Storicamente. Laboratorio di storia

«The ransom typically demanded for lower-captives, such as sailors, fishermen, or “ordinary soldiers”, grew from a few hundred ducats in the mid-seventeenth century to an average of nearly 900 ducats by the 1760s. For workers “who have some skills” the price could easily top 1.100 ducats, while for ship captains and anyone “of quality” the asking price might be 3.000-10.000 ducats» [Davis 2000, 468]. Continuo fu l’incremento del costo degli schiavi. Di prezzi decuplicati in meno di un secolo, tra 1650 e 1750, parla ad esempio Mathiex 1954, 162-163.