2 Corinthians 2:14-17
Slavery in Corinth
The Roman Empire was not merely dependent on slave labor, it was largely built on the backs of slaves. Slavery was a burgeoning enterprise. Estimates suggest that up to half the population of Rome, the Eternal City, were slaves. This is not totally a surprise, for the more territory Rome took over, the more prisoners from all walks of life and social status they took, and the more people were turned into slaves. We must resist the temptation to equate ancient slavery with the antebellum slavery in nineteenth-century America, though there are some analogies. One striking contrast is that some of the most highly educated and brilliant persons of the Roman Empire, and some of its best businessmen, were or had been slaves.
Corinth, due to its location, was a clearing-house for the slave trade, and the wealthy in Corinth were able to buy the best slaves available in its slave market. The slave, by the definition of Aristotle, was a piece of living property, but property nonetheless. As such, slaves had no legal rights whatsoever and were subject to the will and whims of their masters.
