Slavery Represented in Bactrian Documents

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article addresses the idea and practice of slavery reflected in Bactrian documents. Bactrian documents are found in various parts of modern-day northern Afghanistan, a region broadly corresponding to late antique Bactria. The article discusses the definition of slavery and the slave's social status reflected in these documents. It shows that slavery was a practice that was authorized within the Bactrian legal system, where two types of slavery were recognized. The first type was that of the slave who was born in the owner's possession (χοβο νιζαδαγο μαρηγο), while the second was that of the slave who was purchased for money (δδραχμο χιρσιγο). In both cases, the slaves were regarded as personal property, with their owners having total authority over them. The Bactrian legal system allowed a slave to purchase his freedom by paying his full price and also permitted families to sell their children into slavery in times of difficulty. The legal documents were produced in the court of law, where some officials witnessed and sealed them, providing evidence that slavery was widely practised in late antique Bactria.