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Document Details :

Title: Hermas' 'Biography'
Subtitle: Social Upward and Downward Mobility of an Independent Freedman
Author(s): WEISS, Alexander
Journal: Ancient Society
Volume: 39    Date: 2009   
Pages: 185-202
DOI: 10.2143/AS.39.0.2042611

Abstract :
The ‘biography’ of Hermas, which can be extracted from the Shepherd of Hermas, an early Christian apocalyptic text, provides a fine example of a freedman who climbed up the social ladder as he became rich. With him we have the rare chance to study social upward and also downward mobility of freedmen in an individual case. Likewise Hermas may serve as an individual example for the category of 'independent freedmen', who acted independently from their former master.

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