Describe the position of a Roman household slave and whether or not slaves could change their position. A Roman slave could rise to be head of household. Besides manual labor, slaves performed many domestic services and might be employed at skilled jobs. Slaves were considered property under Roman law and had no legal personhood. They could be subjected to corporal punishment, torture and summary execution. The household/domestic slave was one of the work categories.
Different jobs a household slave could have, including barber, butler, cook, hairdresser, handmaid, secretary, and seamstress. The living conditions of slaves attached to a "Domus" were sometimes superior to that of many free urban poor in Rome. Household slaves enjoyed the highest standard of living among Roman slaves.