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Wilzi (Age of Charlemagne) Civil Tier 9

Slavery

Serfdom in the traditional sense did not take hold in the barbarian cultures of Europe; instead, a more traditional form of slavery was common. Slavery differed from serfdom in several ways - serfs worked for their masters but also for themselves, to live, and were generally family units with a degree of independence, however nominal. Slaves, by contrast, had a much more tenuous grasp on the notion of familiarity and freedom, and could also be moved at a moment's notice, sold as part of the booming slave trade, and threatened and mistreated in order to ensure obedience. Slavery was a highly lucrative business in the Middle Ages - both the Byzantine and Islamic empires had much need of free labour and many of the barbarian peoples took slaves simply because they could; weaker peoples were considered exploitable and expendable with it. For instance, the Vikings were prolific slave-owners - they called their captives 'thralls', meaning 'someone in bondage'. Thralls were generally the defeated survivors of war - victims of the Viking's extensive raids across northern Europe and the British Isles. They formed the lowest layer of the three-tiered Viking society, beneath freemen and noblemen. As well as being made to work for their masters, thralls were also sold on to rich powers, such as the Byzantines, for a huge profit.

Node Set Civil Tier 9

research_points 0

cost_per_round 0

Effects

No Effect

Requires
Requires Technologies	Irrigation Techniques Pagan Rituals

Enables
Enables Buildings	Grand Manor Olive Oil Mill