10-08-2014, 07:13 AM
Great, I'll keep that in mind. I've got a few more questions, as I develop things.
What sort of religious practices would slaves be able to do? I know they wouldn't be able to sacrifice cattle or anything, so how did they play their part with pagan gods? Or hearth gods, which might have been more common among lower classes? I would like my slave character to convert to Christianity, mostly to be symbolic of the religion on the rise. Diocletian's persecutions were over, and any renewed persecutions were under Licinius, and the story takes place after Constantine answered Maxentius's prophecy of "an enemy of Rome shall fall" with the labarum, and the subsequent victory at Milvian bridge. The Council of Arles also gave the okay for Christians to serve in the army. I know what formal Christian services looked like at the time, under Eastern Orthodoxy and churches, but not so much with slaves, who may not have had access to such places by sheer virtue of their status/responsibilities. In short, what could a slave encounter both pagan and Christian-wise in an army camp?
If a slave was freed, he took the name of his master, correct? I assume the name of the person who set him free. Can anyone direct me to some Roman surnames? I don't want to accidentally name a Roman citizen or soldier after a hugely powerful and highly influential Roman clan of nobility. The nomenclature of slave names also changed things a bit, but I think I can make that leap okay after I figure out some good surnames.
What sort of religious practices would slaves be able to do? I know they wouldn't be able to sacrifice cattle or anything, so how did they play their part with pagan gods? Or hearth gods, which might have been more common among lower classes? I would like my slave character to convert to Christianity, mostly to be symbolic of the religion on the rise. Diocletian's persecutions were over, and any renewed persecutions were under Licinius, and the story takes place after Constantine answered Maxentius's prophecy of "an enemy of Rome shall fall" with the labarum, and the subsequent victory at Milvian bridge. The Council of Arles also gave the okay for Christians to serve in the army. I know what formal Christian services looked like at the time, under Eastern Orthodoxy and churches, but not so much with slaves, who may not have had access to such places by sheer virtue of their status/responsibilities. In short, what could a slave encounter both pagan and Christian-wise in an army camp?
If a slave was freed, he took the name of his master, correct? I assume the name of the person who set him free. Can anyone direct me to some Roman surnames? I don't want to accidentally name a Roman citizen or soldier after a hugely powerful and highly influential Roman clan of nobility. The nomenclature of slave names also changed things a bit, but I think I can make that leap okay after I figure out some good surnames.
Laura
