So far I’ve focused on formulae within these manumission inscriptions that help prevent the former slave’s freedom. I’ve also talked a bit about the practice of paramone, by which a freed slave still owes his or her master a number of duties. In these inscriptions, paramone is usually described by asking that the slave “do what the master wishes”.
In this inscription, Mousis gets the various protections that I’ve covered before. She also gets the guarantee that whatever her former master chooses to give her is actually hers. I wouldn’t be surprised if this kind of language is primarily mean to protect slaves from jealous heirs.
παραμεινάτω δὲ Μουσὶς παρὰ Κλέωνα ἄχρι οὗ κα ζώη Κλέων ποιέουσα τὸ ἐπιτασσόμενον ἀνεγκλήτως· ἐπεὶ δέ κά τι πάθη Κλέων, ἐλευθέρα ἔστω Μουσὶς καὶ ἀνέφαπτος ἀπὸ πάντων καὶ ἀπελθέτω ἔχουσα ἃ κα κατασκεώσητα̣ι Μουσὶς συν̣ευδοκέοντος Κλέωνος. FD 3.3.5 c. 148 BCE
And let Mousis remain with Kleon until Kleon lives no longer, doing what is ordered without complaint. And when Kleon is satisfied, let Mousis be a free woman, unenslaveable by all and let her go forth owning that which Mousis gathers from the consenting Kleon.
In this inscription, Mousis gets the various protections that I’ve covered before. She also gets the guarantee that whatever her former master chooses to give her is actually hers. I wouldn’t be surprised if this kind of language is primarily mean to protect slaves from jealous heirs.
παραμεινάτω δὲ Μουσὶς παρὰ Κλέωνα ἄχρι οὗ κα ζώη Κλέων ποιέουσα τὸ ἐπιτασσόμενον ἀνεγκλήτως· ἐπεὶ δέ κά τι πάθη Κλέων, ἐλευθέρα ἔστω Μουσὶς καὶ ἀνέφαπτος ἀπὸ πάντων καὶ ἀπελθέτω ἔχουσα ἃ κα κατασκεώσητα̣ι Μουσὶς συν̣ευδοκέοντος Κλέωνος. FD 3.3.5 c. 148 BCE
And let Mousis remain with Kleon until Kleon lives no longer, doing what is ordered without complaint. And when Kleon is satisfied, let Mousis be a free woman, unenslaveable by all and let her go forth owning that which Mousis gathers from the consenting Kleon.