Maja E. Keller (née Baum)

Medical Treatment of Slaves in the Roman Empire

My research project focuses on the asymmetrical dependency between slaveholder and slave in connection with medical care during the Roman Imperial period. The decision of the slaveholder to spend money and resources to supply the subordinate with necessary caregiving was influenced by several motives and circumstances. On the one hand economic calculations affected the master’s actions (losing manpower through illness led to extensive financial losses), on the other hand, contemporary normative expectations towards the family father (pater familias) forced him to provide for appropriate care and supply. Throughout this project, medical care should be considered from a holistic point of view, i.e. from prophylaxis to accommodation in case of incapacity to work. Furthermore, medicine offers an unique approach for dependency studies, as it is based on a multifaceted two-person relationship, which, however, must not be considered in isolation, but in a broader context due to various influencing factors. Since the focus lies particularly on the group of working-slaves my project will be mainly affiliated to Research Area D (Labour and Spatiality).

since 2021
PhD studies in Ancient History, Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies, University of Bonn

2018–2020
M.A. in History (profile: general History), University of Bonn

2013–2018
B.A. (Teaching Degree) in History and Latin, University of Cologne

2024
Elected deputy representative of the BCDSS PhD students

since 2021
Research Assistant at Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies in Bonn, Germany

2015–2017
Member of the Student Body of the Faculty "History" at University of Cologne