contubernium

Contubernium was a Latin term used to refer to various forms of quasimarital or non-sexual arrangements between two slaves in Roman society. These arrangements were often motivated by mutual convenience, financial gain, social status, and protection against physical abuse or exploitation by their masters. The exact nature of these relationships varied over time and across different regions, but they typically involved cohabitation, joint ownership of property, shared responsibilities, mutual support, and some degree of emotional attachment between the parties involved. Contubernia were not officially recognized or legally protected by Roman law, which continued to classify slaves as property rather than persons. However, they did play an important role in slave communities and contributed to maintaining a certain level of stability and social order within the harsh conditions of slavery.