The macula servitutis of Roman freedmen: “Neque enim aboletur turpitudo, quae postea intermissa est”?

The disabilities and restrictions in the public life of Roman freedmen are traditionally explained as a consequence of the servile stigma these individuals carried. "Macula servitutis" (stain of slavery) has become the widespread catchphrase to capture this state. This contribution's main aim is to show that the social condition of freedmen cannot be reduced to such a common denominator, despite the significant influence this framework has had in many classical studies. The inconsistencies and shortcomings of the macula-model will be addressed, drawing on evidence from literature, epigraphy and legal texts. The expression itself (and similar ones) will be situated in its historical and legal context and compared to similar "stains" on a person's honour in order to gauge their respective pervasiveness. The concluding remarks present an alternative to the macula-model and are meant to spur further debate in other spheres and aspects of the freedman's live.

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