Quote Originally Posted by Gilrandir View Post
I find it hard to believe that the inhabitants of newly conquered lands received the same treatment as those of the core Roman provinces, still less that slaves of all races were treated equally (bad). Generally, earlier civilizations were xenophobic (even the enlightened Greeks scornfully called the ousiders Barbarians). Thus, the idea of the golden epoch of racial equality seems highly doubtful to me.
The Romans were not without prejudice, but it was not racial prejudice as we understand it.

It's important to understand that, for people in ages past, physical appearance was not understood as it is now.