hate watching and comment spamming.
But seriously massive thanks to all those of you who actually love the show and write decent and nice comments, thank you noble ones! They will never shut us down!
Keep telling it how it is and monetize every single view from these hate mongers! Please share my video just to piss them off lol
You are like the Sh0eonHead, but for History.
😄
I made 1 coms b4 this 1, if its missing, u know y.
Typical boomers republican hate you talk about sensational topics XD
"How dare you discuss historical reality Metatron???" Yeah, some people just can't bear to the truth, God bless their hearts!
Too late to complain. You do intentionally provoke this kind of reaction for viewership
Those people don't actually think you are pro slavery they just think they can use the accusation.
I mean, leftists are highly invested in (and many outright believe) that America invented slavery and no one has been enslaved since 1864.
@@vulkanofnocturne there are people that cannot see no further than the end of their nose
@@vulkanofnocturne it's the same psychology cults use to control their flock, they teach you to just attack the character of anyone who doesn't agree with your worldview. Prevents you from actually listening to them, because if you listen to other points of view, you might end up having naughty opinions.
With every accusation is their confession.
And they usually have no compuction about surrogate mothers or abortion.
Meditron pay no attention to the people that hate Is what you say. The rest of us love and respect you!😊
I appreciate and yes no worries I have a thick skin. I swear I’m gonna pay off my house with all the engagement I’m getting from the hate watchers. They will buy me a damn mansion with their angry tears my friend.
@@metatronytYou just reminded me of Cartman licking up Scott Tenorman’s tears on a South Park episode. 😂
@@metatronyt Also the people you mentioned that are against you are not stew pid. They just choose to be evil and created this false tribalism on us vs them and they choose to be zealots. Don't underestimate your enemy.
@@benu_bird 😆😆😆😆
@@yosif8235 Isn't it lovely that we live in a world where we have to encrypt our words in order to post a coms.
🥰🥰🥰
The Metatron did not denounce potholes in this video. He is pro pothole. Vote Agustus for Emperor the anti pothole candidate.
Potholes are caused by the gods. A vote for Augustus is a vote against the gods.
Join this channel to get access to more old school Metatron videos the algorithm wouldn't prioritize!
th-cam.com/channels/IjGKyrdT4Gja0VLO40RlOw.htmljoin
Also if you like what I do and wish to support my work to help me make sure that I can continue to tell it how it is please consider checking out my Patreon! Unboxings are Patreon exclusives!
www.patreon.com/themetatron
Link to the original video
th-cam.com/video/DyoVVSggPjY/w-d-xo.html
jolly good video , raphie, thoroughly enjoyed it, even if it was a little short!
"Articulate Tools" sounds an awful lot like "Human Resources."
imo
Human resources means resources for dealing with humans, not humans to be used as resources lol
@@jimjambananaslam3596And yet, that's generally the department in charge of finding and recruiting the most cost-efficient humans and removing the ones who damage the company.
"People are a resource"
-Negan
@@jimjambananaslam3596 To be fair I would describe most people in human resources as tools lol.
@@jimjambananaslam3596 You say that, but calling people resources is common terminology in software development. Eg. "We'll have this resource coming from proj X that'll help us for 2 months"
Octavian was also spectacularly fortunate to have Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa beside him.
Good point , having a world class general and incredibly loyal right hand man was massive.
octavian despite not being a good warrior was very wise
But don't forget about his good friends Titus Pollo and Lucius Vorenus!
@@kevinle5460 😁 Until Octavian tried to kill Pullo's son of course!
I have watch less than 10 videos of your channel and I must say that I have the upmost respect for your ecuanimity, pursuit of truth and bravery. Thank you.
In a way, being a slave will offer you a form of protection that some people wouldn't want to harm a certain individuals or family's slaves
You're going to get into a nuanced area that most of these people around here are not mature enough to have a conversation about. Like the subject of slavery in the Bible it's nothing like what people's idea of slavery is due to the transatlantic slave trade. It's nothing like it. But most people can't have that conversation cuz they get too emotional about it and they're also ignorant about it
@@jonathansoko1085 slavery in the bible is 100% like slavery in the americas. this is obvious in all studies of slavery in the near east. the 'laws' and 'regulations' for the 'good treatment' of slaves, as often portrayed, mean nothing. slaves had no enforcable rights - by definition. and these 'laws' were full of loopholes anyway - and their main fuction was to protect the economic interests of slaveowners. the only meaningful difference is the lack of racialization as a foundational point. all else is the same. long-distance forced transportation, sexual brutality and so on.
mmmmmm, I dont know about that one.
o.O
@@jonathansoko1085Owning people is bad. Regardless of the context. There is no nuance. Owning people is bad.
@@soulknife20Yup. Pretty simple.
Now we're called "human resources". Is that substantially better than "articulate tools"?
I mean, most in the US get paid for their work, are allowed to quit their job, travel as they are able to, and have an actual chance to choose your life. Not saying there are not issues and problems, but slavery was worse by far.
Yes. Are we really at the point where that should be explained?
@@occasional_doomerI don't see how that changes the point that the term "human resources" treats people as objects just as the term "articulate tools" does. The meat puppets are in the same intellectual category as a pile of pallets.
Fridman used this articulate tools thing as an example of a crazy thing that the Romans did as if we don't play the exact same language games today. Dehumanizing language is not something that died when we became 'modern.'
@@Alex_FaheyIf it's a choice between the two I'd rather be the 'articulate tool' lol
@Stefano-o5f but you can get a better job and make smarter financial decisions. I'm not saying it's easy, I'm far from financially comfortable myself, but there are a lot more options for most of us than there were for most people of the past. Many of them were prevented by law to do anything other than what they were born into.
Another great video, I've really been enjoying this series. On the topic of feudalism, I did a research piece some years back on the economic transformation of northern Italy during the late antique/early mediaeval period. It was very interesting to discover that the feudal manorial system which became prevalent there in the mediaeval period was almost entirely disconnected to the previous system of villae rusticae/latifundia. Over the last couple of centuries of the empire in the west, the Roman economic system effectively developed independently into something closely resembling the manorial system, with largely autarkic farms which were run by coloni, who were essentially serfs who were legally tied to the land. However, with the coming of the Lombards in AD569, this system was entirely obliterated, in large part because the Lombard elite were urban-based and had no particular interest in farming. Thus peasant farmers were allowed to become quasi-independent running small landholdings. It is not until the relative peace brought by the fall of the Exarchate of Ravenna from AD740 onward that local aristocracy again begins to take an interest in the countryside and not until the conquest of Northern Italy by Charlemagne in AD774 that Frankish elites imposed their own feudal manorial system onto the region.
I love your videos. This one illustrates how much more complex the historical situation was than what we’ve been taught. It shows that the haters don’t look at more than one aspect but are simplistic in their thinking and thus their opinions.
One thing I’ve learned in my humble life is that everything is more complicated than people outside the situation thinks. Often it’s more complicated than those involved realize.
Thanks, keep this up. . You show that reaction videos can build on and enlarge the material. There is room for disagreement among civil people.
Thanks for that and I will!
Well said.
This was a really fun watch thank you for your hard work
The fact you have to write 4 instead of A
That's "freedom of speech" on TH-cam to you. It's a joke. You can't talk about historical habits like this without them stealing your income
🤔🤨
@@that44rdv4rk ?
I think most TH-camrs over-censor themselves nowadays. I have seen quite a few swear and use other worst that would otherwise be censored without them being demonitized. The alghoritm even recommend them still.
once you sign on the dotted line you're not free.
There was a stipulation for the case of a father selling their son three times to slavery, they'd lost custody as patria, their authority as head of the family over the son
i would think that's obvious if u sold a person you don't have any authority in they life going forward
14:59 The Ottomans used galley slaves taken from England (Cornish coast for example). Notably these slaves were used in the conquest of Constantinople (1453) and actions in the Adriatic/Mediterranean seas. These slaves were permanently chained to the positions and were hosed down maybe once a week to flush away the human waste etc. In a battle they were usually unchained so that they could change rowing positions if necessary. I'm guessing that 99% of people (esp Americans) who are concerned about historic slavery don't realise that.
Everyone used galley slaves, both sides of the Mediterranean. They were swapped and bought free as well, back and forth, as again POWs were often enslaved.
@@TulilaSalome Venetians actually also used their own citizen volunteers, don't know why but for whatever reason they were more willing to risk their necks.
Quit minimizing my nation. I doubt most of Europe would rise to stop the spread of migration. You’re proud of being the cucks you’re born to be. The weak need conquered. I’m sick of standing up for “my people”. The EU and NATO have done nothing but kick hundreds of cans down the road until it builds into a massive war and now you’re being poisoned and replaced with your own tax money. Fool.
Americans are concerned about historic slavery because it led to our civil war and affected much of our society especially in the south. Also slavery ended in 1865, but segregationist and other racist laws continued into the late 1960s influenced by slavery and the racism it ingrained in to American society. All of this is much more recent and relevant to modern americans than whatever was happening in 1453 in the mediterranean.
@@danielponcianodiaz176 For sure....but that doesn't mean that Americans should be ignorant about the history of slavery and its impact on peoples across the known world.
05:55 ... There is a sign outside an apartment "complex" that had been uncovered in Pompeii that read something to the effect of. "Apartment for rent. See [insert the name], the slave of [the owner of the building] for details and prices".
So, there were slaves who were basically the desk clerks, not chained, not beaten into submission, who worked for the owner who had the duty of running the apartment's day-to-day business.
Merchants and landowners paid a LOT of money for a slave. To mistreat a slave to the point of killing them or crippling them was harming your bottom line. Severe beating of the slave was reserved for the most dire of offenses.
Even in US history, there were black slaves of great plantations who were given money and rode the wagon and horse team into town to buy necessary items for the plantation operations and great house provisions. They were not chained, but being in the deep south, couldn't turn their wagon north and simply drive away to freedom. They had responsibilities to their "master", were given the money to buy the goods needed and sent to town to buy the items and return.
If you want to look up slave laws as were established in the early 1800s, if you were a slave owner and mistreated your slaves for improper reasons you could have your slave confiscated without compensation.
Please remember that the vision of slavery in the US has been proven to NOT be the slavery depicted in the week-long TV series and book "Roots" by Alex Haley. That was a propaganda book/tv show made to create the view that ALL slaves were treated the same as Kunta Kinte.
I am NOT by any means saying slavery wasn't bad, I'm saying it is proven that slavery in the US was not as depicted in "Roots" back in 1976.
There is a video out here in yt oceania, I cant remember by who, but he made the precise comparison of yesterdays you know what to todays robots and machines.
Free, to near free, labor is what has made the world "go round" since the dawn of time.
We've just found a way to make it "moral", but by default, those who use to be able to somewhat provide for their existence by either choice or force, will now no longer be able to exist.
I made 3 coms b4 this 1, if any r missing, u k now y.
@@MR-MR-ud5oo so far they are still there
Facts and logic are often unpopular.
That's why it's important to speak them!
(even if it takes a ****ton of disclaimers...)
Thank you for your continued work.
Besonders in unserem Land
The analogy I like to use for Romans' preference for Greek slaves is rich Americans' preference for British butlers and French waiters.
Who the F prefers French waiters? Not even the French like them!
@@thadtuiol1717 Having French waiters at fancy restaurants is a pretty classic trope due. There's a reason all the terms associated with sophisticated dining (gourmet, haute cuisine, hors d'oeuvres, etc.) are borrowed from French.
@@TzionOur language started as a mix of Old German and Old French after William the Conquerer did his thing in the 11th century.
@@HgHg-yp6ft Not really sure what that has to do with modern stereotypes about wealth and luxury.
Another great video about one of my favorite topics (ancient Rome, not owning humans 😂) from one of my favorite TH-camrs. Been digging the more frequent uploads brother. Dont burn yourself out and keep up the good work.
I love love love your comments and clarifications, disagreements and agreements with the history interviews you're reacting to. I think you're doing a great service here. I like history, but most of my skewed understanding comes from historical novels, which are of course by their nature inaccurate, but they nevertheless keep my interest alive and engaged. I don't have the patience to read scholarly history books, so these videos by historians and reactions by other historians such as yourself I find valuable.
Don't listen to what the terminally-online clowns call you. You do great work and your videos are always well researched and entertaing. Keep up the good work, brother.
Much love from Scotland 🏴
Even in the American South, the slaves of rich households might learn valuable skills. For instance, Thomas Jefferson had a slave who learned the art of French cookery. He had slaves who learned to make nails for construction in a nail shop. Other slaves made the bricks used to construct buildings still standing here in Virginia. Could you use those skills to make extra money and buy your freedom-- sometimes. Was it a great life? NO! I seem to remember Thomas Jefferson's cook commited suicide.
The problem with that is the sheer amount of laws like the fugitive slave act would make freedom for enslaved people nearly impossible. Also, the skills they learned could not really be used for anything other than their masters because they would probably not get their freedom.
Was he found dead in a pond naked ?
@@jsmoothd654 Your argument is bad their skills can be used in some jobs or they would literally be unproductive and shot in the head for being a useless asset understood their lil dumbo? Don’t worry I’m your superior in every way
@@jsmoothd654 Yeah, that is the problem with OP's comment, he ignores the fact that the south was DELIBERATELY trying to make freedom impossible for the slaves. They wanted their slaves to be slaves for life, which naturally pissed EVERYONE OFF and put the South on a ticking clock when they tried their little secession.
@@jsmoothd654 but when they did they had something
I'm thinking? Let's say,,, back in the day after a battle .... you have possible two choices ... being a slave or being dead ... as a slave you may have an option of possible Escape .... being dead there is no living option
exactly
Once a slave, always a slave. Being content with becoming a slave kind of sad. You do you.
I think it's important to note that by the time Augustus becomes the sole ruler of the Roman state the state had essentially been at civil war for decades in one shape or another. The resources of everyone after maybe a 100 years of war and fighting must have been spent and they just sort of accepted that which had happened rather than bother trying to change it all.
Thanks!
I like the way the guest speaks. Entertaining, approachable, positive. And: INTERESTING! 😮
The point where you talk about slaves being skilled would have been _the_ perfect place for a Skillshare plug.
That would’ve been gold
I would share HG Wells conclusion that Rome making most of its subjects slaves removed Rome’s ability to raise troops internally, which was to suppress internal revolts. Peasants could act in their own defense, slaves could and would not.
Arguably, societies organized to prevent internal revolt are contemptible in external wars, such as Iraq under Saddam Hussein.
Metatron had the same wry grin I had when Octavian was brought up 😂
Every single human being alive is the descendant of a slave owner or a slave, at some point in their family line, they were one or the other. Most likely there have been several of each that make up who we are. Hell, how much of the world is related to Cinngis? He was both slave and master, therefore every one of his descendants have the blood of both running through their veins.
Even in religion, we are either a servant to a good lord, or slave to a wicked one. You can't rule without first knowing how to serve. I think in some bizarre way, slavery was a temperance on mankind to keep it from the heights of arrogance we see it often reach. Now it's not equally dealt, but understand there is far more to it that's unjust.
I love the little 🤭 giggle you get whenever an historian says Pompey the non Roman way!
One aspect that people don't mention are imperial slaves. There are a couple of series of books set in Rome who's writers have done their homework first [as in listing the names of the archaeologists/historians etc they spoke to before writing about a specific thing in their books] and one features an imperial slave as a recurring character. Thing is, he is a slave technically but he is also in a position of power [think high up in the CIA/NSA type position of power - using US departments for comparison] and he owns his own luxurious house in Rome, has his own nice holiday house or two, has HIS OWN SLAVES running said properties and really is a slave in name only. The writer actually gives the names of people in records which this character is based on [as a mixture of others] and while the main character is anti slavery he points out that the imperial slave is far wealthier than many Roman citizens, will have a nice tidy retirement which will come with his freedom in due time, but the main also - this part being rather ironic - ends up with his own slaves which he sort of simply collects [he feels sorry for them when their previous master dies or goes to prison and ends up with them moving in to his household] and he also lists the costs of having a slave. Sure you have someone to do your office work for you but you also have to house, feed and clothe them, they might also teach your children but they aren't necessarily cheaper than sending the kids to the local [private] ''school'', he has a cook who can't cook but he still has to house, clothe and feed said cook but he can't sell him because no one else would want them and slaves nobody wants don't come to a good end. It's the other side of slavery [and I am NOT supporting slavery at all, it existed in Egyptian pharaonic times, it existed in ancient China, Korea, India and Japan - especially the part about selling a child into slavery, often prostitution if they were a daughter - because you were so poor you needed the money - and probably in every other culture, Saxons and Scandinavians - NOT Vikings as ''viking'' was a profession rather than a specific group of people as several TH-camrs make a point of stating - practiced slavery to an extent that William I [aka William the Bastard or William the Conqueror BANNED slavery in England in the 11thC, possibly more for monetary reasons than because he objected to slavery itself but he still banned it] and it still goes on today. Unfortunately it will likely always be with us [anyone remember Orion Slave Girls in ST:TOS, writers saw it existing IN THE FUTURE] as there seems to be something in human DNA that likes owning other people] that doesn't get mentioned. It WAS BAD but it wasn't always as bad as many make out for every slave, and many actually made good lives for themselves despite technically being slaves. Heck, Desmond Bagley talks about modern slavery in the book ''Flyaway'' which is mainly set in central Africa where technical slaves were more like share croppers than anything else, that was set in the 1970s and he was another writer who did his research before covering something in a book.
Great video as always, look forward to them coming out and always watch them, educational which makes a change for much on TH-cam.
Sorry Metatron (for my English firstly) but that the professor didn't make mention of Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa I could have expected (it can happen to anyone to forget something important), but I don't understand why (you) didn't mention him.
Any Rome history lover know about Octavian's military deficiencies, but we also know that, as a great political leader, he knew how to choose his men and I don't think there is any doubt (if there is I'm not aware of it) that the credit for Octavian's political success is due to Agrippa's military ability. 🍺
👍👍👏👏
In Dalmatia there were slaves who were "animal" doctors. Based on the trade, between the land owners. These doctors were basically veterinary doctors looking after horses mostly.
Yet these skilled slaves stayed enslaved. Sometimes it's easier to remain a slave then remain free and be subject to military service, taxes, and other obligations.
Thank you for not pausing for the small asides or comments. I think it let's the video and commentary flow a little more smoothly and opens up more room for longer commentary or thoughts.
"They had slavery, but at least they werent racist!"😂
Reminds me of when people were calling Jeffrey Dahmer racist cause he ate mainly black people and he made a point to get his lawyer or whatever to put out a message that he wasnt racist, but that he was eating what was available.
😂 he was a cannibal serial killer but AT LEAST he wasn't racist.
Wow, I just discovered this fantastic channel. I'm an historian too and I teach classic history (more precisely, history of Spain from Rome to Felipe II). Complimenti (I guess you're italian)
I'm not for slavery but I'm not for complainers, History is a hard pill to swallow sometimes If we learn to get over our egos we can Hear and Maybe understand what metatron is trying to teach us ! 😊
I love the fact that even when you disagree with someone, you are respectful, and that you don’t then start to reject everything they say. I wish your example was the way people interacted generally. The world would be better for it.
The most
Mr Aldrete has his courses on the Great Courses btw, I love that man's lectures. except I agree, he is human and it is so fkin good to peer review him :) THANKS METATRON !!!!
You are the best person on TH-cam Metatron. Keep up the good work.
In some societies, some people were better off putting themselves into slavery in a rich man’s house than being a free man and having to beg on the streets. We cant just discount the centuries of social evolution it took for us to be where we are now.
you mean social evolution by the europeans, the rest of the world and 5 cradles of civilization seemed to get shit done and is where all our favorite things come from along with the building blocks of life.
@@krono5el I dont know….the Greeks and Romans have always been European. My worldview says that mankind left the tower of Babel with the same knowledge base and then adapted it to their new surroundings. The world was more interconnected than science wants to admit.
@@Privateer_24 well the oldest crops, are rice, wheat, and maize, which all are about 8,000 years old. so civilization was far more reaching than one tiny spot.
indentured servants werent that long ago, they just had more rights than antiquity
@@krono5el right. yes. the rest of the world. places like Africa that sold their own people to the Eurpoeans. or China with it's historically very brutal regimes. or the Middle east and all the problems they've cause over the years.
let's not pretend the rest of the world was some kind of utopia that got ruined by white people. the world sucks, has always sucked but, on the whole does seem to be getting a little better every century or two.
Regarding commentary @16:27, I think this also makes those few notable figures in history who seemingly out of nowhere developed a strident and vocal hatred for slavery fascinating to study.
Praetorians were not as politically potent in Julius Caesar's time as in Augustus' time. So no, Caesar could not have used them to seize power, nor to keep it.
Wiki:"During the Roman Republic, the Praetorian Guards were escorts for high-ranking political officials (senators and procurators) and were bodyguards for the senior officers of the Roman legions. In 27 BC, after Rome's transition from republic to empire, the first emperor of Rome, Augustus, designated the Praetorians as his personal security escort. For three centuries, the guards of the Roman emperor were also known for their palace intrigues, ..."
24:22 Mozarella cheeses rolfmao.
25:28
You sound good.
27:55
'The slave are revoltimg '
'Finally something we
can agree on'.
33:47 Genius. Overpay them.
Fabuĺous video. Many thanks from Gabriel of Norway.
Must watch again tomorrow.
Imagine having to sacrifice a family member to save the rest.
It has happened through all of human history sadly.
Twelve seconds is the soonest I've ever made it to one of these.
Gz
KeYS
Julius was named Dictator perpetuus (not quite "for life", but close enough) but only at the very end. So it was not the solution to how to institutionalize his power that Caesar envisioned from the beginning.
36:00 No, Anthony doesn't get the money and the troops. Octavian got the money and eventually the troops.
Tremendously interesting video. Thank you.
could you do a video in the last 100 years of the Republic? this is quite interesting period.
Went to the monument to Euno in Enna and Castello Lombardia, beautiful location, and very intriguing history. Had no idea it was there, was living near Catania and me and my friend just got in the car and went exploring.
Please give us more of this! 👍
Rafi is killin' it
It must be so tiring to have to clear everything up in form of terms, to idiots who cannot decipher the past from the present.
I appreciate the metatron taking the time to do this because Lex actually watches TH-cam and the content creators that follow his work. I learned that watching his Israel vs Palestine debate he said so explicitly.
I never like how people view slavery through a modern lense. Slavery was a logical in a pre-industrial world where hard labor was in extreme demand and not something anyone really wanted to do if they could avoid it. This does not mean anyone is particularly pro-slavery or anti-slavery, they simply put the needs of their own people before the needs of other peoples.
Being anti-slavery is a luxury position that only made sense after the industrial revolution.
When I took Latin in Highschool we got assigned “Slave names” for first year, and the teacher just counted down the rows and I ended up being Sextus. I feel for Sextus Pompey.
imagine an african-american taking that class and being asked to pick his sla name
@@bushy9780 Imagine anybody being told to pick their slave name
Ad hominem (against the man) attacks are usually a sign of desperation, not stupidity. When you can't defeat a factual argument cast dispersions on the person making it. "He supports the idea of slavery" is a fine example of this, people might stop listening to your opponent's argument because "they support slavery". Or they might shift from reinforcing their point in the argument to defending themselves from the accusation made against them. Derail their chain of thought, put them on the defensive.
Well said
Your interruptions are never annoying ❤
Lex commented with a $100 superchat. Thats fucking awesome.
I've been reading the Icelandic sagas, and something that struck me there was that slaves were often viewed more favorably than poor freemen. Slaves had steady work, clothing in decent repair, food, shelter, etc. Meanwhile, the poor, itinerant workers were viewed suspiciously as they couldn't be counted on the way "members of thr household" could. It shows that there can be valid reasons to sell oneself or one's family because it guaranteed that, so long as you performed your duties, you had a relative level of security and wellfare.
I think it's important we don't view all of human history by merely the most extreme examples ("factory" style slavery in North/South America, human sacrifice en masse by Aztecs, etc).
Josiah Henson, aka the man on whom the character Uncle Tom was based off of, is an interesting historical individual that’s worth looking into. Namely that he was almost nothing like the character from the book. For starters he spoke fluent English and by all accounts was a highly intelligent man, which was what would see him managing not only the finances of his owners cotton business, but he also functioned as the de facto manager for all of the plantations and their staff that his owner held. He even oversaw contract deals and would actually berate his owner whenever he went around behind his back and agreed to some arrangement without conferring with him first. Also it should be understood that his owner had a seriously bad gambling addiction, so the fact that the buisiness was still able to turn a good profit while also being able to settle the massive gambling debts his owner wracked up, says something about the industriousness that Elias Henson possessed and would go on to display.
I know my comment will get lots of negative feedback but, as of right this minute, I am still free to state my opinion. I have lived a long, long time in this my country, the United States of America and have seen a lot, read a lot and studied a lot in my nearly 76 years. For perspective, Dr. Thomas Sowell is the best history teacher of all of the many historians I have listened to.
I didn't care for the way this guy seemed to try to infer that slavery in Roman days wasn't as evil as it was in America. That's the way he came across to me in subtle ways as he drew parallels between ancient Roman slavery and slavery in America. It bothers me that many have not learned even a modicum about empires, countries and societies in historical records to the point that they cannot think about the types of slavery that existed throughout history. Many can only think about the slave trade and slavery in America and those people both black and white cannot put it in the past and move on.
The division in the U.S.A. revived and invigorated by B.O. beginning in 2008 has only harmed my country to the point now of destruction. Zero productivity has come from the hatred of past wrongs and ignoring all of the efforts of good people to help those whose families were once enslaved - Affirmative Action, Welfare of all kinds, and much. more.
Thank you, Metatron, and I find you to be well balanced in your take on history.
Metatron: Here's what happened in period, and how they perceived it.
Internet: Wokatron is pro slavery.
I assume you already know this but overpaying praetorian guard wouldn't have worked because it didn't exist yet in Caesar's time! That would have very possibly saved him from his fate, and it was no doubt a big part of Augustus' thinking when he decided to form it.
Caesar had bodyguards for a while, but he dismissed them a few weeks/months (I am not sure) before his death, so he ended his days how he did. I imagine Caesar must have believed nobody would dare to touch him like nobody dared to touch Sulla, even after Sulla retired he had the nerve to walk around Rome without bodyguards😅
Great topic 👏
11:30 very refreshing to hear someone admit they don't know everything
About Augustus and his name, it's funny that in Spanish "augusto" is not only his name (which is write in capital, Augusto) but also an adjective that means someone worthy of veneration because his/her majesty; sometimes it means the title of someone who appears to be more than a human. I mean it's like the second meaning the proffesor says.
It's no coincidence, "augusto" is derived from "augustus" by way of vulgar latin
@@TejanoTigre I know, I mean I think it's somewhat wonderful that one of the original meanings is still the same in Spanish. Also Augusto is a common Name.
Loving this series.
Another really sobering thing to mention is that it's more than likely some families were forced to sell their children into slavery, so as to give them a better life.
I can only imagine there would have been times where some couldn't even feed themselves and the alternative was death.
I'm surprised he didn't go into the fact that the word family comes from familia, which refers to 'house servants' aka slaves.
Today we prefer the term "human resources"
Please do more!! especially on the Roman Law section.
Yes! Please make a video about Italy & the Italians.
With the way I was raised and how I behave now, I know I would be the one fighting to end slavery. 😅
good luck changing an established economic system on your own
You and everybody else apparently lol
the fact that you exist make me want to be the one supporting it
"They look like giant mozzarella cheeses..." Now I'm hungry. Thanks...
2:50 I thought that was only a joke in the movie year one when the slave said i'm a volunteer. 😂
Please do a video on Seisachtheia sir, there is obviously quite a bit to unpack there with the history of debt and whatnot. iirc it was precipitated by Greeks being the first in history to use debt for personal/non-business purposes
Roman slavery is strange, because they do not have racial component?
99% of slavery, did not have racial component.
As far as I can see, only USA had the "no white slaves". But white had no clear definition until after 1900's.
Except America did have "white" slaves. A large portion of the slaves were white. We are just ignored because it doesn't fit the racism narrative that they use to claim that active slavery in Africa isn't as bad as American slavery and whites are evil.
Would love to see you make a video on spartacus!
Slavery is based on economics, cheap readily available, the reason the TST was industrialised was the Africans organising huge numbers of indentured or captured people ready to be transported. This was always the case, the Mansa etc took this age old business to another level. The Vikings, the Saxons etc all conquered and took slaves, the Africans had nothing to do with a racial aspect, modern 'scholars' see only race.
You should also add that those who willingly entered slavery often would do it to gain the skill trade that they needed to provide a better life for their family. The Assyrian Empire was mostly consisted of these slaves within their cities. Rome had them and they were also found in Ancient Hellenic city states. Racist slavery is a by product of ending slavery. It is a unique aspect to slavery in North America. Due to the large cultural and religious phenomenon of Slavery being wrong and the push to end slavery. Thomas Sowell talks about this. However the term Lex uses as "othering" should NOT be used. Very rarely in history was slavery about those who were enslaved being about they are different than us. It was not until Islam and the expansion into African and Europe did slavery happen due to the enslaved being "other" than us. But lets not expect too much from a Lex Freidman podcast on accuracy. Also to point out since the reference in here is Rome fell hints as being in the 5th century, Rome Thrived for 1k years after the Italy and the western region fell.
servants are different from slaves, you seems confused.
@@MarceloHenriqueSoaresdaSilva haha You clearly do not know what you are talking about. They were 100% Enslaved. As mentioned in the video they would gain skills, that were highly valued and would be given the option to purchase their freedom over time. Many people did this thought the world.
Fascinating thanks.,
Glad you enjoyed it
These are excellent!
. 24:21 That made me laugh. I pictured it dressed up in closes with a shield, spear, and for some reason, a large white afro, like cauliflower.
The interesting thing about the slavery discussion in the U.S. is there were black slave owners. One of the biggest slave owners in our history was John Carruthers Stanly (1774 - 1825). His story is very interesting. You don't learn this stuff in school.
Yet, like the white slaves, they ignore these types of facts and push the claim that slavery was race based here
I love this channel...
Perfect timing
I presume the revolt with Spartacus and the gladiators, is like professional wrestlers getting into a fist fight with a bunch of military personnel in a bar.
Yeah the professional wrestlers are likely much more muscular and have high stats and can fight them off really well for a while, but the military has A LOT more people to work with compared to the total number of Professional Wrestlers in the business.
Another awesome video, I love Roman history.
Love these
just going to throw this out there:
american slavery seems particularly worse than slavery seen in other places. i think something unique happened because of where western culture was moving and the state of the world at the time:
1) slaves were coincidentally predominantly from africa by the 1600s. this is predominantly because of muslim slave trade established previously, and then perpetuated by europe.
2) philosophy, religion and science were all moving towards the idea that slavery is bad, that all humans are humans, and that logical thinking is better than esoteric / occult / spiritual / emotional thinking
3) the ideas of liberalism were strongly in conflict against classical and progressive attemps to force people back into rule by the privileged (here both fuedalist and communist style privileged opposed liberalism)
so what seems to have happened, based on writings of the time: there was a need to uniquely/more extremely demonize slaves and establish a social and economic moral high ground. this played out as south ideology maintaining and amplifying old deeply racist ideads and attaching them to the concept of a slave, and also of anti-capitolist anti-democratic political and economic principles. with that combination of ideas privileged aristocratic elites in the south were able to add a normally-unseen disgusting racial component to slavery that started out as mostly-class-based in the US; they countered more rational liberal ideas about personal freedom by claiming africans are subhuman, and they countered economic and political arguments by claiming democratic and free market ideas destroy the natural balance spoken of by marx (with ruling elites guiding the stupid masses).
and if you haven't noticed, yes i'm pointing out a proto-marxist set of anti-liberal anti-scientific anti-religious arguments as a main driver to the american conversion of what would have been normal class-based slavery into even more disgusting largely race-based slavery. not only can that association be established in writings of the time, it also holds true that every marxist-like system of belief does exactly the same thing... every time; and not only is it easily supported and observed in history and on the world stage, it is literally the same thing going on in the USA today where if you dont vote for biden you aint black, and where democrats claim the only way we can survive is to import a bunch of black and brown people to do the work that americans wont do (these are both horribly racist elitist-ruling-class arguments that harken straight back to lords and serfs, socialist government ownership of means of production, and american south slavery).
The Metatron has spread his wings!!!!
I dont think he was singling out the slaves specifically. They were one of many large groups of people in Rome that, due to various individual incentives and desires, all contributed in ways to allow enough errosion of social norms that led to the Ceasars.
"they look like giant mozarella cheeses" cracked me up XD
33:17 He like rebels learned the hard way the people who get you to power are not the ones that keep power. Seems a universal mistake a lot would be conquerors make
33:38 There was no preatorian guard under Julius Caesar. They were started with Augustus. Surprised you don't know that
Thats intentional.
Oh flip the "Pompi" got me again..