Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary/Ergastulum

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Rich, Anthony (1849). The illustrated companion to the Latin dictionary, and Greek lexicon. p. vi. OCLC 894670115. https://archive.org/details/illustratedcompa00rich. 

ERGAS'TULUM. A sort of prison and place of correction attached to the farms and country villas of the Romans, in which those of the slave family who were kept in fetters (compediti, nexi, vincti) were lodged and made to work in irons; whereas, the rest, who were not chained, were provided with separate accommodation (cellae, contubernia) in other parts of the establishment. (Columell. i. 6. 3. Compare 8. 16. Apul. Apol. p. 482. Brut. ad Cic. Fam. xi. 13.) As Columella recommends that such places should be constructed underground, we may conclude that it was not the universal practice to do so.