TRiO Ronald E. McNair Post Baccalaureate Achievement Program

Anthony Austin-Walker is a history major with a minor in Africana studies who thoroughly enjoys the study of ancient history as well as African American history. His research includes a cross comparative study of slavery in ancient Greece and ancient Rome. With a passion for the ancient world, Anthony intends to pursue his Ph.D. in Ancient Near Eastern studies with an emphasis in Hebrew Bible. His goal after obtaining his Ph.D. is to teach at a university.

Anthony was born in Bellevue, Washington and has lived in the Seattle area for most of his life. After graduating from high school in 2005, he entered the labor force as a construction worker, but in the summer of 2006 he went to ministry school in Alexandria, Louisiana. At the beginning of winter quarter 2010, Anthony started college at Eastern Washington University. He immediately recognized his passion for ancient history. Since starting his studies at Eastern, he has also maintained Dean's List status quarterly and has received the academic competiveness grant. During the 2010-2011 school year, he presented research at the 14th Annual Student Research & Creative Works Symposium at Eastern Washington University on the Post-Civil War Economic Inhibitions Among African-Americans Under Jim Crow Laws & the Economic Developments They Achieved Despite These Implications. At the next Symposium he intends to present on his current research titled Slave Life Cycles: Comparing Slavery in Ancient Greece and Rome.

Summer 2011 McNair Internship Faculty Research Mentor: Dr. Georgia Bazemore, EWU History

This study examines the institution of slavery in the ancient world with a particular focus on both ancient Greek and Roman societies. My work follows the current academic interest in comparative slavery, and incorporates the leading voices in this field as well as making use of other highly esteemed sources regarding ancient slavery. The comparative scholarly approach for the study of slavery is currently very much in fashion, and supported in universities in several continents including Europe, America, and Australia. 

This paper necessarily consists of two parts. The first part concentrates on slavery in ancient Greece while the second area of focus is on ancient Roman slavery. Ancient slavery was largely the result of conquest in war. Slavery then was an accident of war or strife. Specific areas of emphasis regarding slavery in both societies include slave markets, ways of acquisition, the life and tasks of slaves, treatment and punishment and lastly, the processes and aftermath of manumission. Furthermore, this paper seeks to show specific differences and similarities that were prevalent within the different areas and time periods as well as identify what reasons might have caused these differences, or else, similarities that were present.