My analysis of those times is that people used other people for some kind of material advantage. This went from the Roman Emperor to the lowest of slaves. Most people will figuring out angles to better their state.

For example, it was common for Jewish families to be indebted. One of the reliefs was for the patriarch to offer one of his children as a slave. This would set up the family dynamic as a contest as to not be the next slave.

The teachings of Jesus brought many away from this thinking. The early Christian communities were an oasis from the "use or be used" culture that dominated Roman society.