1. Manumissio Vindicta:
- This was a formal act performed in front of a Roman magistrate.
- The slave's owner would touch the slave's head with a wooden rod (vindicta) while declaring the slave's freedom before witnesses.
- The magistrate would then confirm the slave's status as a freedperson.
2. Manumissio Censu:
- Slaves could be freed during the official census conducted regularly by Roman censors.
- The owner would declare the slave's freedom when registering the slave's name in the census records.
3. Manumissio Testamento:
- Slaves could be granted freedom in their owner's will or testament.
- This was the most common method during the later periods of the Roman Empire.
4. Manumissio Inter Amicos:
- This informal method involved the owner declaring the slave's freedom in front of friends and witnesses.
- Although legal, it was less formalized than other methods and required further legal steps for full official recognition of the freed status.
In addition to these methods, certain instances or conditions could lead to automatic manumission:
- A slave who was abandoned by their owner could claim freedom.
- If a slave's owner failed to provide basic necessities and the slave survived for a designated period living on someone else's property, freedom could be granted.
- If a slave performed exceptional services or demonstrated heroism, they could be granted freedom as a reward.
Regardless of the method of manumission, freed slaves generally gained certain rights and privileges but maintained some social and legal distinctions from full-fledged Roman citizens.