Egypt tombs suggest pyramids not built by slaves

[Sean Manning]

I'm afraid I'm with Paul on this one. The text is short but although it may not be spelled out that slavery was meant, I think that the intention of Herodotus was indeed to describe a situation in which the Egyptions were compelled to do work (paid or not) and that they were not free to choose.

I don't think anyone is disputing that though. The question seems to be whether Herodotus believed they were slaves. I think he would have called a subject of Khufu a doulos, but if pressed would have agreed that he didn't mean a doulos in precisely the same sense as a worker in an Attic silver mine or a Hellene in a city controlled by foreigners.