to the increase of his estate.”64 Columella’s insight into human nature and giftedness notwithstanding, his blindness to the morality of slavery was typical. Slaves were slaves; masters were masters. The injunctions to loyalty and obedience need to be seen for the social structure they maintained, and hence the early Christian instructions for slaves to be obedient deserve warning.65 Many slaves were captives of war.66 Others had been rescued from exposure.67
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