Speaking of Slavery: Color, Ethnicity, and Human Bondage in Italy

by Steven A. Epstein

Book Overview

In this highly original work, Steven A. Epstein shows that the ways Italians employ words and think about race and labor are profoundly affected by the language used in medieval Italy to sustain a system of slavery. The author's findings about the surprising persistence of the "language of slavery" demonstrate the difficulty of escaping the legacy of a shameful past.

For Epstein, language is crucial to understanding slavery, for it...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1501725122
• ISBN13: 9781501725128
• Release Date: May 2018
• Publisher: Cornell University Press
• Length: 234 Pages
• Weight: 0.77 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.0" x 9.0"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher