This essay shows how Finley’s historical reconstruction of ancient, or, better, Athenian views of slavery depends heavily on contemporary American theories in the realm of common law. This is in clear contrast to his constant teaching that modern conceptualizations must not be applied in any reconstruction of the ancient world’s social relations. The essay therefore tries to explain some difficulties in Finley’s writings.
Keywords: Slavery, Moses Finley, Economy in Ancient Greece, Aristotle, Common Law.