I have long been amazed by how slaveholders were so willing to be vastly outnumbered by the people they enslaved. I am thinking of the ratio of enslavers to enslaved in places like South Carolina. Did they really ever sleep easy at night, I wonder?
I know this isn't the main point, but I love thinking about how Roman history lurks in unexpected corners.
Using names like Pompey or Scipio carried fragments of Rome into a context half a world and centuries away. I wonder if a figure like John Caesar had a greater grasp of ancient history than someone in an equivalent social position today would.
I have long been amazed by how slaveholders were so willing to be vastly outnumbered by the people they enslaved. I am thinking of the ratio of enslavers to enslaved in places like South Carolina. Did they really ever sleep easy at night, I wonder?
It's hard to imagine, Lisa.
This is a nice read.
I know this isn't the main point, but I love thinking about how Roman history lurks in unexpected corners.
Using names like Pompey or Scipio carried fragments of Rome into a context half a world and centuries away. I wonder if a figure like John Caesar had a greater grasp of ancient history than someone in an equivalent social position today would.
Captivating account.
Thank you, Jill
It’s so fun how you are serializing your book on Substack!