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Dear all, In the cities during the early Roman Empire, slaves were just like free laborers in the sense that they were able to participate in the labor market (Temin, 2006). One of the roles of slaves in ancient Rome was in the agricultural sector (Cartwright, 2013). There was a mix of paid labor and slaves in the agricultural sector and especially during harvest seasons when it became a bit busier, slaves were used to supplement the paid labor (Cartwright, 2013). As such, slaves contributed in the harvesting of crops which then used to feed the Roman citizens and army. Crops were also sold in markets across the city which then contributed to the gross domestic product (GDP) of Ancient Rome. Furthermore, slaves were used in the mining sector especially for gold and silver (Cartwright, 2013). These minerals and gems will then be extracted and sent to the cities to be sold in shops. This, too, contributed to the GDP of Ancient Rome. Moreover, Ancient Roman adopted an ‘open’ slavery in which allows slaves to work hard and earn their freedom one day (Temin, 2006). After obtaining their freedom, they could be accepted fully by the general population. They could then work normal jobs just like any other Romans, hence contributing to the economy. Interestingly, slave owners in Ancient Rome were encouraged to educate their slaves so that they would be able to perform better economic roles since education increase the value of the slaves (Temin, 2006). An educated slaves would be able to undertake higher paying jobs which would then contribute to the economy. Regards, Ellin References: Temin, P. (2006). The economy of the early Roman Empire. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 20(1), 133-151. https://pubs.aeaweb.org/doi/pdf/10.1257/089533006776526148 Cartwright, M. (2013). Slavery in the Roman World. World History Encyclopedia. https://www.ancient.eu/article/629/slavery-in-the-roman-world/...