Political structure matters.
“neither Quintus nor Maximus are going back to their farm after this: they’re going back to Rome to be major figures in Roman politics, living on their large estates since senators were required by law to be extremely wealthy. Maximus’ wife and child, far from being alone on their homestead, would have been at the center of a household that includes hundreds if not thousands of enslaved laborers.”
https://acoup.blog/2025/06/13/collections-nitpicking-gladiators-iconic-opening-battle-part-ii/