Were any SLAVE OWNERS BLACKS WHO OWNED WHITES? Anywhere?
No. Slavery is nothing new. When countries "start out" someone has to do the hard labor of building its infrastructure - and it's usually slave labor. Many times those slaves are the people of the country whom that country conquered in order to become a country (war). Sometimes those slaves could, eventually, buy their freedom. Sometimes they were released by their masters as an act of kindness. Sometimes they were “liberated” by another conquering country/nation (war) - many only to remain slaves in the new country. Most slaves, however, remained their master’s property all their lives.
This may sound strange, but not all slavery was/is bad. When we hear the word “slavery”, we think of black people being abused by white people. This is not always the case – even in this country! Some slaves were treated like members of the master’s family (yes, even some in the US). In the Roman Empire, some slaves were white. Some slaves were owned by other people, some by the government. Some treated them as if they were less than dirt, others didn’t. Some people sold themselves into slavery so they could have food to eat and a place to live. Sometimes it was only for a temporary basis (until they could “get back on their feet”), sometimes it was permanent.
Yes, some masters were cruel. A slave was property, and as such, the owner could do whatever he pleased with them - brand them, beat them, abuse them (mentally, physically, and verbally), rape them, even kill them.
Shuhak 