The prominent leader who abolished slavery in ancient Rome was Emperor Augustus, though significant reforms regarding slavery were influenced by various other leaders and social movements over time. While slavery was not wholly abolished during Augustus's reign, he implemented laws that improved conditions for enslaved individuals and promoted manumission, encouraging slave owners to free their slaves. Slavery in ancient Rome was a complex institution, tied to economic systems and social hierarchies. The decline of slavery occurred gradually, influenced by shifts in social attitudes and economic changes over centuries, leading to a more humane perspective toward servitude in the later Roman Empire.