Although any citizen or freeman could own land only the very rich could afford to develop it effectively. By investing in a huge labour force these estate owners were able to swallow up smaller, family-run farms and monopolise the market. They employed a seemingly endless supply of landless citizens, ordered into groups and, where possible, closely supervised to ensure that their productivity remained high. Although such workers were often labelled “slave labour”, rations, rewards and even a wage structure were used to incentivise the workers, ensuring that the estates operated efficiently.
