Such criminals would become slaves to their victims, often with their property.Īs these peoples Christianized, the church worked more actively to reduce the practice of holding coreligionists in bondage. In the Germanic realms, laws instituted the enslavement of criminals, such as the Visigothic Code’s prescribing enslavement for criminals who could not pay financial penalties for their crimes and as an actual punishment for various other crimes.
For example, the Welsh laws of Hywel the Good included provisions dealing with slaves. With the continuation of Roman legal practices of slavery, new laws and practices concerning slavery spread throughout Europe. Slavery in the Early Middle Ages (500–1000) was initially a continuation of earlier Roman practices from late antiquity, and grew more widespread in the wake of the social chaos caused by the barbarian invasions of the Western Roman Empire. de Vielcastel, from original documents in the great libraries of Europe. Throughout medieval Europe, the perspectives and societal roles of enslaved peoples differed greatly, from some being restricted to agricultural labor to others being positioned as trusted political advisors.Įarly Middle Ages Costumes of slaves or serfs, from the sixth to the twelfth centuries, collected by H. As European kingdoms transitioned to feudal societies, serfdom began to replace slavery as the main economic and agricultural engine. Throughout Europe, wartime captives were commonly forced into slavery. Europe and the Mediterranean world were part of a highly interconnected network of slave trading.
Slavery, or the process of restricting peoples’ freedoms, was widespread within medieval Europe. Slavery during the medieval period in Europe
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