Could slaves become citizens in Athens and Rome?

In ancient Athens, citizenship was a privilege reserved for a small minority of the population. To be a citizen, one had to be a free, adult male, born to Athenian parents. Slaves, foreigners, and women did not have citizenship rights.

However, there were some exceptions to this rule. In rare cases, slaves who had distinguished themselves in some way could be granted citizenship. For example, a slave who saved the life of a citizen might be given this honor. Additionally, foreigners who had lived in Athens for a long time and who had made a significant contribution to the city could be granted citizenship.

Rome

In the early days of the Roman Republic, citizenship was also restricted to a small group of people. However, over time, citizenship was gradually extended to more and more people. Slaves, foreigners, and women were all eventually able to become citizens, although it was often a difficult process.

In order to become a Roman citizen, a slave first had to be manumitted, or freed from slavery. This could be done by the slave's owner or by a government official. Once manumitted, the former slave would become a freedman. Freedmen had many of the same rights as Roman citizens, but they could not vote or hold office.

After a certain period of time, freedmen could apply for full Roman citizenship. This process was known as naturalization. In order to be naturalized, a freedman had to meet a number of requirements, including having a good character and being financially stable. If the freedman met all of the requirements, he would be granted full Roman citizenship.

The process of becoming a Roman citizen could be long and difficult, but it was worth it for many slaves and freedmen. Roman citizenship gave them the right to vote, hold office, own property, and inherit money. It also gave them the right to live in Rome and travel throughout the Roman Empire.