Is it better to die as a free man, or live as a slave?
Depending on who I was a slave to I might actually choose slavery. The ancient Norse had a class of slaves called House Karls or Hus Karls that were slaves who had earned their masters trust and were entrusted with his life. This class later evolved into the Royal BodyGuard of the Anglo-Saxons. For me the question is whether or not you see reason to live. Most ancient civilisations gave their slaves a way to earn their freedom. The Spartans were the exception not the norm. Within the Roman Republic and even the Empire a slave could not only earn his freedom but actually earn citizenship. So for me living as a slave would be better than dieing as a free man.
