HistoryExtra Podcast: Going on Strike in Ancient Rome

Date: February 9, 2026
Host: John Borkham
Guest: Dr. Sarah E. Bond

Episode Overview

This episode explores the surprising history of strikes, unions, and collective action in the ancient Roman world. Historian Sarah E. Bond joins host John Borkham to discuss her recent book, Labour Unions and Resistance in the Roman Empire, and to dig into how ancient workers—from Egyptian artisans to Roman mint workers and charioteers—challenged authority, organized labor, and fought for their rights. The conversation demystifies the origins of striking, highlights remarkable examples across genders and societies, and considers what these ancient stories can teach us today.

Key Topics & Discussion Points

1. Terminology: “Strike,” “Union,” and “Resistance”

• Defining the Terms: While the word "strike" wasn't coined until 1768 UK (01:08), the behaviors described—collective work stoppages and organized resistance—can be seen much earlier in history.
  • Quote:
    “Even if these words were not familiar to those within the ancient world and were not used, they are still methodologies within labor disputes that have been happening for thousands of years.” (Sarah Bond, 02:10)
• Comparative History: Dr. Bond argues for applying modern vocabulary to ancient acts to better connect and compare methodologies across history.

2. The First Recorded Strike: Ancient Egypt, Deir el-Medina (03:06–05:11)

• Story of the Necropolis Workers: During the reign of Ramesses III, artisans at Deir el-Medina withheld their labor to demand overdue rations, staging a peaceful sit-in at a temple—a protected, sacred space.
  • Quote:
    “They are protecting themselves by being in the confines of the temple and simply refusing to work as a way of collectively bargaining with a higher power, that is to say, the pharaoh.” (Sarah Bond, 04:37)
• Significance: Early workers used peaceful, nonviolent protest, foreshadowing modern strike actions.

3. The Plebeians’ Secessions: Early Roman Republic (05:11–10:08)

• Who Were the Plebeians?: Not merely the poor, but all non-patricians—ranging from artisans to wealthy individuals (06:05).
• The First Secession of the Plebs (c. 495 BCE):
  • Triggered by debt bondage and economic hardship from military service.
  • A pivotal moment: plebeians refused to serve in the military and withdrew from Rome, leveraging their essential labor for political concessions.
  • Quote:
    "They decide that collectively they are going to secede from the city and not participate in the military levy...they are revoking it, and they go sit peaceably a few miles outside of the city of Rome." (Sarah Bond, 09:06)
• Legacy and Retellings: Livy and Dionysius, writing centuries later, interpreted these events with their own times’ concerns in mind (10:08–12:18).

4. Enslaved Resistance: Spartacus and the Servile Wars (12:18–16:13)

• Context: Spartacus’ revolt isn’t a “strike” per se but showcases organized collective rebellion using the social dynamics of the gladiator school.
  • Quote:
    “Spartacus is really...drawing on a lot of the collective behaviors that Romans, Greeks, and many people...had been using for hundreds of years prior.” (Sarah Bond, 14:19)
• Organizational Lessons: The revolt draws upon pre-existing forms of association—familiae (families/groups within the school)—demonstrating how embedded social units could become engines of resistance.

5. Collegia: The Roman Collectives & Early “Unions” (16:13–19:34)

• Collegium as Prototype Union: After Alexander the Great, the Mediterranean saw increasing numbers of occupational and religious associations (collegia in Latin), offering mutual aid, insurance, collective bargaining, and identity (16:25–19:10).
  • Quote:
    “There is power in a union. There is power in smaller community groups that can work with force and exactitude and organization.” (Sarah Bond, 19:10)
• Not Just Political: These included tomb societies, acting troupes, artisans, service workers, and sometimes even women.

6. Recovering “Regular” Voices: Sources and Methods (22:15–24:53)

• Source Materials: Dr. Bond relies heavily on inscriptions, papyri, epitaphs, graffiti, and legal documents to tell the story of everyday people, not just elites.
• “Upstairs, Downstairs” Approach: Inspired by shows like Upstairs Downstairs and Downton Abbey, Bond mixes accounts of the powerful with those of regular laborers to present a holistic picture.
  • Quote:
    "It's not just a story of the great man, it's also a story of labor and people who are protesting that labor and then how the people from above are passing legislation to try and hinder that.” (Sarah Bond, 24:32)

7. Women Workers: The Hermopolis Walkout (25:10–27:39)

• A Rare Example: A letter from a grandmother in Hermopolis, Egypt, details how enslaved young women collectively walked out of a textile workshop for better wages (~AD 116/117).
  • Quote:
    “These women know their worth. And even if they aren't in a formal collegium, they're in a workshop where they talk and they discuss... and they collectively decide to just leave.” (Sarah Bond, 26:20)
• Gender and Labor: While men formed most occupational collegia, women also undertook collective action and organized in smaller, informal groups.

8. Documentation Bias: Why Most Surviving Evidence is Egyptian (27:39–29:32)

• Preservation in Egypt: Dry climate preserved papyri, revealing more details of everyday life—including female labor actions—than elsewhere.

9. The Mint Workers’ Revolt (Rome, AD 271) (29:32–33:04)

• Nature of the Action: An example of a “lock-in,” where mint employees (mainly enslaved or recently freed) barricaded themselves inside and resisted management, likely demanding better conditions or overthrowing their overseers.
  • Quote:
    “They decide to lock themselves within the Roman mint... engaging in a rebellion in order to get perhaps higher wages...” (Sarah Bond, 31:08)
• Aftermath: Rebellion violently suppressed; emphasizes the risks and the enduring nature of elite resistance to organized labor.

10. The Nika Riots: Charioteers, Factions, and Repression (33:04–37:53)

• Background: By the 6th century, charioteer factions (the Blues and the Greens) were major social organizations in Constantinople, acting like unions for athletes and associated staff.
• Trigger: Faction members arrested; collective bargaining with Emperor Justinian fails.
• Outcome: Riot leads to the infamous massacre of some 30,000 people in the Hippodrome, orchestrated by Justinian’s wife Theodora.
  • Quote:
    “Justinian... orders the doors to be locked and for everybody, all 30,000 within the hippodrome, to be slaughtered. So the Nika riots, as Tacitus said, Romans make a desert and call it peace.” (Sarah Bond, 36:36)

11. Lessons for Today (38:23–40:59)

• Comparative History’s Value: Understanding ancient labor disputes helps us grasp the persistent nature of power dynamics and collective action.
• Modern Resonance: Actions from Egypt to Rome—organizing, striking, facing repression—are not relics but blueprints still relevant for workers today.
  • Quote:
    “Labor disputes are nothing new... Power has always sought a higher amount of wealth… Unions and communities that fight for their worth tend to take money away from the upper classes and to threaten their power.” (Sarah Bond, 40:09)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Ancient Strikes:
  “Peaceably removing yourself from the workplace and going to sit in a temple... that, to me, is what we would today call a strike.” (Sarah Bond, 04:16)

• On Collectives:
  “Groups of people don't just rebel. They have to plan and they have to organize beforehand. The Spartacan rebellion was extremely organized.” (Sarah Bond, 19:13)

• On the Role of Women:
  “It's not just men that are part of collectives... women are included as well. And they also form their own groups... that they still see as cohesive.” (Sarah Bond, 26:43)

• On Persistent Power Imbalance:
  “Understanding how power works from above to smother unions and to smother collective activity is because power has always sought a higher amount of wealth and money. And unions and communities that fight for their worth tend to take money away from the upper classes and to threaten their power. And that's something that is timeless.” (Sarah Bond, 40:09)

Key Segment Timestamps

• 01:08 – Defining “strike” and anachronism in ancient context
• 03:06 – Ancient Egypt’s first known strike
• 05:25 – Who were the plebeians?
• 09:06 – Plebeians’ first secession
• 12:18 – Spartacus and the Servile Wars
• 16:25 – Evolution of collegia and collective organizations
• 22:15 – Sources: inscriptions, papyri, & methodology
• 25:10 – Women’s strike in Roman Egypt
• 29:41 – Mint workers’ revolt in Rome (AD 271)
• 33:21 – The Nika riots and chariot factions
• 38:43 – Why ancient labor action still matters

Conclusion

This episode uncovers a rarely discussed side of classical antiquity: the long legacy of collective action, strikes, and resistance among workers—enslaved and free—across ancient Egypt and Rome. Far from being inventions of modernity, labor struggles have deep roots. Dr. Bond’s research, richly illustrated with stories, inscriptions, and ancient “upstairs-downstairs” drama, demonstrates that the playbook for organizing, resisting, and bargaining is centuries old. For modern listeners, these ancient actions offer not just inspiration but a toolkit, reminding us that the fight for dignity, fairness, and recognition at work is, indeed, a timeless one.