March 1: Zero Discrimination Day

“Why not reflect that those whom the law calls “yours” spring from the same beginning, enjoy the same heaven, live the same as you, die the same…” This statement about slavery from a citizen in the 4th century AD was contradicted with indignation. Slaves were “andropodoi”, “animals with feet”, with the status of a tripod or a horse. Only, a horse would get more consideration. The only human trait that was commonly assigned to slaves, was deviousness. Just one day a year, during the “Kronia”-festival (“Saturnalia” in Rome), slaves were granted a day off. In Sparta, citizens called each other “equals”, but they only intended to be equal to each other, not to women (imagine that!), immigrants, handworkers or “barbarians” (non-Greeks). Let alone slaves. Yet, to prove the general rule, there’s always the exception. Pasion of Athens gained the trust of his wealthy banker-owners. They granted him his freedom and eventually left him in charge. I would imagine the Kronia-festivities were a big thing in his house.

Slave, Loutrophoros, Archeological Museum Athens, Greece

Banquet Scene, Votive Relief, Carlos Collection of Ancient Art,

Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA