Slavery in the ancient world: moral norm or violation of human rights

This scientific article examines an important component of ancient times - slavery in the context of the legal status of a slave in ancient law, its evolution and moral and ethical dilemmas such as whether slavery was a moral norm that reflected the values of the era or a violation of human rights from a modern perspective. The study covers the study of this issue in Ancient Greece and Rome. The scientific article examines a slave as an object of property according to ancient codes, the evolution of his legal status from lawlessness to such guarantees as the possibility of redemption or limiting the arbitrariness of the master, compares the position of slaves in these societies and demonstrates the moral and ethical assessment of slavery through the views of ancient philosophers. Particular attention was paid to important historical events, including the reforms of Solon in Athens, which abolished debt slavery, and the Roman manumission mechanism, thanks to which slaves could gain freedom. The study analyzes cases of mass enslavement as a result of the Battle of Cannae, the Spartacus uprising, and the general impact of slaves and such events on the evolution of law. It also uses a comparative method of ancient ideas about slavery with modern norms, as provided for in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948. The scientific article emphasizes the ambivalence of slavery - the economic basis of society and the source of ethical disputes that resonate with modern discussions about freedom and dignity. To rethink the moral and legal nature of slavery, a comprehensive view is proposed as an institution that laid the ancient foundation, but is also the foundation for building modern democratic principles. The conclusions emphasize the importance of this and similar works for understanding the legal evolution of law in the context of ensuring human rights, which is especially important in the conditions of the modern globalized world. Since the 21st century is not only the development of technologies, but also, unfortunately, a time of political turbulence, where crises and wars arise, legislators of the world should pay special attention to the observance of human rights, because it is the observance of these rights that is the foundation of the development of a democratic and legal civilization. Despite the present, there are cases of slavery, which indicates the need to develop active international instruments to combat this terrible phenomenon.