Slave labor was a huge aspect of Roman life and the Republic depended heavily on free work from human beings who had no rights, no possessions, and were left at the whims of their masters to be worked to death, starved, tortured, and sometimes even killed for the sake of enjoyment.

Sure, you may have seen Russell Crowe play one in a movie, but chances are you have no idea just how brutal it really was.

Today we’re exploring what it was really like to be a Roman slave.