social status higher than that of the slaves they own, even if they own only one or two.172 Again, we might very tentatively point to ES4–5 as a plausible but by no means necessary location for such people. The specific data, it is clear, are very limited. The first conclusion to be drawn from this survey is a negative one. The description of the addressees as πάροικοι and παρεπίδημοι cannot serve as an indication of their socio-economic status. Elliott’s social profile of the
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