Wine, Freedom, and Society in Roman Laietania (2nd c. BC – 3rd c. AD

Introduction

When we think of Roman Hispania, images of olive oil from Baetica or gold from Asturias often come to mind. Yet along the Mediterranean coast, just north of Tarraco, lay another treasure: the wines of Laietania. This region, encompassing modern-day Barcelona and the Maresme, became one of the most dynamic centers of Roman wine production. Wine was not only a commodity to be shipped across the Mediterranean; it was also a vehicle of cultural identity and even social mobility.

This article explores the story of Laietania’s wine through three lenses: the personal journey of a freed slave named Epictetus, the role of prominent Roman families and their freedmen managers in Barcino, and the archaeological rediscovery of Vallmora, one of the largest Roman wineries in the region. These threads together illuminate how wine shaped both the economy and the society of Roman Hispania.

Epictetus: From Slave to Wine Entrepreneur

In the Vallmora winery, archaeologists uncovered stamped materials bearing the name Epictetus. Additional inscriptions from nearby Barcino mention a freedman of the same name. Epictetus was likely an ex-slave who, upon gaining his freedom, turned to the wine trade. He may have overseen vineyards, managed amphora workshops, or participated in the bustling export market that connected Laietania to Gaul.

His story represents more than just a name in stone. Epictetus shows us how the wine industry provided a path—limited, yet real—for social advancement. Freedmen like him could accumulate wealth, achieve local prestige, and even leave their mark in the epigraphic record. In a society stratified by birth, wine offered an opening for those willing to work and invest.

Roman Families, Freedmen, and the Wine Economy of Barcino

While individuals like Epictetus embody social mobility from below, epigraphy and archaeology also reveal the involvement of powerful Roman families in Laietania’s wine economy. Gentes such as the Licinii, Fabii, Cornelii, Annii, and Valerii appear in inscriptions tied to Barcino and its hinterland.

These families invested heavily in wine estates and amphora workshops, using the profits of wine to consolidate their wealth and prestige. But they did not work the vineyards themselves. Instead, they relied on a class of freedmen known as institores—managers who supervised production and trade on their patrons’ behalf.

As Olesti Vila shows in Tierra y libertad, these freedmen were essential to the system. They handled presses, storage, shipments, and commercial accounts, while elites reaped the benefits. This reveals a mosaic of interaction:

Elites secured power through agricultural capital.
Freedmen (institores) found opportunities for advancement, though always within the shadow of patronage.
Slaves remained the base labor force, whose work powered both estates and amphora kilns.

The case of Epictetus thus stands alongside a wider network of freedmen who, although less individually visible, embodied the social links between labor, freedom, and economic opportunity in Roman Laietania.

Vallmora: The Roman Winery Rediscovered

The story of Laetanian wine is not just written in texts; it is carved into the landscape. Between 1999 and 2005, excavations at Vallmora (Teià, Maresme) uncovered a vast winery complex. Archaeologists found pressing areas (torcularia), buried storage jars (dolia defossa), cellars, and spaces for workers—evidence of a large-scale operation active from the late Republic (1st century BC) into the early Middle Ages.

The Vallmora site, now musealized as part of the Cella Vinaria Project, has even inspired experimental archaeology: recreating Roman viticulture and winemaking techniques described by authors such as Cato, Columella, and Pliny. This hands-on approach reveals not only the technical sophistication of Roman wine production but also its social dimension—estates like Vallmora required coordinated labor, from slaves and freedmen to estate managers, all contributing to the flow of wine destined for distant markets.

The Economy of Laetanian Wine (1st c. BC – 3rd c. AD)

Scholars such as Martín i Oliveras and Revilla describe Laietania’s wine system as a highly specialized, intensive agricultural economy. Several factors fueled its success:

Fertile terraced lands ideal for vineyards.
Agricultural intensification supported by villa estates.
The widespread use of slave and freedman labor.
Access to coastal ports that facilitated trade, especially with Gaul.

This specialization created wealth but also inequalities. Elites amassed fortunes, while dependent laborers remained tied to estates. Freedmen like Epictetus or the institores documented by Olesti could climb a rung on the social ladder, but their advancement often remained limited, tethered to the networks of their former patrons.

Nonetheless, wine gave Laietania a voice in the Mediterranean economy. Amphorae stamped with local marks traveled north to Gaul and west to other provinces, carrying not only wine but also the identity of the region’s producers.

Broader Social and Legal Context

One of the keys to Laietania’s success may lie in the absence of strict regulation. Unlike grain or oil, wine from Hispania was not heavily controlled by the Senate during the Republic or early Empire. Indeed, ancient authors make no mention of specific legislation concerning Hispania’s vineyards.

The first known imperial intervention came under Domitian (96 AD), who attempted to ban new vineyards outside Italy. Yet the edict was never enforced. This relative freedom meant that local initiative—whether from elite families or ambitious freedmen—could flourish. In this sense, the rise of Laetanian wine reflects a space where Roman law did not impose, allowing provincial enterprise to shape its own destiny.

Conclusion

Wine in Roman Laietania was far more than an agricultural product. It was a social agent, binding together the destinies of slaves, freedmen, and elites. Epictetus represents the human face of this story: a freedman who used wine to step into Roman society. The great families of Barcino, and their networks of freedmen institores, show the other side: how elites used the same product to secure power and prestige.

Archaeological discoveries like Vallmora anchor these stories in stone and clay, revealing the scale and sophistication of production. And the economic framework of Laetanian wine demonstrates how a local product could tie a provincial community to the currents of the Mediterranean economy.

Ultimately, wine was not only consumed; it consumed—and transformed—the lives of those who produced it.

Bibliography

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Martín i Oliveras, A. & Revilla, V. (2019). “The Economy of Laetanian Wine: A Conceptual Framework to Analyse an Intensive/Specialized Winegrowing Production System and Trade (First Century BC to Third Century AD).” In: M. Flohr & A. Wilson (eds.), The Economy of Roman Wine, pp. 129–164. Cham: Springer.
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Domitian’s edict: Suetonius, Domitian, 7.
Classical references: Cato, De Agricultura; Columella, De Re Rustica; Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia.