In Ancient Rome, what prevented slaves from running away?

I think that there are assumptions in your question. Firstly, slaves in Ancient Rome came from all over the known world. read more

Firstly, slaves in Ancient Rome came from all over the known world. Africa,from Germainia, from what is now the middle east, Gaul and other Mediterranean countries, all these peoples had specific identifiable physical characteristics different from the average Roman. Many of these people wanted to be Roman but earning Roman citizenship was difficult. read more

Slavery in ancient Rome played an important role in society and the economy. Besides manual labor, slaves performed many domestic services, and might be employed at highly skilled jobs and professions. read more

Romans labelled runaway slaves 'fugitives', and as the greatest modern historian of ancient slavery, Moses Finley, has remarked, 'fugitive slaves are almost an obsession in the sources'. This suggests that the incidence of running away was always high. read more