What does bondage mean?
Forced labor on a prison farm. Prisoners work like ordinary peasants in the fields, but under guard. You're no stranger to rural work,
“Yes,” Sonya answered. But I thought to myself “...if I really were a peasant girl...”
“So, let’s continue,” Laura looked at the papers. “You made a mistake by freeing Flixie from the knots and facilitating her escape. This is punishable by up to three years in prison. But Flixie was returned a few hours later and did not run away. All this will impress the judge. Therefore, he will not be overly strict. So, I'm asking you to plead to two charges - disobeying an officer and assisting in escaping. But we will ask for leniency, since you are an illiterate peasant girl and, out of naivety, committed an act that you regret. In my opinion, you have no other choice!”
What will happen to me?
It seems to me that you will not be given more than a year or a year and a half of bondage on a prison farm. It's not easy, but it's still better than fifteen years in prison. So, do you agree with me?
Yes... I think you are right, madam.
The trial is scheduled for tomorrow. We'll see you there. Don't be upset, Sonya!
She folded the papers, smiled and walked out the door. Sonya sat down on the bench again and wrapped her arms around her knees. Tears fell from her eyes. She felt sorry for herself. She failed the captain's task and showed herself to be a useless intelligence officer. Now the crew will be forced to rescue her from the prison farms. And if they fail, she will spend years in hard labor. And where will she look for them after her release?
Sonya fiddled with the transmitter in her hand. But she still decided to wait until the end of the trial.
The next morning the doors opened and a guard entered the cell. He threw the sandals on the floor and ordered them to be put on. Sonya put on her shoes and stood near the bench. He then ordered her to put her hands behind her back and tied them with rope. After that, he opened the collar. Then he bent down and tied Sonya's legs with a leather belt, tightening the knots at her ankles. There was a distance of about 30 centimeters between the legs. Sonya could not run, but she could move in small steps. Then the guard put a leather noose around her neck and tied her hands to her neck with a belt. Thus, Sonya could not move her hands to a different position if she did not want to strangle herself.
After all these manipulations, the guard ordered her to leave the cell. She was then led through the corridors of the prison. Finally they entered a spacious hall. There was a small wooden pedestal in front of the judge's table. The guard ordered her to kneel. Sonya followed the order and knelt down. She stood in this position in front of the judge's table. The hall was empty. At one of the side tables, a man of indeterminate age looked like a secretary, rummaging through papers. Sonya looked around. There was no one else there except the two guards. "Where's Laura?" - For some reason Sonya thought in fear. And with even greater horror, she realized that with her hands tied behind her back, she would not be able to activate the danger signal in the communicator.
Sonya looked back at the massive judge's table. There were three chairs behind him, but they were still empty. To Sonya's left there was a small table with a chair - also empty. Finally Laura entered the hall. Having laid out the papers, she bent over Sonya: “Don’t be afraid of anything, Sonya. Rely on me!
Sonya perked up. However, the feeling of danger still did not leave her.
“Be quiet and don’t say anything without me. If you want, you better cry!” - Laura whispered.
Finally, another clerk entered the room and said loudly: “The Blomberg Criminal Court has begun work!”
Immediately three judges entered the hall and sat down at the judge's table. They were all dressed in black velvet robes and red velvet berets. One of them had a massive emblem on a gold chain around his neck. Sonya realized that this was the chief judge. He was clearly over sixty, with a thick, bushy gray beard and a red face. Clearing his throat, the judge said: “Case number three thousand one hundred forty-one. Charge of resisting an officer and other crimes against Zonia, a peasant woman, eighteen years old. Is the accused here?”
“Yes, Your Honor!” - answered the clerk.
Prosecutor?
"Here!" - responded a man of unknown age.
Advocate?
“Here,” Laura said.
So let's begin. Does the prosecutor support the prosecution?
Advocate?
Your Honor, we plead guilty to disobeying an officer and complicity in the escape of a prisoner without serious consequences. I ask for leniency due to my young age, inexperience, delusion and lack of consequences!
Does the prosecutor agree to change the charges?
The prosecutor stood up and looked at Sonya. "Agree!"
Great. The court announces its decision!
All three stood up. Looking at the papers, the chief judge said: “In the name of the Crown. Zoni, eighteen years old, a peasant woman, is found guilty of disobedience to an officer and complicity in escape and is subject to punishment of one year of bondage, calculated from the moment of her delivery to Blomberg prison. She will serve her sentence at the Prison Farm. The trial is over!
Immediately after this, the judges and prosecutors left the courtroom.
Laura leaned over Sonya.
Sonya! I wish you good luck. Believe me, we did everything we could. Goodbye!
Goodbye, Mrs. Laura. Thank you!
The guards lifted Sonya by the elbows and led her out of the hall. They walked through the corridors and finally entered the reception room. There were three people there - two tall men and a thin middle-aged woman with a yellow face. They were all dressed in gray uniforms with hoods.
We are the guards at Prison Farm Number Four. Is this the new slave?
Yes! Here are her papers!
The guard handed over some sheets of paper. As Sonya noted, the entire trial took no more than half an hour. Justice on Gamma cannot be called unduly drawn out.
The woman looked at the papers.
"Take her!" The guards took her by the elbows and led her out into the courtyard. There was a cart there - exactly the same as Hog's. They placed Sonya inside, tying her to one of the inner rings. Then the cart started moving.
Began new life Sony. Life of a slave.
A few hours later they arrived at Prison Farm 4. The guards cut the ropes that tied Sonya's hands to the noose around her neck. She felt a little better. However, they left the other ropes and straps in the same position. She was carried out of the cart and placed on the ground. They then went into a small wooden building. There was a large wooden table inside. The woman who received Sonya in prison stood in the center.
So, are you Zoni's new slave?
I am the head of the farm.
The guards untied her hands.
Take off your clothes!
Sonya was embarrassed, but immediately ordered herself: “I am a slave and I better put up with humiliation.” She put the scarf on the table and took off her dress over her head.
Sandals and medallion too!
Sony bent down, took off her sandals and put them on the table. Then she pulled off the locket. She activated the alarm before placing it on the table.
One of the guards gathered it all up and took it out.
The boss looked at Sonya. Sonya stood straight, holding her hands at her sides. This didn't raise any questions.
Meanwhile, other ministers began to decorate.
So, Zoni. Eighteen years old. Wow! Disobedience to an officer!
It’s okay, we’ll teach you how to behave correctly here.
Her number will be 628
Do you hear? You are now slave number 628. You have no name, you will be addressed by your number!
There was her on the table new clothes- it looked like a piece of burlap with the number 628 on the hem.
Meanwhile, the guard approached her.
“Open your mouth!” When Soni complied with the order, he put his fingers into her mouth and felt her teeth. Then they examined her hair.
“Spread your legs! and put your head on the table!”
Sonya did it.
At that same moment, Sonya felt someone penetrate her vagina. She flinched, but received a slap on the back of her head.
Ha! Look! She's a virgin!
Is the peasant woman a virgin?
She runs fast!
Or she has lazy brothers! Ha ha!
However, this won't last long!
Then the boss ordered Sonya's hair to be cut so that it was no longer than a palm. This was done immediately. As Sonya felt, this haircut could not be called the work of a hairdresser and the unevenly cut hair stuck out in all directions.
One of the guards took Sonya's clothes in his hands and led her to the forge. The forge was located in a small tent. Around the anvil were chains and shackles of various lengths and sizes. Sonya was brought to the anvil and ordered to kneel with her head on the block. The blacksmith, rummaging through the workpieces, pulled out an iron collar suitable size and placed it on the slave's neck. Then they covered her head with a piece of leather and began riveting with hammers. Finally they inserted the rivet and removed the covering. Soni now wore a slave collar.
After that, they removed the leather straps from Sonya's legs and began shackling her legs. She felt rough metal lock around her ankles. The ends of the iron rings were flattened, and the blacksmith fastened them with rivets. Between the rings of the shackles there was a chain of such length as to prevent the slave from escaping, but not to greatly hinder her movement.
When the blacksmith finished, the overseer handed Sonya her clothes and ordered her to put them on. Sonya pulled it over her head and realized that it was nothing more than a burlap robe with the number “628” and a hole in the middle for her head. The length of this clothing ended slightly above the knees and covered the chest and lower abdomen. However, on the sides it did not hide her nakedness. However, they handed her a string and gave her the opportunity to tie it around her waist. Such clothing did not hinder the slave’s movements during work, and for punishment, the guards simply untied the knot of her belt and lifted up a piece of clothing, exposing her buttocks and back.
“Your number is 628! Respond to him! You don’t have a name here!” - said the guard. Then he turned around and called, “Twelve!”
A woman who looked to be about twenty-five years old, dressed in the same clothes as Sonya, but with the number “12” entered the tent. She was wearing a collar and barefoot, but not shackled.
Take the new slave of your brigade to the boss’s office to get acquainted with the procedures!
I obey, sir!
The warden left the tent, and 12 said to Sonya, “I’ll show you what needs to be done to save your ankles.” With these words, she took out some rags and tied them on Sonya’s right leg above the ankle. “Tie them at the top to protect your ankle bones from the shackles. Otherwise you will break them very quickly!”
Sony obeyed and wrapped her legs. Now the shackles didn't hit my bones as hard.
12th and Sony entered the farm manager's office. A blonde dressed as a slave was just coming out of there. Sony recognized her as Flixie. As it turned out, Flixie also recognized her.
Are you Zoni?
Yes, my name is Sonya.
I'm sorry I let you down. I understand that you were condemned because of me!
I'm sorry for my mistake. But it’s also a pity that you weren’t able to escape.
We will be sent to barracks 2 together. I will wait for you outside!
Sonya entered the office. The farm manager was sitting at the table.
“So, 628. I offer you voluntary private service for the entire term of imprisonment!”
Sonya didn’t understand what the boss was talking about, but for some reason she agreed.
"Fine! Place your fingerprint here on the paper. We will send you one of these days!”
When she came out, the 12th escorted her to the barracks. Not reaching 30 meters from the building, Sonya saw a ditch. “Can we stop? I need to go to the toilet!
"Yes. You can pee in this ditch, just be careful that the chains of your shackles don’t drag you down!”
Holding the chain with her hands, Soni spread her legs wide, squatted down and urinated in the ditch.
When she finished, the 12th said, “You can urinate while working in the field, but you have the right to defecate only in such a ditch twice a day - in the morning and in the evening. If you are caught doing this in the field, you will be punished!”
They entered the building. There was no furniture inside and the dirt floor was dirty. “Is this the barracks? Where are the benches?
“Do you see this chain?” 12 pointed to a chain chained to a stone dug into the end of the building. “Each prisoner threads it through her shackles and thus she is chained for the whole night. In the morning it is unlocked, and in the evening it is locked. You are the new slave and that means you will be the first to be locked and the last to be unlocked.”
Do you mean we'll sleep on the floor?
Well, sorry, we are not allowed feather beds. Among the prisoners, the only one who is not locked up is me, as the head of the barracks. But even I sleep here with everyone else.
Are we not entitled to any other clothing? Shoes?
Sonya looked at her bare feet.
No. You have already received everything you need. So, about the daily routine! Rise - at dawn. Toilet, then breakfast. A bowl of stew. After this there is a morning check. The boss will give tasks for today's work, and distribute punishments for yesterday's work. After that, go to the field and work until sunset. In the middle of the day you receive a piece of bread and a mug of water. When you return from work, you should wash in the pond, as you will be dirty and sweaty, and we do not intend to be in the same barracks with such a person. Dinner - a bowl of porridge, toilet, chained and sleep. The next morning - everything is all over again. Come on, I'll show you where the pond is. You should wash yourself, you stink.
When Sony returned after washing, Flixie was sitting on the floor of the barracks. “Listen, Flixie. The boss said something about private service. What do you mean?
Working in the fields is social work. And private service means that a slave works for a private person for a year. Anyone, by paying money to the treasury, can rent a slave for a period of one year. Didn't you know this?
What do those people who will pay money want from a slave?
They can do whatever they want with it. You cannot kill a slave and seriously injure her. Injury is not permitted. For example, they do not have the right to brand her body. But everything else - they can do it.
Does this mean sex?
Well, Zoni, sex is the minimum they need. If they just want sex, they will go to their wife or take a mistress. A slave is needed to work around the house and satisfy their especially unusual desires, so that she can be seriously punished.
Were you sold?
Yes, I was in such service twice. First - for a year from a middle-aged man who bought me. He took pleasure in tying me up and beating me with a whip every day. Sometimes he used a whip. The scars faded quickly. I had very good sex with him several times and I even regret that it wasn’t so often. And then a woman bought me.
Woman? Why does she need a slave?
Well, actually, like a maid. My tongue was very busy with this service. My duties included giving her a massage and anointing her entire body with incense, as well as working with my tongue, giving her pleasure. It was still tolerable, but she tortured me too much. She beat me with a heavy whip so that there were serious scars on my body. Sometimes she tied me up leather belts and, hanging it from the ceiling, left it for hours. One day the prison inspector found me in this form. I was hanging upside down, tied with a belt all over my body, and I lost consciousness. The inspectors didn't like it. They took me away, and the woman was fined. Since that time I have two scars - you can see one in the lower abdomen, and the other on the back.” The scars, although healed, looked terrible.
Listen, Flixie, if the private service includes sex, I can’t do it!
Zoni, you have no choice. The warden receives a royalty for every slave she sells, so you won't be able to refuse. You will simply be tortured at this job. Every day you will receive punishments and you will be beaten until you agree. Not to mention that they will find fault with you and severely punish you for every mistake!
Meanwhile, the slaves returned from the field. They got dinner, washed up and got ready for bed. Suddenly the boss ordered a formation. The slaves lined up.
The boss walked into the middle. “We have new slaves - 628 and 331! They will be in brigade two for now. And now slave 238 - to the middle!”
The slave stepped forward.
Did you defecate in the field?!
Madam, I didn’t want to….It’s because my stomach hurt…
Twenty strikes now and twenty in the morning. Whip!
The guards grabbed the slave and, tearing off her clothes, tied her hands to a pole. Then they started beating her. The whistling of whips and the sounds of blows mixed with the screams of the unfortunate woman. Sonya looked at this in horror. After twenty blows they untied her and threw her a slave robe.
Then they entered the barracks. Flixie taught Sonya to thread the leg chain of the shackles into the common chain. When they were shackled, they went to sleep directly on the floor. Sonya was tired during the day and therefore fell asleep immediately.
The next morning began with a morning divorce. The unfortunate slave 238 received another twenty blows. Red stripes - marks from the whip - covered her entire back and buttocks. Then all the prisoners were taken to work in the fields.
Sonya was given a hoe and shown which beds needed to be cleared of weeds. She started work. After a while, she stopped to wipe the sweat from her forehead. At that same second she heard her number. The warden was approaching her.
“You stopped working. Two strikes! Untie your belt and turn your back!”
Shocked Sonya complied.
“Bend over!”
At that same second, the whip burned her buttocks twice. Two red stripes appeared on her white skin. Sonya began to cry.
The warden grabbed her by the hair and, bending down, said, “If I said “bend over!” - you should touch your forehead to your knees, bitch! Next time you'll get extra hits. Now, keep working, you lazy creature!”
Sonya tied her belt and continued working. But this was only the beginning of the most difficult day of her life. By the time the afternoon break was over, several more scars from the guards' whips adorned her bottom. They closely monitored Sonya and punished her for every even slightest slowdown in the pace of work.
When they received their portions of bread, Flixie saw the state of Soni. “Your ass is like a continuous wound! What happened to you?
It’s as if the guards are specifically hunting me!
As I warned you! This is a pre-emptive strike from the boss. So that you don't change your mind about private service.
So they won't stop beating me?
If you say you've changed your mind about serving, their whips will tear all the skin on your ass and back!
Thank you for your participation. Apparently I'll have to agree. Well, they would rather have already been sent to this service.
The next morning, Sonya, Flixie and two other women selected for private service were sent to Blomberg. They made this journey on foot, tied by the hands to the rings in the cart. To Sonya's delight, the local oxen were slow animals. She certainly would not have been able to run after the cart in shackles. However, these kilometers to the city, which she traveled barefoot and in shackles along dusty and rocky roads, seemed like hell to her.
In Blomberg they were placed in one of the cells of the city prison, from where Sonya was sent to a farm. There were straw mattresses on the floor and the prisoners, tired from the hard journey, immediately fell asleep.
A few hours later they were fed barley soup and taken for a medical examination.
More precisely, two other prisoners were first taken out of the cell, while Sonya and Flixie remained on the mattresses.
Don't be too upset, Zoni. You'd be worse off on the farm anyway.
Thank you, Flixie. I understand that you want what's best. Tell me, what will happen to us next?
Now the shackles will be removed from us...
“The role of mistress and slave is beyond mystery.” How BDSM clubs work
On the night of November 22, a BDSM club was raided in Khabarovsk, but they came there not because of sex games, but in search of drugs. There really are such clubs in Russia, and there are not so few of them. “360” looked into how popular they are, who goes there and why.
Law enforcement officers raided the BDSM club on Thursday night. No one called the “stripper cop,” so the officers’ visit to the premises was unexpected. All partygoers were forced to lie on the floor and put their hands behind their heads. This was not a game, so everyone obediently complied with the request. When asked where the owner was, no one really answered - they only said that he was not on the premises.
It is not reported what the end result of the law enforcement visit was. There is an opinion that the photographs from the club are staged. The strange thing is that most of the girls are naked, while the men, on the contrary, are fully dressed.
Photo source: operational shooting of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the Khabarovsk TerritoryNuances of BDSM
There are many stereotypes about BDSM clubs - for example, that any visitor who comes even “just to look” will be forcibly tied to a pole or chained, as we were shown in the Eurotrip. This is wrong. The rules of behavior in establishments are quite categorical, violations are punishable. For example, in one of the Moscow clubs of this format, sex, drunkenness, rudeness and photography are prohibited. These rules apply to almost all clubs.
Sexologist Yulia Varra, in a conversation with 360, said that BDSM entertainment exists in all countries, it’s just that in some places they are treated more loyally, while in others such clubs have to hide in the corners.
“[There are] various kinds of BDSM trends and all sorts of other deviations - as a rule, people come at any age to satisfy them. Not everyone has the depth of insight into themselves to understand what they want. And people who have accomplished something in life think about this. When he has found a job, a wife, everything is balanced, he has a place to live, something to live on, a feeling of security - then the man sits down and begins to think “what would he really like.” And very often he discovers interesting things in himself that are unexpected for himself,” Varra said.
According to the sexologist, in countries where BDSM entertainment is allowed, this area is flourishing more and more. “And here they hide in the corners, sneak around, but it’s the same thing. Needs never go away. In Russia this is very common - specifically the BDSM direction. Because historically, a fairly large contingent here is involved in domestic violence in childhood. A Russian man hits - it means he loves. And, seeing these scenes in childhood, the child then grows up and wants to repeat it from one side or another,” Varra explained.
Usually very high-status people go to BDSM clubs. “All clubs on sexual deviations are for people who have already reached a certain level. As a rule, there are no or very few students there,” the sexologist noted.
As they said back in the 18th century, I can’t give cancer to the mother of my children.
Julia Varra sexologist.
“Clients come to such clubs for a certain game scenario that excites them. Perhaps this is a scenario where the woman is dominant - this is usually the classic scenario: teacher - student, doctor - patient, queen - page. Or is there a script in reverse direction, when a man is dominant and a woman does what he wants,” Varra said.
According to the sexologist, these are the sexual patterns that go back to childhood and adolescence. They “dozed for a while and then, when the man began to search for his sex-role identity, he discovered that he liked these expressions and manifestations.” After this, the man looks for someone with whom to realize them.
“As they said back in the 18th century, I can’t give cancer to the mother of my children. Exactly the same here. Not every self-respecting man can come to his wife and say: darling, handcuff me, spank me with a whip, I like it that way. Respect in the family will be below par. Where is he going? To some ladies, to some establishments. In fact, demand creates supply. Very often, in such relationships there are not even sexual manifestations or there are minimal sexual manifestations,” the sexologist explained.
Photo source: Flickr As for women, you need to know how to be a member of a BDSM club. This, according to the sexologist, is not so simple.
“As practice shows, not all girls can be mistresses, but falsehood is felt. The lady who is afraid herself simply will not get clients. Girls with psychopathic tendencies, tough by nature, strong, strong-willed, who would like to torture someone and get pleasure from it - they become mistresses, and such ladies are in great demand. When a man feels that this is the one steady hand“He comes to her again and again,” Varra concluded.
The President of the Association of Strip Clubs of Russia, Lucky Lee, told 360 that such things are practiced all over the world, but there is a difference between the Russian and foreign audience of such establishments.
“As for similar clubs in Russia and in the West, these are different audiences. In the West, BDSM culture is part of the social norm, and adults are already interested in it. They approach this process consciously. The sexual revolution has not yet occurred in Russia, and such clubs are interested in a young audience of 25-30 years old, who are trying to understand their own sexuality and their preferences,” said Lee.
Photo source: Instagram / luckylee69 The interlocutor added that in the West, BDSM culture is interesting to a more mature and conscious audience. This industry has a set of rules, one of which is the need to communicate with each other. “People negotiate roles, communicate with each other about preferences, discuss taboos. This is a trusting environment that attracts an adult audience. They can prepare for a whole year to visit SNCTM, for example, and create their own costumes,” said Lee.
SNCTM is a Hollywood private sex club with its own special rules and rather large sums for entrance tickets.
In Russia, it seems to me that young people like the appearance, and they perceive these clubs as a themed sexual game and experience that they have never had. In this way, they want to escape the cult of conservative monogamous relationships and try to discover their own sexuality. They want to get a thrill and struggle with their own sexual tensions.
Lucky Lee.
Lee noted that in Russia there are no specific statistics on establishments of this type. According to him, in Europe, 46% of citizens visit sex shops, while in Russia - only 7%. The situation is similar with BDSM culture. However, this area began to gradually develop. Some time ago, the founder of the SNCTM club, Damon Launer, came to Moscow and held world-famous parties in the style of Stanley Kubrick’s film “Eyes Wide Shut.”
Photo source: Naked SNCTM | Trailer | Showmax BDSM clubs are very popular in Germany and the Czech Republic. But no matter where you decide to go to such an establishment, it will always be expensive. Therefore, such leisure is more likely for wealthy people.
The role of mistress or slave - all this goes beyond the limits of mystery
Lucky Lee
According to Lee, the fashion world has become more open, and consumers are no longer shy about declaring their preferences. A person is already ready to emphasize his sexual desires with the help of clothing and aggressive behavior.
How do girls and women agree to participate in such events? Why are clubs interested in the female audience? The fact is that on most websites of BDSM clubs in Moscow there are price tags that indicate that entry is free for women, and for single men - only for money. This is apparently due to the predominant male audience.
“Of course, everything is built on mutual respect. Before you do anything, you should ask permission and discuss the desired scenario with the person. It seems to me that many girls are addicted to this - they lack attention: tactile sensations, flirting. In this way, they sublimate their sexuality, which they cannot feel in everyday life for very different reasons,” concluded Lee.
The hard life of serfs in Rus' is a resort compared to the fate of slaves in Ancient Rome. Yes, there are tyrants in our history. Take Saltychikha, for example, or remember the generally accepted practice of flogging slaves in the backyard and putting them on chains in stocks. However, from the sophistication of punishment of slaves in the greatest state of antiquity, normal person the hair on your head stands on end.
How did people become slaves in ancient Rome?
Anyone familiar with the history of the Eternal City knows that Roman citizens constituted a negligible portion of the total population. The bulk of the population was slaves. According to the laws, the creditor could turn his borrower into debt slavery. A free woman caught in an affair with a slave became a slave. And finally, convicted criminals were handed over to the hands of executioners, only acquiring the status of a slave.
The main source of slave power was wars of conquest and sea robbery. Captive foreigners, regardless of social status, became slaves, whom the inhabitants of Ancient Rome considered an inferior race, called barbarians and were happy to buy from slave traders. With this attitude, the punishment of a slave turned out to be extremely inhuman and was often synonymous with torture and execution. For example, one gentleman ordered a bathhouse attendant to be burned alive in a furnace because he washed him with too warm water.
Even a simple artisan had at least 2-3 slaves, and senators and military leaders had up to several thousand. According to scientists, slaves performed at least 150 functions in the house of their owners and were mercilessly punished for every offense. Slaves owned by the state were employed in public works, such as cleaning sewers, building water pipes, or serving as magistrates. But despite the type of activity, for the most part, the attitude towards slaves was the same everywhere, and the punishments of slaves in the photos of ancient engravings look cynical and inhumane.
A slave is an animate property that can speak
This is how slaves were considered in ancient Rome. The word “man” was not applied to slaves. In the minds of the Roman nobility, these were rude creatures, devoid of feelings and needs, suitable only for fulfilling the whims of their owners or renting them out to other masters.
The unfortunate people worked from morning to night, received terrible quality food, which was barely enough not to die of hunger. They tried to sell sick slaves cheaply, and if they failed, they were taken to the “island of Aesculapius”, where they were to die.
In Ancient Rome, the arbitrariness of masters and overseers reigned, and what is most terrible is that there was no code that would define specific criminal acts and the punishments provided for them by slaves. To be fair, the primitiveness of the judicial system affected all people who committed crimes, but free citizens did not experience the terrible arbitrariness and lawlessness to which slaves were subjected.
Crimes and Punishments
As many responsibilities as there were so many offenses, slaves were punished for literally everything, often using preventive measures. For example, in bakeries, millstones were placed around the necks of slaves to prevent hungry workers from eating flour or dough.
During hard work, exhausted slaves were driven with sticks and whips and severely beaten if they did not cope with their duties. Even crippled people were forced to continue working until they dropped dead. The punishment for a slave could be execution for accidentally breaking kitchen utensils, eaten food without permission, or if he crossed the path of a procession of temple priestesses.
The murder of a slave by his master was considered a terrible crime. Then they punished not only the culprit, but killed all the slaves belonging to this owner.
Another person could be killed for fun, because he is a slave, which means personal property. In the dungeons of noble nobles, the unfortunates languished, allegedly caught by the owner in terrible sins, which required punishment - a death sentence. At the height of the feast, for the amusement of the guests, a slave was brought in and his head was ostentatiously cut off, and this was the least of the evils that the slaves of Ancient Rome had to endure.
Domestic tyranny
Masters did not hesitate to give slaps to often innocent slaves, and mistresses in a bad mood stabbed their half-naked servants with long needles. For flogging, special devices were used: whips with knots and leather whips. Those who were especially guilty were shackled in leg, hand, or neck shackles, had a mark of shame burned on their foreheads, and could be put on a chain instead of a watchdog.
The punishment of a slave by the master in anger could spill over into real self-mutilation. The master could break the bones of a slave with complete impunity or coat his head with resin and rip off his scalp. If the owner took it into his head to get another eunuch, the young slave was immediately castrated. If the master thought that the slave was too talkative, the unfortunate man’s tongue was torn out. And it happened that the slave became unnecessary, or the owner saw in him an opportunity to make money.
Separation from home
During the heyday of the slave trade, one of the methods of punishing slaves in Ancient Rome was the sale of unwanted ones. Tired of tormenting a rebellious slave, young man could have been sold profitably to a gladiator school. There the slave faced an even worse fate than in the master's house. Many young people became involved in mortal fights with their own kind and in shows with wild animals.
Beautiful boys and girls were sold to brothels, where they were used in ways that are scary to think about. Some were sent abroad or exiled to mines and quarries, where slaves continued to bring income to their owners through hard work.
If the slave was unlucky enough to witness the master's crime, the slave was sent to the dungeons to testify. There, within the framework of the judicial system, he was ordered to be tortured on special machines and savage machines, because it was believed that only under torture could a slave tell the truth.
Doomed to Death
Almost every person, having become a slave or born in captivity, understood that an inevitable and premature death awaited him. The people of Rome demanded bread and circuses, and one of the most popular entertainments of this cruel era was public executions.
Finding the condemned was not difficult. As for exemplary punishments for slaves, the list is impressive and frightening:
- beatings to death with sticks, stones and whips;
- grinding with millstones;
- decapitation;
- sawing in half;
- cutting off the nose, ears, lips and limbs;
- torn to pieces by crowds, beasts and predatory fish;
- burning at the stake and in ovens;
- burial alive;
- hanging on a hook and crucifixion;
- drowning in a leather bag;
- thrown from the Tarpeian rock.
The more painful the execution and the longer the person suffered, the more delighted the crowd was.
Not only masters, but also the descendants of freedmen committed atrocities against slaves. For example, Vedius Pollio, for the slightest offense, threw slaves into a cage with moray eels without trial or investigation.
But this situation of slaves could not last forever.
Changes for the better
Hard existence and cruel punishments slaves inevitably led to revolts. The uprising of Spartacus became a serious threat to Rome, but after bloody battles the rebellion was suppressed - 6 thousand captive slaves were crucified on the Appian Way.
Taught by bitter experience, the authorities began to take measures to protect the rights of slaves. By order of Emperor Hadrian, anyone who tortured a slave to death or sold him to a brothel faced criminal punishment. His son, Antoninus Pius, banned the sale of children and abolished the enslavement of debtors. And Emperor Constantine the Great issued a decree according to which the deliberate murder of a slave was equivalent to the murder of a free citizen.
Which slaves had a good life?
Judging by the monstrous methods of punishment of the slaves of Rome, it seems that the free citizens of the empire are a bunch of sadists and maniacs. However, the most inhumane reprisals were not of a massive nature and most of them dated back to the reign of cruel tyrants: the emperors Caligula and Nero.
But where vice reigns, there is always a place for virtue. There were educated and decent slave owners in Ancient Rome, who were able to see in a slave not a thing, but a person. Such masters did not punish their slaves, but raised, trained and gave them their freedom. A striking example of this is Marcus Tullius Cicero and his slave Tiron, who was the secretary, biographer and friend of the famous Roman politician and philosopher.
One of the animals jumped, but, not reaching me, fell back into a pile of others.
They lowered me another five or seven feet. I cried in despair. The heavy collar slid down. The metal ring touched my chin.
I dropped another ten feet, then another ten. The animals went into a violent rage, with the exception of individuals who, growling and scratching, tore into pieces the meat that had already fallen into the pit.
The rope began to move again and lowered me lower.
Please stop! - I prayed without ceasing. I could see a stranger with snow-white skin, in black clothes - she stood with a whip at the edge of the barrier. Next to her were two big guys who dragged me here. I have never met people with such power. They dealt with me easily. I found myself helpless.
Now, writhing and screaming, I hung forty feet from the bottom of the hole.
The rope lowered me even lower. I screamed in despair.
The predatory creatures began to jump again. I heard the snapping of jaws not more than a yard from my head and saw curved white claws extending outward and flying swiftly below me. With one blow they could rip my head off.
My screams were mixed with the furious growls and shrill hungry cries of these animals. The rope jerked again, and I fell one foot, sobbing bitterly in despair.
Then suddenly my body swayed to the side and rose upward. I was lifted using blocks to the barrier and thrown over it. The strong overseers took me off the hook and freed my legs. Then they hung a large piece of meat on the hook on which I had just hung, lifted it over the barrier and lowered it into the well.
I heard the animals fighting, taking prey from each other. A big Asian guy pulled my hands, took the handcuffs off them and hung them on his belt.
“On your knees,” my jailer ordered.
I obeyed.
The animals in the pit tore the meat into pieces.
Spread your legs! - the next command sounded.
Shuddering, I carried out this order as well.
Now do you understand that you are a slave? - she asked.
Yes, I answered. - Yes!
Yes - what?
“I don’t know, I don’t know,” I was confused.
Yes, madam,” the woman said.
Yes, madam,” I echoed.
Now say: “I am a slave, mistress.”
“I am a slave, mistress,” I repeated.
Now say,” the jailer continued, “I am your slave, mistress.”
“I am your slave, mistress,” I said obediently.
Now you can lower your head and kiss my feet.
I did as she ordered. I was very afraid of her.
Now do you know what world you find yourself in? - the woman asked.
I didn't dare answer.
This world is called Horus,” she said.
Yes, madam.
I was shaking, I almost lost consciousness. It was indeed Horus.
“Look at me, slave,” the stranger ordered.
I looked up at her.
Here on the Mountain you are a slave!
Yes, madam,” I answered.
Disobedience of slaves, even the smallest disobedience, is not allowed on the Mountain, is this clear?
Yes, madam.
Besides this,” she continued, “a slave must please. Is this clear to you?
Yes, madam.
The animals you saw are called slins,” said the stranger. -They are used on the Mountain for many purposes. One of them is the hunt for slaves and the destruction of the disobedient. It is for this purpose that the animals you saw were trained.
Yes, madam.
It is also customary on Gor to take undisciplined, disobedient or disobedient slaves, as well as slaves who were not fully obsequious, whether male or female, and feed these slaves to the sleen. Of course, sometimes slaves are fed to animals just for the amusement of their owners.
Yes, madam,” I said.
Do you now understand what it means to be a slave on the Mountain?
Yes, madam,” I answered again.
“Get down on your knees,” the jailer ordered.
I obeyed.
One of the men, a strong man with brown curly hair, said something to her. The woman laughed and shook her head. They exchanged a few words and then the overseers turned and left.
“He asked,” my mistress explained, “if I would like him to help me take you to your cell.”
She hung the whip on her belt, twisting its ends. At the upper end of the whip there was a special ring for this.
“I told him that this was not necessary,” she continued to say, turning the collar so that the ring lay on my back. Pulling the metal chain from her belt, the woman added: “I told him that you have already been tamed.”
With these words, my mistress fastened the chain to the collar and pulled it.
I was on all fours, on a chain.
You're tamed, aren't you? - she asked.
Yes, madam.
Then let's go. We return to the cage.
Yes, madam.
“Kneel here,” the jailer ordered. I knelt where she told me to. The woman took the shackles off the wall and snapped them onto my legs. After that she squatted down in front of me.
“Put your palms here,” she said.
I obeyed, and the stranger locked the handcuffs that had been prepared in advance around my wrists. She unfastened the chain from my collar and twisted it, fastening it to my belt. Chained, I knelt before her.
I was back in my cell. Almost nothing has changed since the moment she called the overseers to get me out of here. However, there was one important difference. Previously, there was a free man in shackles, but now there was a slave chained in chains.
Rising and stepping back a little, the stranger looked at me carefully. Then, not without kindness in her voice, she said:
When you kneel before a free woman, keep your legs spread, unless your mistress wants something else.
Yes, madam,” I answered.
Well done,” she said. - You're making progress. But remember that the mistress’s whim can go as far as you like.
Yes, madam.
As far as I know, you are the first man from Earth to be brought to Horus as a slave.
“It’s a misunderstanding,” I explained. “I accidentally came into the sight of slave traders. Please send me back to Earth.
Shut up, slave! - the jailer shouted.
Yes, madam,” I answered quickly.
The stranger walked behind me, so I couldn’t see her.
“I visited your planet once,” she said.
A barely audible metallic sound was heard.
Do you hear? - asked the jailer.
This is the sound of the whip that I unfastened from my belt,” she explained.
I said nothing.
Soon you will learn to recognize him immediately. “After a pause, the woman continued: “Yes, a year and a half ago, on the orders of my superiors, I spent several months in your world.” Are you afraid that you will be whipped?
Yes, madam.
There I learned the nature of the men of Earth and began to despise them.
Yes, madam.
I heard a faint sound again, very similar to the first one.
“I hung the whip back,” said the stranger and stood in front of me again. The whip hung from her belt. - I'm not going to hit you now.
Thank you, madam!
What is your name?
Jason. Jason Marshall.
“You don’t have a name anymore,” the stranger reminded.
Yes, madam.
But Jason will do. So, you are Jason!
Yes, madam.
Now this is a slave name assigned to you because I like it that way.
Yes, madam.
Now I was a slave with a name.
The jailer approached the wall of the cell. There, on the shelf, were two shallow bowls. They were there before. The woman brought me one of them. There was meat in it. The stranger held the bowl in her left hand, with her right she took a piece of meat and looked at me.
It will be easier for you to turn into a slave than for a real man,” said the woman, “but still not easy.”
I looked at her with despair.
Eat, Jason,” she said, putting a piece of meat into my mouth. - I was on Earth and saw representatives of your male family there. There were very few real men among them. Why do earthlings abandon their male nature and pretend to rejoice in their inferiority? It is doubtful that there are complex historical reasons for this. I wonder what ugly forms culture gives to tortured biology? - Saying this, the jailer continued to feed me. - But I don’t feel sorry for you, because you yourself allowed yourself to be violated. You are all despicable weaklings and cowards! You have little left, only some rudiments of masculinity, and even this you allow to be taken away from you.
48. WE HAVE THREE NEW COMPANIONS, INCLUDING TWO SLAVES
I kicked her.
I'll take this one.
The leader of the pygmies untangled the blonde girl's ankles and removed the rope that tied the collar to the loop on the tree.
Get up, I ordered.
She obeyed. The proud leader of the Talun stood in front of me in a collar of vines, with hands tied and gagged. The gag was removed only to feed and drink the girl.
Lower your head, I ordered.
She bowed her head.
I approached a white man - a former prisoner of the Talun. The pygmies freed him before burning the camp.
He was on his knees, in hand and leg shackles, connected by chains to a crude iron collar.
You were with Shaba.
Yes. I sat on the oars.
Do I think I know you?
Yes, he answered. - I am Turgus from Port Kar. Because of you, I was kicked out of town.
I grinned:
In my opinion, it's your own fault. It was your idea to rob me, wasn't it?
It was this man and his accomplice named Sasi who attacked me in Port Kar, near the canal leading to the pier of Krasny Urt.
He shrugged.
I didn’t know that you were from the warrior caste.
How did you end up on the river?
I was ordered to leave Port Qar before dawn. I hired myself as a sailor on a ship and thus ended up in Bazi. From there he moved to Shendi, and there he met an agent of Shaba, who was secretly looking for rowers for an expedition to these parts. He promised a good payment, and I agreed.
Where is Shaba now?
I don't even know if he's alive. There were only pitiful crumbs left from the expedition. We were attacked countless times - both from the river and from the shore. The natives set up ambushes in the jungle and took our people captive. We've run out of all supplies. One ship crashed on the rocks. Diseases and accidents haunted us...
And Shaba didn't turn back?
Shaba is a fearless person. And a great leader.
I nodded. It was impossible not to agree with this.
How did it happen that you separated from him?
When Shaba fell ill, he announced throughout the camp that everyone who wanted to leave was free to do so.
And you left?
Certainly. It would have been madness to continue down the river. I and a few others made rafts to return to Ngao and Ushindi.
On the first night we were attacked. All my comrades were killed, I alone escaped and walked along the coast to the west. - The man glanced sideways at the talun. They were still kneeling in a row, tied by their collars to a fallen tree. Their arms and legs were tightly tied, their necks were helplessly twisted. “These women grabbed me and made me their slave. - To confirm his words, he shook the chains.
Perhaps they kept you not only for hard work, but also for their own pleasures?
Yes, from time to time they beat me and sat on top of me.
“Remove his chains and shackles,” I ordered. - He is a man.
While searching the Talun camp, the pygmies found a bag of keys. With one of the keys, Ayari unlocked the shackles of Turgus from Port Kar.
Are you letting me go? - he asked incredulously.
Yes,” I nodded, “you are free.” You can go wherever you want.
I'd like to stay.
Then hit me, I said.
Hit me.
But you freed me!
Hit! - I ordered.
He rushed at me with his fists. I blocked the blow and hit him in the stomach, then in the jaw. He wheezed and sprawled on the ground. As soon as he tried to get up, I knocked him down with another blow. Four times he got up and rushed at me, and four times I knocked him to the ground. Finally he fell and was no longer able to rise to his feet.
I helped him get up.
“We’re going up the river,” I said.
This is madness,” Turgus shook his head.
You can go wherever you want.
I'm staying with you.
In front of you is Kisu. - I pointed to the former mfalme Ukunga. - Both of us, he and I, give you orders, and you carry them out. Diligently and unquestioningly.
Kisu shook his spear.
Turgus rubbed his jaw and grinned.
Don't worry. I will carry out your orders.
Understand.
We are not such noble gentlemen as Shaba. Turgus smiled
On the river, Shaba also did not behave very nobly.
Like us, Turgus understood perfectly well that without iron discipline one could not survive on the river.
We understand each other perfectly, don't we?
That's right, captain.
Look at these women,” I said, waving my hand towards the talun. - Which one do you like?
That one there. - Turgus, without hesitation, pointed to the long-legged, dark-haired Taluna, the leader’s assistant. There was a threat in his voice.
During your slavery you must have become intimately acquainted with her?
“Yeah,” he grimaced. - I won’t forget this century.
“She’s yours,” I said.
A trembling ran through the girl's body.
No! - she screamed. - Don't give me to him! Please!
“You belong to him,” I snapped.
But he will kill me!
If that’s what he wants,” I shrugged.
Please don't kill me! - she begged, turning to Turgus. - I will do everything, everything you want!
Turgus didn’t even raise an eyebrow.
I will be the most gentle and devoted slave a man could ever wish for! Give me a chance!
He untied her from the tree, removed the bonds from her ankles, jerked her to her feet and harshly bent her head down. Both leaders of the talun, a blonde and a brunette, stood side by side, looking at the ground, with their hands tied behind their backs.
I pulled two pairs of hand shackles from the trophy bag. Female warriors always carry such weapons with them in case slaves fall into their hands. Taluns are especially cruel and merciless towards female slaves. They believe that by giving herself into slavery to a man, a woman thereby betrays her sex. But I suspect that this is not a matter of righteous anger. The Taloons are desperately and viciously jealous of their enslaved sisters, whose lives are filled with joy and meaning. A slave who enthusiastically submits to the will of her master represents a challenge and a threat to the fragile illusions of the talun. Why do Taluns hate slaves? Yes, because deep down in their souls, every woman dreams of becoming a slave.
I snapped the handcuffs onto the blonde’s wrists and only then removed the bonds from her. Then I took the gag out of her mouth. It gave off a disgusting smell. However, I did not throw it away, but attached it to the collar. The girl fell to her knees, gasping for air. I wiped her lips with a handful of leaves.
Do you want to be a slave?
No! - she shouted. - No way!
Well, I said, great. I handed the other pair of handcuffs to Turgus and he snapped them onto the brunette's wrists. She looked at him in fear.
Do you want to be a slave? - asked Turgus.
No no! Never!
Great,” he grinned.
I warmly shook hands with the leader of the pygmies.
Good luck!
Good luck to you too.
We turned and walked away - me, Kisu, Ayari, Turgus, Janice, Alice, Tende.
Hey, what to do with these? - the leader of the pygmies shouted after us.
We turned around. He pointed to a long line of captive taluns.
Whatever you want! - I waved my hand. - They are yours.
What about these? - He pointed to the blonde and brunette.
We let them go. Let them go in all four directions.
Take off our shackles! - the former leader of the talun whined.
Both of them, the blonde and the brunette, trailed behind us all the way to the river.
Kisu, Ayari, and I pulled the canoe out of its shelter and dragged it to the water. Janice, Alice and Tende followed, laden with supplies.
Well, please! - the blonde begged and turned her back, showing the shackles.
Take it off! - the brunette echoed her. Kisu and Ayari launched the canoe into the water. The slaves loaded our supplies, took their places and took up the oars.
Free us! - the blonde sobbed.
“They’re just handcuffs,” I said. - Take them off yourself.
We can't! We don't have enough strength. We are just women.
I shrugged my shoulders indifferently.
I beg you! - she sobbed.
Listen, proud free woman,” I said, “weren’t you going to do whatever you wanted with impunity all your life?”
You can't leave us here! - She turned to the forest in fear.
Turgus and I jumped into the canoe.
Please! Don't leave us! - the blonde screamed desperately.
I turned and looked into her eyes:
You lost.
But you can punish us differently!
Don't even think about it! - I feigned horror. - How can you! This is so humiliating! Death is a thousand times better.
But I beg you for such a punishment! - She fell to her knees in the coastal mud.
And I! - the brunette followed her example.
Speak more clearly. I don't understand something well.
We beg you to take us into slavery! - the blonde exclaimed. - We want to become your slaves!
So become them.
“I declare myself a slave,” said the blonde, “and I completely submit to you, my master.” - She lowered her head into the mud.
“I declare myself a slave,” said the brunette, turning to Turgus, “and I completely submit to you, my master.” - She also bowed her head low.
Raise your head,” I ordered the blonde.
Raise your head,” Turgus ordered the brunette. The girls looked at us in fear.
Now you are just slaves,” I told them.
Yes, sir,” said the blonde.
Yes, sir,” said the brunette.
From that moment on they became slaves. A woman who has declared herself a slave can no longer free herself. Only the one to whom she belongs - the master or, in rare cases, the mistress - has the right to release her. From a legal point of view, there are many interesting points here. For example, in a city taken by storm, slaves automatically receive freedom. In fact, according to the trade law, which regulates such matters, these girls become the property of the winners for a time. Moreover, the same law states that the liberator is not obliged to give the girl freedom, especially if she is pretty - as the Goreans say: “too beautiful to be free.” Often the solution to these issues is based on vanity. The conquerors organize a procession of naked, collared slaves on the streets of the city, among which there are women of the defeated city, who only yesterday were free, and slaves.
Kisu and Ayari also climbed into the canoe.
Gentlemen! - the girls begged, kneeling on the shore. - Wait!
“You are slaves,” I grinned. - Why don't we leave you here?
The canoe slowly turned around.
Don't leave us! - the blonde shouted. She jumped to her feet and, getting stuck in the mud, ran after the boat. The brunette hurried after her.
The blonde rushed aboard the canoe. The water reached her waist.
Please! We will do the hardest work!
We swear, gentlemen! - echoed the brunette. The canoe continued to move. The girls sank deeper and deeper into the water.
We will do whatever you order! We will please you!
Can you do it? - I grinned and pulled the blonde towards me by the vine collar.
Yes, sir!
I pulled her into the boat and put her on her knees, her back to me. Turgus did the same with the brunette.
Where are you from? - I asked the former leader of the talun.
We are both from Turia, me and Fina. - She pointed to the brunette. - The rest of the girls are also from the south, from different cities.
Were you the one spying on us downstream?
Yes,” she sobbed. - We wanted to capture you as slaves.
I remembered how Ayari imagined he saw Janice in the forest. So it was a taluna.
How did you end up in the jungle?
We left our men - Fina, me and everyone else.
And now they have turned into slaves.
Yes, sir.
For your gang, this is the best fate you can ask for.
Yes, sir. - She shuddered. - Now we all belong to men.
Yes,” I nodded.
You left the collars on us. So you knew that we would beg for enslavement?
Of course,” I smiled.
For this you will face severe punishment.
Yes, sir,” she stammered.
Yes, sir.
We were already in the middle of the river. Suddenly the leader of the talun burst into tears.
I don't know what it means to be a slave! I can't…
To begin with, you will learn humility and humility. “I slapped her on the back of the head, then sharply pulled her hair, stuffed a gag into her mouth and again imperiously bent her head down. - And you still have to learn to understand whether your master wants to at the moment hear your voice. In the meantime, you must ask permission to open your mouth. The master can allow you to do this or prohibit it as he wishes.
She nodded pitifully.
We continued our journey east.
The girl suddenly began to tremble violently; Tears poured out of her eyes. I carefully laid her down on her stomach. Soon she fell asleep, exhausted by the ordeal that had befallen her.
